About the Sacred Songs & Solos Hymnal
Preserving 1,838 historic hymns of faith, worship, and evangelism for churches, choirs, schools, and believers worldwide.
Our Mission & Purpose
Sacred Songs & Solos (accessible at sacredsongshymnal.org) is an independent Christian digital archiving initiative dedicated to making the greatest hymns of church history freely accessible to everyone. Our purpose is to ensure that timeless hymnody remains readily available for congregational worship, choir training, personal devotions, and theological study across every nation.
1. History of Sacred Songs & Solos (1,200 Hymns)
Sacred Songs & Solos was originally compiled and popularized by the American gospel singer and hymnologist Ira David Sankey (1840โ1908). Partnering with the renowned evangelist Dwight Lyman Moody during their historic evangelistic campaigns throughout the United Kingdom and the United States in the late nineteenth century, Sankey revolutionized congregational singing.
What began in 1873 as a modest 24-page booklet published in London by Morgan & Scott rapidly expanded in response to overwhelming demand from congregations and mission halls. Successive editions grew through 100, 441, 750, and 888 songs, culminating in the definitive standard edition of 1,200 pieces.
The collection contains celebrated compositions from prominent hymn writers including Fanny J. Crosby, Charles Wesley, Isaac Watts, Horatio Spafford, Philip P. Bliss, Frances Ridley Havergal, and John Newton. Today, Sacred Songs & Solos remains a central pillar of worship in churches across Africa, the Caribbean, Great Britain, and global Christian communities.
2. History of Hymns Ancient & Modern (638 Hymns)
To complement the revival gospel songs of Sankey with rich liturgical and doctrinal hymnody, our platform also features the complete Hymns Ancient & Modern (1889 Standard Edition, 638 Hymns). First published in 1861 under the chairmanship of the Rev. Sir Henry Williams Baker, Ancient & Modern was conceived to unite historic Latin, Greek, and German church hymns with English liturgical traditions for the Church of England and worldwide Anglican communion.
From ancient chants and solemn canticles to triumphant festival chorales, the collection provides profound theological depth for every season of the Christian yearโAdvent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, Ascension, Pentecost, and Trinity.
3. Key Features of Our Platform
Cathedral Pipe Organ Audio
Every hymn includes multi-verse cathedral pipe organ accompaniment to assist organists, choristers, and church fellowships during rehearsals and worship services.
100% Offline Windows App
We developed a free, lightweight desktop application for Windows computers so churches without consistent internet access can search and display all 1,838 hymns instantly.
Verified Lyrics & Stanzas
All lyrics and stanzas have been vetted against archival print volumes, ensuring verse numbers, refrains, choruses, and meters remain true to original editions.
Responsive Reader Controls
Designed with reader comfort in mind, including text resizing, left/center alignment toggles, Sepia/Light/Dark themes, and 1-click lyrics clipboard copying.
4. Editorial Independence & Public Domain Integrity
The hymn texts and tunes contained within Sacred Songs & Solos and Hymns Ancient & Modern (1889 Edition) are historical cultural works in the public domain worldwide. We do not charge fees, require paid subscriptions, or restrict access to any lyrics.
Our website is maintained through voluntary contributions and non-intrusive advertisements to cover server infrastructure, storage bandwidth, and ongoing software maintenance. We adhere strictly to digital accessibility standards, user privacy principles, and transparent editorial policies.
5. Contact & Community Feedback
We welcome feedback, corrections, hymn requests, and suggestions from choir directors, worship leaders, hymnologists, and believers. If you spot a typographical correction in any stanza or would like to partner with us, please reach out via our Contact Us page or email us directly at contact@sacredsongshymnal.org.