Published in X hymnals INFLATION alert

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Haruo's picture

I've been tabulating the instances of the 250 supposedly most popular hymns in modern hymnals in the database, what the front page calls "Common Hymns". It's a fascinating and useful list, and I (like Ron Vinson) wish I knew how it was generated. But I must remind myself and all users who are concerned about "the meaning of words" and "facts" and whatnot that there is a major flaw in the wording that says, for example, "Published in 305 hymnals". Actually what is counted, to come up with the figure (305 in this case), is not hymnals, but instances.

Taking just the hymns that start with A, there are three in the list that show significantly inflated popularity on this account. Just looking at the post-1978 instances (which are presumably what is meant by "modern hymnals"), I find that

Alas and did my Savior bleed shows 30 instances, but only 20 hymnals, i.e. 10 of the hymnals set it twice, generally once to MARTYRDOM aka AVON and once to HUDSON aka AT THE CROSS.

All hail the power of Jesus' name shows 59 instances, but only 38 hymnals, because of the frequent setting of the text to some combination of CORONATION, MILES LANE and DIADEM.

Away in a manger shows 57 instances, but only 43 hymnals, because of the frequent inclusion of both MUELLER and CRADLE SONG settings.

Now, none of these three would be likely to be excluded from the list if "hymnals" really meant hymnals, but if we skip down to V we find a candidate for exclusion:

Venite, Exultemus Domino shows 18 instances, but only 4, yes, only four actual hymnals. How did this happen? Well, apparently this canticle is a major part of Episcopal worship, and Hymnal 1982 contains thirteen reiterations of the text. I strongly suspect that the 287 pre-1979 instances that contributed to the total of 305 so-called hymnals at the top of the page would be similarly reduced if they were sifted to yield true hymnals rather than instances masquerading as such.


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Christ our Passover is supposedly in 55 hymnals, including 21 since 1979, but after excluding duplicate entries owing to liturgical and musical factors, the real counts are (if I counted right) 19 and 4.