Andrew Satchell, David Jenkins, David Thompson and Stephen Orchard, members of the committee which created Rejoice and Sing in 1991, join with Anne Sardeson and Dominic Grant to discuss the story of the hymnbook

Stephen Tomkins: What memories come to mind when you think of the creation of Rejoice and Sing?

Andrew Satchell: My abiding memory is being surprised that I was asked to take part. I wasn’t totally convinced we needed a new hymn book, there were so many around, but I thought, If there’s going to be a new hymn book, I’m going to help make it as good as it can be. The 16 of us on the committee all wanted the same. There were, let’s say, differences of opinion over what was included and what wasn’t, but it was a team working together in faith and good nature. I don’t remember anybody falling out. There were difficult discussions, but we worked through them and we ended up with a very good book.

ST: David, does that match your memories?

David Jenkins: Oh yes. We had a very eclectic committee, people with gifts in poetry, in music, in publishing, in editing, and we drew them all together. It was like a choir: different sounds, difference in the way we approached things. Some of us were immersed in hymnody and knew the needs of the Church. But the difficulty was how do you read the signs of the times? Hymnody has moved on. Iona music was popular at that time, but we didn’t throw in loads. Taizé, we could have included one or two more. Australia and New Zealand have moved things on onwards. We were trying to read what was needed, to be forward-looking and exciting.

We sang every one through. We wanted words and music to fit like a glove. It was a great joy…

Stephen Tomkins is Editor of Reform

___

This is an extract from an article published in the Issue 4 – 2025 edition of Reform

Subscribe to Reform