Trinity Psalter Hymnal: An Appraisal, Part Two

Finally, the blog post you’ve all been waiting for! After 3 years (!), it’s time to appraise the hymnal portion of the now-not-so-new Trinity Psalter Hymnal. I love this hymnal and wish that every church used it. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t without its faults. So here we go!

The Hymnal: The Best of the Best

In short: This hymnal has among the finest musical and poetic selections of any hymnal currently in print. I use that word, finest, purposefully, because to my mind it carries a double meaning. Most of the selections are fine, as in elegant, beautiful, reverent, spiritual. And then there are some selections that are just…fine. They don’t wow me. They don’t beg to be sung. Or if they do beg to be sung, it’s for the wrong reasons. Let’s unpack that a bit. 

Were I to hand you a copy of the 1990 Trinity Hymnal and ask you to look up the Gloria Patri, you’d be presented with three options: the two traditional settings (Meineke and Greatorex) and a contemporary “jazz lounge” version (it’s hilarious, go look it up). This is an example of the wide diversity in musical styles encompassed by the 1990 Trinity Hymnal, an historical artifact of the “worship wars” of the 1980s. Whither goest thou, modern man? Contemporary or traditional? Reverent or spirited? Dull or dramatic? 

It’s a testament to the current state of the OPC (and URC) that the “contemporary” flavor of the 1990 Trinity Hymnal has been almost completely eradicated from the TPH. What we are left with is the “cream of the crop,” the best of the best. The first casualty is the superfluity of turn-of-the-century revivalist ditties. Just to pick one author at random, only one (!) Fanny Crosby hymn remains (236, “To God Be The Glory,” her best one). Compare that to ten Fanny Crosby tunes in the TH1990.

A similar trend is noticeable when you consider the TPH’s inclusion of “contemporary” music. Many of the contemporary songs in the TH1990 dated from the 1970s and were old fashioned even then. While the TPH does contain some new songs, it is remarkably conservative. Only three Getty/Townend hymns made the cut. There’s a few contemporary musical settings from Paul Jones (former organist at Tenth Pres Philadelphia). New hymns were contributed by several contemporary authors, including Jonathan Landry Cruse, OPC minister in Kalamazoo, Michigan; these hymns, though, are decidedly “traditional” in tone and typically paired with older tunes. 

Speaking of older tunes, I mentioned that the Psalter section included many selections from the Genevan Psalter. The hymnal portion also includes the Genevan setting of the Ten Commandments (174) and the Nunc Dimittis (“Song of Simeon,” 295).

Most of the non-psalm canticles from the BCP’s Orders for Morning and Evening Prayer are present: 

• Benedictus (“Song of Zechariah,” 294)
• Magnificat (“Song of Mary,” 301)
• Nunc dimittis (“Song of Simeon,” 295)
• Te Deum laudamus (“O God, We Praise Thee,” 210)

German hymnody abounds, including seven hymns from Martin Luther (one of which, 316, is an English translation of Luther’s German translation of an Ambrosian hymn—that’s what I call Inception!), two from Joachim Neander, five from Paul Gerhardt, and a plethora of others, many of them translated by Catherine Winkworth. Many arrangements by J.S. Bach are included as well (some of the most difficult hymns to sing in the whole book!).

Not to be outdone, English hymnody finds great representation here as well, including at least thirteen hymns or parts of hymns by Charles Wesley, a handful by Christina Rossetti, four musical arrangements by Ralph Vaughan Williams, and musical settings from Gustav Holst, Samuel Sebastian Wesley, and Charles Hubert Hastings Parry, among others. And let’s not forget the ever-present Isaac Watts. Arthur Sullivan (of Gilbert and Sullivan fame) also makes a few musical appearances, which tickles me to no end. Someone needs to write “I Am The Very Model of A Modern Presbyterian.”

American hymnody is present as well. Here we find “What Wondrous Love is This” (343), “How Firm A Foundation” (243), “Man of Sorrows! What A Name” (352), etc. James Montgomery Boice has a few hymns and versifications of Scripture. None of R.C. Sproul’s hymns made the cut (sorry, R.C.!). Musically speaking, Lowell Mason rears his ugly head over a dozen times (that’s another blog post altogether).

Overall, the TPH’s hymn selection is leaner, fitter, more nutritious, less fluffy than the TH1990. It is much more tonally consistent with itself, even while including multiple musical styles. Let’s consider some counter-examples. 

The Meh-est of the Meh (not good, but still not bad!)

Though it’s a favorite in our congregation, one hymn whose inclusion I simply cannot fathom is 438, “I Love To Tell The Story.” The hymn never once actually tells the story! (This is because of the verses the committee chose; the original poem is much longer and does include a retelling of Christ’s work on the cross.) 

I object theologically to “How Firm A Foundation,” 243, for the simple reason that it puts words in God’s mouth. It’s like a devotion from Jesus Calling if it had any theological depth. 

I wish they would have put the children’s songs (and other songs for informal occasions) in a separate section, like the original Trinity Hymnal did in 1961. Not everything in this hymnal is suitable for a Sunday worship service. “All Things Bright and Beautiful” and “Jesus Loves Me” are wonderful songs, but do not rise to the level of “A Mighty Fortress is Our God” or even “In Christ Alone.” I’m not saying leave them out of the hymnal, but separate them from the rest, even if it’s just so parents know where to turn when they want to sing with their little ones during the week. 

Finally, and this is perhaps my biggest criticism while also being its greatest strength, the hymnal tries so hard to be tonally consistent with itself that it all ends up sounding the same. Add to that the fact that there are so many hymns with the same tune, and you end up with a homogenous mess. Variety is the spice of life!

Conclusion

My criticisms are short and my praises are long. Every church leader and pew-sitter would benefit from a copy of this hymnal for use in church or in private devotions. There’s nothing else like it on the market right now. I pray it will continue to aid many as they come before the throne of grace each week.