Rejoice and Sing

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Nicely presented but unpleasantly revisionist - Rated
This is the main hymnbook used at my church and I also collect different hymn books so I have had plenty of time to study rejoice and sing and I must say that i do not care for it at all. The introduction quite explicitly says that it aims to excercise any old fashioned language wherever possible and this sets the tone for what is a highly revisionist work. Not only are thee and thou etc often taken out but often whole verses are altered. An example of this is the popular carol 'See Amid the Winter's Snow' which rejoice and sing renders as 'See! In yonder manger Low'. Regardless of your position on such revisions I think it very bad that the book does not at least credit these alterations and if one didn't have any pre knowledge of th hymn one might well think that it was the original authors work which it is not. The book also misses out many well loved Victorian hymns in favour of obscure modern ones.
However if one wants a hymnbook with a more modern bent this book is nicely set out with some good plainsong chants although I don't think anything can excuse not explicitly saying that a recent revision was not the original authors work

Wide ranging selection reflecting a variety of traditions - Rated
Rejoice and Sing is the denominational hymnbook of the United Reformed Church - but I think that members of other traditions could well find it a useful replacement for ageing hymnaries.

Published in 1991, R&S is the first book to reflect the Congregationalist, Presbyterian and Churches of Christ traditions of the URC. You'll find plenty of Watts (Congregationalist), Robinson (Churches of Christ) and metrical psalms (Presbyterian)! Other traditions are also represented, including many Wesley hymns. However, the reason that most congregations will find this useful is not the well-known, and less well-known old favourites, but the selections of more recent church music: there are good examples of Graham Kendrick, and Iona Community hymns included.

Gripes? Well, 'At the name of Jesus' is not accompanied by its more popular tune, Camberwell, the tune 'Abbots Leigh' is used too frequently, and there are too many psalms pointed for Anglican chant for my taste - but generally I feel it's a diverse and satisfying selection that covers the millenia of Christian worship and is a useful base from which to start when choosing hymns/songs for worship.