The Celebration Hymnal: Songs and Hymns for Worship, Rust by Tom Fettke

Unique and thoughtful features abound throughout The Celebration Hymnal. There are, in fact, too many to enumerate here. They include creative musical material such as modulations within and between songs, descants, last stanza settings, and segues. Innovative organizational features include the sequencing of songs according to their worship objective, with, for example, songs and hymns to "Exalt the Lord" placed together. Over fifty thematic worship sequences unite song and Scripture in an unbroken flow of worship, with all needed transitional material included. The section entitled "The Family at Worship" is an important innovation. The material here has been carefully chosen and crafted for use by children, youth, and adults - together in worship. It has also been our goal to elevate the role of Scripture in relationship to the music. No longer relegated to the back of the book as seldom used or rigid "responsive readings," Scripture now appears throughout the volume, to be used creatively and interactively with songs of the same theme or topic. The entire hymnal is fully orchestrated for church orchestras and smaller instrumental groups. 818 listings. 10 indexes.