Hymnals

Liturgical Song is proud to have twenty-two of its song catalogue items included in the recently published Australian Bishops' hymnal "Catholic Worship Book II." The value of this resource is the breadth of contemporary and traditional hymns and ritual songs covering every kind of liturgical celebration. There are songs covering celebrations of all the sacraments, seasons and feasts, as well as the memorials of the major saints. All the liturgical song genres are covered, with the exception of responsorial psalms.

The Role of Hymnals in Repertoire Strategy

Hymnals over the years have provided the foundation for the development of our national repertoire. Australian hymnals have been published regularly from the 1950s to the 1990s. The 1990s saw the release of four significant general hymnal publications - As One Voice, Gather Australia, As One Voice 2, and Together In Song. While there have been specialist collections published since then (As One Voice for Kids, As One Voice Next Generation), Catholic Worship Book II is the first general hymnal publication in more than seventeen years. With around 1,000 items covering contemporary and traditional ritual songs, it provides a comprehensive resource for worshipping communities.

As collections of ritual music and liturgical song, hymnals have historically helped shape the scope and extent of songs used in liturgy. Other resources are seen as supplementary to the major hymnals of the time. The major sources for music suggestions (LiturgyHelp, Living Liturgy, Liturgy Notes) generally refer to hymnal publications as their primary source, supplemented by specialist resources for responsorial psalms. Determining which hymnals your musicians use in your worshipping community is a strategically important decision in shaping your repertoire.