A SELECTION OF PSALMS AND HYMNS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP, BY THE REV. ABNER W. BROWN (Vicar of Gretton, and Honorary Canon of PREFACE. THE following Collection is mainly composed of two, one or other of which has, for many years, been in use in Gretton, Pytchley, and some other parishes in the Diocese. To them are now added hymns commonly used at Choral Festivals or Harvest Homes, and a few others. A considerable number of the Hymns, and some of the Psalms, are original--a humble contribution to General Psalmody—and are either re-printed from the Editor's "Introits," (1845,) Pytchley School Hymnbook, (1848,) and other publications; or are now printed for the first time. The Psalms are not exclusively taken from the New and Old metrical versions, but occasionally from others which may happen to adhere more closely to the authorized Translations. The generally known and valued hymns will be found amply represented in the volume; but as these exist in such an endless variety of rendering as has almost destroyed their identity, those versions have been selected which seem best adapted to the public services of the Church of England. Hymns, Nos. 11, 13, 25, 72, 86, 146, 282, are here reprinted by permission of the proprietors of "Hymns, Ancient and Modern;' " with the tunes of which valuable Hymnal the metres of the present volume correspond. Hymn, No. 263, is reprinted with the kind permission of its author, the Rev. J. Keble. For other hymns, also, the Editor is indebted to the indulgence of friends. |