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Welcome to the Open Hymnal Project, an effort to create a freely distributable, downloadable database of Christian hymns, spiritual songs, and prelude/postlude music. I am doing my best to create a final product that is "Hymnal-quality", and could feasibly be used as the basis for a printed church hymnal. This music is to be distributed as complete scores (words and music), using all accompaniment parts, in formats that are easily accessible on most computer OS's and which can be freely modified by anyone.

"Freely you received, so freely give." - Matthew 10:8 (WEB)

06 Nov 2025 Added a new hymn Sing My Tongue The Glorious Battle. The traditional public domain tune/setting for this wonderful hymn, using an extraordinarily old chant, was unsingable to modern ears (at least in English translation). I've done my best modify it for modern use. I pray it helps you.

31 Oct 2025 Happy Reformation Day, everyone! Added a new hymn Why Should Cross and Trial Grieve Me?.

27 Oct 2025 Added a new hymn From All Thy Saints in Warfare.

25 Oct 2025 Added a new (very short) hymn Lord, Be Thy Word My Rule by Christopher Wordsworth. This would be a nice morning prayer.

23 Oct 2025 Added an often-requested new hymn Great Is Thy Faithfulness. This hymn had been in copyright a decade ago but is now in the public domain.

21 Oct 2025 Added a new hymn Now Sin, With Reign Unbroken by Thomas Kingo. Expect to see a number of hymns being entered from my three favorite hymnwriters: Paul Gerhardt, Thomas Kingo, and Christopher Wordsworth. Particularly with Kingo, a number of translations that had been in copyright a decade ago are now in the public domain, this one included.

15 Oct 2025 Added a new hymn from a modern hymnwriter, Randall Medcalf. I Trust in the Blood of Calvary.

09 Oct 2025 After a long absence, I am restarting activity on the Open Hymnal Project. Numerous small changes have been made behind the scenes already. One which the user will see are the Trinitarian verse markers (Δ). In some church bodies there is a tradition to stand when the final verse of a hymn reflects all three persons of the Trinity. The markers are already to be found in individual pdfs, but it will be a little while before another fully compiled hymnal will be ready.

Additionally, I have added a new hymn, All People that on Earth Do Dwell. Numerous more hymns are in the works and will be added in the near future.

27 Jun 2019 Changed email.

Very Old News