Christian Hymns for solo violin

December 31, 2023, 10:27 AM · There are so many: The English Hymnal or Hymns Ancient & Modern will give you some 600 or do to choose from, and you'll find guidance for suitability for church seasons and occasions. This will avoid errors like playing 'Abide with me' at a wedding, for example. The choir editions of either hymn book will give you the four part harmonies to help you flesh out your arrangements.

December 31, 2023, 10:38 AM · Look at the Trinity Hymnal (the "red hymnal" you'll find at a lot of Protestant churches). There are various Internet lists that will give you the top 25 hymns, but I'd say that modern church practice seems to be moving towards more contemporary music with projected words and no music, rather than using what's in the traditional hymnals.

(Unfortunately, the state of music education being what it is, many people cannot read music or sing in four-part harmony, rendering traditional hymnals somewhat useless.)

Edited: December 31, 2023, 3:35 PM · There are so many! But here's a start from off the top of my head to get started:

Amazing Grace
In the Garden
Rock of Ages
Abide With Me
Holy Holy Holy
Old Rugged Cross
Be Thou My Vision
Come Thou Fount
For the Beauty of the Earth
Eternal Father Strong to Save
It is Well With My Soul

Edited: December 31, 2023, 4:07 PM · For funerals: Great Is Thy Faithfulness
It is Well With My Soul
For All the Saints

For weddings: Joyful Joyful We Adore Thee
O Perfect Love

For general worship: Amazing Grace
Crown Him With Many Crowns
Morning Has Broken
All Creatures of Our God and King
Blest Be the Ties That Bind
Be Thou My Vision

For Easter: Christ the Lord is Risen Today

I assume you know all the Christmas options.

December 31, 2023, 9:21 PM · An unusual request.
Christian hymns have a long history. Most of us typically first associate the term with the Anglican tradition of the 19th century. The reformation hymns probably come a close second.

In either case, although the tunes are catchy, the harmony plays an important part. I do not think solo violin can easily capture this. Then there is the tradition of descants on top of the melody. Again, solo violin is not well suited for this.

Another important point is that these songs are used liturgically based on their text. So choosing works based solely on the music may not result in a corpus that is useful in church.

In terms of hymns here are a few notable ones:
Abide with me
When i survey the wondrous cross
Lo he comes with clouds descending
Jerusalem
Jesus christ is risen today
Be thou my vision
I vow to thee my country
For all the saints for who thy labors rest
The day thou gavest lord has ended
Love Devine all loves excelling
Come thou fount of every blessing
Praise my soul the king of heaven
All my hope on God is founded
Crown him with many crowns
Nearer my God to thee
All glory laud and honor

Edited: January 9, 2024, 8:34 AM · Hyfrydol (normally sung to "Alleluia sing to Jesus" or "I will sing the wondrous story") is amenable to being played on violin or viola.
"Silent night" also lends itself well to violin/viola.
Ebenezer ("O the deep deep love of Jesus") is another one.

A propos of what Mark writes, you have a better chance of putting across some harmony if you think in terms of counterpoint, rather than just about chords.

To add to Mary Ellen's list: For Easter, "O Sacred Head Sore Wounded" (also for communion), "Thine Be the Glory, Risen Conquering Son" (I first knew the tune first as "See the Conqu'ring Hero comes", before I sang it in a hymn). For Ascension "Hail the Day That Sees Him Rise".

January 1, 2024, 1:00 PM · Consider including guitar chords in case the violinist wants to perform with some accompaniment.

Also be careful of IP. While all of the hymns that others have listed here are surely in the public domain, if you're using one main hymnal as a source, you might inadvertently make unlawful use of an *arrangement* that is protected.

January 1, 2024, 5:58 PM · Hi Bruce - You can take look at my editions of Sacred Hymns for unaccompanied violin:

https://www.forestbrookstudios.com/sacred-hymns-for-unaccompanied-violin.html
and
https://www.forestbrookstudios.com/sacred-hymns-for-unaccompanied-violin---volume-2.html
Paul

January 2, 2024, 10:37 PM · Thanks Dr. Fehrenbach for directing me to your solo violin arrangements. They gave me a lot to think about. I see that you did a great job incorporating harmony through multiple stops. The one drawback I think might very well come up though is that the technical demands are pretty high. At least you didn't have a variation with double harmonics. (I attempted this once at Christmas time with Silent Night. but only once)!

January 3, 2024, 1:29 AM · Good luck on your project.

January 3, 2024, 9:01 AM · Well I was contemplating the double harmonics with fingered octave left-hand pizzicato on "Christ Be Beside Me" but He refused.

January 3, 2024, 12:29 PM · All Things Bright and Beautiful might be the most recognizable in the UK, but it is definitely far from that in the USA. :-)

Edited: January 9, 2024, 8:41 AM · And to compiicate things further, there are two tunes to "All Things Bright and Beautiful", one of that name by W H Monk, and "Royal Oak" adapted from an English traditional melody by Martin Shaw.
I think if something's in the Billy Graham Crusade Songbook or Redemption Hymnal, it's likely to be recognizable in the USA.

January 31, 2024, 2:33 AM · I've thought at times that "Always look on the bright side of life" ought to be an Easter hymn; but I suspect most congregations would not see it that way. While System of a Down's "Chop Suey!" would likewise not be appreciated in spite of the quotation of Jesus's final words ...

There's that one I first sang in the Keswick Hymnal: "Up from the grave he arose", which is one of the more dramatic hymns I've ever sung. I imagine it could be turned into quite a performance piece with double stops and the like. "More about Jesus" is one of the loveliest hymns I've ever sung, combining the mystical with the practical. (I learnt them both at CLTC in the Highlands, not far from Banz on the way to Mount Hagen, when I was a kid in the 70s.)