The Hymn Society of Great Britain and Ireland is a not-for-profit organisation in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland which aims to promote the study and use of Christian hymns. As of 2024, the society comprises around 450 members, including hymn writers, composers, editors, and members of the clergy, plus 50 subscribing libraries and institutions.
History
The society was founded in 1936 by Dr J. R. Fleming for the purpose of:
encouraging study and research in Hymnody promoting good standards of hymn-singing encouraging the discerning use of hymns and songs in worship sponsoring relevant publications
In the years after its creation, the Society set itself the task of updating John Julian's 1892 Dictionary of Hymnology.
Activity
The Society's primary actions are the production of a Newsletter and Bulletin four times per year containing articles and research on hymns and hymnody, as well as publishing additional Papers on topics in greater depth. It also works closely with sister Societies around the world, including the Hymn Society in the United States and Canada and International Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Hymnologie in Germany.
Each July, the Society holds a three-day conference of talks and workshops, culminating in a large event known since 2003 as The Festival of Hymns, and prior to that was called the Act of Praise. The first Conference was held in Oxford in 1948.
Act of Praise / Festival of Hymns
A central part of the Hymn Society's annual Conference, the Festival of Hymns (or Act of Praise as it was known prior to 2003) has been held in the following locations.
YearLocation1948Mansfield College, Oxford1949not held1950Jesus College, Cambridge1951Oxford1952not held1953Church of the Holy Trinity, Stratford-upon-Avon1954Victoria Hall, Sheffield1955not held1956West Croydon Methodist Church1957Highbury Congregational Church, Bristol1958Mansfield College, Oxford1959Canterbury Baptist Church1960Emmanuel Congregational Church, Cambridge1961The chapel, Lambeth Palace1962Tyndale Baptist Church, Bristol1963Malvern College Chapel1964St Nicholas' Church, East Dereham1965Charterhouse School Chapel1966Little St Mary's, Cambridge1967St Mary's Church, Primrose Hill1968Cheltenham College Chapel1969Liverpool Anglican Cathedral1970Charterhouse School Chapel1971St Mary's Baptist Church, Norwich1972St Mary Redcliffe, Bristol1973Nottingham Cathedral1974Wesley Chapel, York1975Tabernacle Chapel, Cardiff1976Norwich Cathedral1977Salisbury Cathedral1978Manchester Cathedral1979Carrs Lane Church, Birmingham1980Southernhay United Reformed Church, Exeter1981Keble College, Oxford1982Gloucester Cathedral1983Durham Cathedral1984Chichester Cathedral1985Methodist Central Hall, Coventry1986Guildford Cathedral1987Leeds Parish Church1988Tyndale Baptist Church, Bristol1989Glasgow University Chapel1990The Parish Church, Llanfairfechan1991St Botolph's Church, Colchester1992Church of Our Lady and Saint Nicholas, Liverpool1993Winchester United Church1994St George's Church, Jesmond1995St Philip's Cathedral, Birmingham1996St Mary Clement Methodist Church, Truro1997St Olave's Church, York1998St Mary's Baptist Church, Norwich1999St Peter's Church, Lampeter2000Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin2001Bradford Cathedral2002Wesleyan Chapel, Bishop Street, Leicester2003Canterbury Cathedral2004Canongate Kirk, Edinburgh2005Chester Cathedral2006St Martin's Church, Dorking2007All Saints' Church, Northampton2008Church of Our Lady and Saint Nicholas, Liverpool2009St Patrick's Cathedral, Armagh2010St Oswald's Church, Durham2011Waltham Abbey Church2012Trinity United Reformed Church, Lancaster2013Derby Cathedral2014St Mary's Church, Charlton Kings, Cheltenham2015St Columba's United Reformed Church, Cambridge2016St Salvator's Chapel, St Andrews2017Christ Church, Carmarthen2018St Michael & All Angels Church, Cherry Burton2019Canterbury Cathedral2020not held2021not held2022Blackburn Cathedral2023Bishop Grosseteste University Chapel, Lincoln
Notable figures
The Editors of The Bulletin have been:
Millar Patrick (1937–47) Erik Routley (1948–74) Bernard Massey (1974–2001 and 2003–04) Christopher Idle (2001–03) Andrew Pratt (2004-) Martin Leckebusch
See also Hymn Society in the United States and Canada
References