Together in Song
Australian Hymn Book II

The 1999 edition of Together in Song: Australian Hymn Book II has been compiled to represent the contemporary needs of the churches of Australia. Those familiar with the first edition of the Hymn Book will be pleased to notice that, while many areas have been updated, the fundamental structure remains the same. This ensures that the updated version will become as much of a valuable and reliable resource as its predecessor was.

Contents
The Hymn Book contains approximately 780 items. As well as traditional and contemporary hymns, there are numerous psalms, responses, chants and canons, modern songs and choruses, communion settings and doxologies.

Contributors
Reflecting the needs and values of Australian churches has been achieved by drawing the content from a vast range of sources. Seventy-five Australians have contributed to the lyrics and musical settings contained in the Hymn Book, including Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders. There are also contributions from more than 47 countries around the world, emphasising our membership of the worldwide Christian community. Women have a strong representation in this edition of the Hymn Book, with works from more than 80 female songwriters and composers included.

Over half of the contents have been composed within the last 50 years, strengthening the place of the Hymn Book within today's church. Such inspiring works of modern hymn composers as those of Brian Wren, John Bell and members of the Taizé community, have been included and from a traditional perspective, there are cherished hymns from such favourite composers as Charles Wesley and Isaac Watts, along with many Lutheran and traditional hymns.

The Hymn Book for today's churches
In addressing the needs of Australian Christians, the producers of the Hymn Book have ensured that it caters for the wide range of worship needs. The Hymn book has been endorsed by the Anglican, Roman Catholic, Uniting and Lutheran Churches, and the Church of Christ. It will be useful in contemporary or traditional settings, and within large or small congregations. Differing levels of musical competence are taken into consideration, and there is a large print (lyrics only) edition available. To assist in introducing the updated Hymn Book into Australian churches, there will be a series of workshops held in cities, provincial centres and towns througout 1999 and 2000.

Editor's introduction