Protestant Hymns

Every American Protestant church (and the 1960s Catholic churches as well) uses published hymnals are the source for congregational or community singing. Hymn singing replaced earlier styles of congregational singing the early 19th century. Although uniformly arranged in four-part chordal harmony, these hymns resemble folk music collections in the blending of old and new, classical and traditional styles, and composed pieces in past popular styles. As with folk music, the mingling of tunes from so many sources serves to convey a sense of timeless tradition.