Ask the average churchgoer what their favorite hymn is and you’ll get a myriad of responses based on age, gender, theological viewpoint and religious denomination. A recent informal survey elicited this response from a variety of church friends:
- How Great Thou Art
- Amazing Grace
- All Things Bright and Beautiful
- For the Beauty of the Earth
- Blest Be the Tie That Binds
- What a Friend We Have in Jesus
- I Love to Tell the Story
The list goes on and on and is limited only by the longevity of one’s church membership. Ask the same question to a church musician and you are likely to hear a slightly different list of names:
- Ode to Joy
- Slane
- Beach Spring
- Hyfrydol
- St. Anne
- Passion Chorale
- Picardy
- O Waly Waly
Those, of course, are the original names of the hymn tunes, many of which are slightly more harmonically complex than the Old Rugged Cross (Toplady). We all have our favorite hymns. Some of us base our favorites on the words, while others of us judge our hymns by melody and harmony. It seems clear thought, that the more time you’ve spent pew sitting, the stronger your opinion will be regarding the top ten greatest hymns of all time.
Our latest collection of hymn arrangements (volume #6) include some of our personal favorites. Each one crafted in the genre of jazz to make it even more compelling. So, whether you refer to the hymn as Beecher or Love Divine, All Loves Excelling . . . Vienna or Take My Life and Let It Be . . . our arrangements will provide you with a new twist to an old, beloved tune. And, as always, if you download one of our volumes, please let us know how the arrangements were received in your congregation.