THE Bible and the hymn book belong together. They are old partners. The Church needs both. The Bible contains the Word of God. The hymn book is full of poetry and music which can console, challenge and inspire.

The words of our best hymns express thoughts we often cannot find words to express. The music can give expression to moods of the soul for which speech is too coarse and imperfect a medium. I believe one of the reasons why the hymn book is such a vital part of worship services, is that more people feel their faith than intellectualise it.

There is no doubt that the greatest days of the church have been its singing days. The faith and joy of the early Christians spontaneously overflowed into praise. Paul called on the early Christians to ‘sing and make melody with all their heart’. When he and Silas were imprisoned at Philippi, though their bodies were lacerated by the terrible beatings they had received, the gaoler found them singing hymns at midnight. In a letter which Pliny wrote to the Roman Emperor towards the end of the first century, he tells him that the most noticeable thing about this strange new Christian sect, is that they are forever singing.

It was exactly 500 years ago that Martin Luther posted his 95 theses on the church door at Wittenberg. Having translated the Bible into German, he resurrected congregational hymn singing by giving the German people the basic truths of the Christian faith in songs which would linger in their minds and hearts.

Luther was the founder of modern hymn-singing. In the Middle Ages congregations remained silent. Though Luther appreciated the beauty of many of the old Latin hymns sung by priestly choirs, he believed congregations should also be free to praise God with their voices. So he set about popularising congregational hymn-singing. “Apart from theology”, said Luther, “Music is the art most capable of affording peace and joy to the human heart.” Luther brought hymn-singing out of its obscurity in the monasteries and nunneries to its rightful place as a means of voicing the spiritual aspirations of people. Luther’s hymns became the music of the Reformation. The invention of the printing press greatly helped, making it possible for his hymns to be circulated.

It was no different with the reformation brought about 200 years later by the Wesleys. The incredible impact which the ministry of John and Charles Wesley had on British life was partly due to their deep faith and social consciences, but partly also to the stress they laid on hymn singing. Charles was the most prolific hymn writer the world has known. He wrote over 6000. Whereas the sermons of the Wesleys are seldom read today, many of their hymns are still regularly sung. CH4 has sixteen of them.

Congregational singing continues to distinguish Christianity from many other religions and creeds. Muslims excel in missionary zeal and a disciplined prayer life, but they are not basically a singing people. Though the creed of the Stoics was noble and rugged in endurance, it was lacking in song.

During my ten year ministry in the West End of Glasgow in the 1960s and 1970s, I was invited to be a member of a 12-club. The 12 members included Professor William Barclay, one of the most outstanding Christian writers and communicators of the 20th century, and Dr Ronald Falconer who, at that time, was in charge of religious broadcasting for BBC Scotland. For Dr Falconer hymn singing was as important a part of church life as preaching. During the Second World War when the British Expeditionary Forces in Europe were asked what kind of radio broadcasts they would most welcome from home, the commonest request was for hymnsinging. This was how the Sunday Half-Hour of hymn-singing began on the Light programme, a programme which continued on Radio 2 up until a few years ago.

Throughout the 1950s Dr Falconer kept badgering the BBC in London to consider televising hymn-singing programmes. They finally agreed. 60 years later Sunday’s Songs of Praise services are still watched by millions.

They are part of Dr Falconer’s lasting memorial.