hymnbook

Also known as: hymnal

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July 23, 2026

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A hymnbook, also known as a hymnal, is a collection of hymns. Hymns are songs of praise, traditionally used in Christian worship. While the term "hymn" strictly refers to Christian worship songs, similar songs of praise exist across many cultures and have ancient origins. Christian hymnody has roots in the singing of psalms in the Hebrew Temple and developed significantly after Christianity was legalized in the Roman Empire. Hymnbooks are distributed to congregations to facilitate communal singing during services.12345

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gospel music
Black gospel music
…be ultimately traced to the hymnals of the early 19th century. A Collection of Spiritual Songs and Hymns Selected from Various Authors (1801) was the first hymnal intended for use in Black worship. It contained texts written mostly by 18th-century British clergymen, such as Isaac Watts and Charles Wesley, but…
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…be ultimately traced to the hymnals of the early 19th century. A Collection of Spiritual Songs and Hymns Selected from Various Authors (1801) was the first hymnal intended for use in Black worship. It contained texts written mostly by 18th-century British clergymen, such as Isaac Watts and Charles Wesley, but…
Read More

Native American music
Indigenous trends from 1800
The Cherokee published a hymnal using the syllabary completed in 1821 by Sequoyah. This kind of hymnal does not include musical notation; rather, the congregants learn the melodies through oral tradition. In the 21st century, Christian hymns in Indian languages constitute an important repertory of traditional music throughout the…
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The Cherokee published a hymnal using the syllabary completed in 1821 by Sequoyah. This kind of hymnal does not include musical notation; rather, the congregants learn the melodies through oral tradition. In the 21st century, Christian hymns in Indian languages constitute an important repertory of traditional music throughout the…
Read More