Press Releases15 Sep 15

’Thanks and Praise’ Launched at National Cathedral

The choir of St Gall’s parish church, Carnalea, Bangor, singing at the launch of Thanks and Praise.

The Church of Ireland has officially launched its new supplement to the Church Hymnal, Thanks and Praise, at St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin. Around 140 guests attended the event in the Lady Chapel on Friday evening, 11th September.

Thanks and Praise contains some 227 hymns, songs and liturgical settings reflecting the best of church music to emerge since the most recent edition of the Church Hymnal was compiled in 2000. It is accompanied by recorded church music and Braille editions and an updated version of Sing to the Word, the lectionary hymn guide edited by the Rt Revd Edward Darling.

The congregation sang from the hymnal supplement, including ‘Our father we have wandered’, ‘O God of Faith’, and ‘We shall go out with hope of resurrection’.

The junior choirs of Taney and Kilternan parish churches, Dublin, sang ‘He made the stars’ and ‘Faith as small as a mustard seed’ while ‘Wonderful Lord’ and ‘Don’t build your house’ were performed by the choir of St Gall’s, Carnalea, Bangor. Edwin Brown, from Bushmills, sang a solo version of his own hymn ‘See the Lamb of God’.

‘Thanks and Praise is born,’ remarked the Rt Revd Harold Miller, Chairman of the Liturgical Advisory Committee. He noted that it will be a book that ‘we will grow to really love and nurture and value, and will be a blessing to us in the future.’

The book was formally launched by the Archbishop of Armagh, the Most Revd Dr Richard Clarke who thanked Bishop Miller as editor and the Revd Dr Peter Thompson as music editor, for their energy, drive and enthusiasm.

Archbishop Clarke commended Thanks and Praise as ‘a wonderful addition to the Church of Ireland’ and added: ‘Every parish should have this book because every parish can use this book and every parish can benefit from this book.’

The Archbishop of Dublin, the Most Revd Michael Jackson, highlighted that the accompanying resources will allow many more people to enjoy it as part of church life.

He commented: ‘I have great pleasure in being associated with the launch of Thanks and Praise this evening in St Patrick’s Cathedral. The involvement of singers from right around the country bodes well for its inclusion in the worshipping life of the Church of Ireland.’

Thanks and Praise is one of the first books to be published first in a Braille edition, produced by the Braille unit at HMP Maghaberry. A gift was presented to Braille instructor Mark Mooney towards the work of the unit.

Pictured at the launch of Thanks and Praise are (left to right) the Rt Revd Edward Darling, the Revd Dr Peter Thompson, the Most Revd Michael Jackson, Archbishop of Dublin, the Most Revd Dr Richard Clarke, Archbishop of Armagh, and the Rt Revd Harold Miller, Chairman, Liturgical Advisory Committee.

Orders for Thanks and Praise can be placed by emailing [email protected], stating your name, church/organisation, postal address, contact email and phone number and quantities desired. Prices are available at www.ireland.anglican.org/hymnalsupplement