Hymns for Congregational Use

Looking for hymns and other music for Advent and Christmas? Visit MoravianChristmas.org.

Hymns for Congregational Use

These hymns are available for use in Moravian congregations and for those creating alternative worship opportunities.  Printed music pieces are from the 1995 Moravian Book of Worship, used with permission.

We recognize that there are myriad music resources out there for creative worship. If you are interested in specific hymns from the Moravian Book of Worship, please reach out to the IBOC; we can provide printed music and words for any public domain hymn in the Book of Worship.  We are also exploring the possibility of recording additional works from the MBW; if you have a request, let us know.

And if you are considering using copyrighted materials in your worship, please ensure you have the proper licenses.  Major church music licensees like OneLicense and Christian Copyright Licensing International offer streaming licenses that will cover your performance and use of these songs.

For more on Moravian Church copyright guidelines, click here.

For additional info on copyright considerations when streaming services, click here.

The IBOC has collected the CCLI and OneLicense numbers for many of the copyrighted hymns in the Moravian Book of Worship. Use this chart as a reference determine if hymns are public domain, copyrighted and whether or not they are covered under one of the licenses. As always, be sure to double check the copyright information at the bottom of each Book of Worship hymn you wish to use.

A complete list of public domain hymns found in the Moravian Book of Worship is available here.

The hymns presented here are in the public domain, and permission is granted for use of the recorded and printed works.  We recommend downloading the PDF materials to your computer prior to printing.  Hymns are standard MP3 files; when select “Download” from the Dropbox page to save them to your computer.

Now, to our first round of hymns! Thanks to the Moravian Music Foundation for these files, which appear on Joining Our Voices from 2003, recorded by the Moravian Church Choir.

  • Hymn 273, Once He Came in Blessing (MP3) (PDF)
  • Hymn 394, Ten Thousand Times Ten Thousand (MP3) (PDF)
  • Hymn 533, Now Thank We All Our God (MP3) (PDF)
  • Hymn 543, Sing Hallelujah, Praise the Lord (MP3) (PDF)
  • Hymn 662/3, Jesus Makes My Heart Rejoice (MP3) (PDF)
  • Hymn 673, Christian Hearts in Love United (MP3) (PDF)
  • Hymn 769, God is My Strong Salvation (MP3) (PDF)

 

This next set of hymns were recorded by Central Moravian Church in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Thanks to Becky Lepore and the Central Choir for these pieces.

  • Hymn 381, Holy, Holy, Holy (MP3)
  • Hymn 343, Ride On! Ride On in Majesty (v. 1, 3, 4, 5) (MP3) (PDF)
  • Hymn 494, Breathe on Me, Breath of God (v. 1, 2, 4) (MP3)

 

New Moravian Music

These hymns were written in March 2020. Thanks to June Edwards, Jill Bruckart, the Rev. Andy Meckstroth and the Rev. Greg Behrend for permission to share these new songs.

  • We Long for Comfort (Text by the Rev. Andy Meckstroth, Tune by Jill Bruckart) (MP3) (PDF) Recorded at College Hill Moravian Church, Bethlehem, Pa.
  • God So Loved the World (Text and Tune by Jill Bruckart) (MP3) (PDF) Recorded at College Hill Moravian Church, Bethlehem, Pa.
  • There’s A Light (Text and Tune by June Edwards, arr. by Nola Knouse) (MP3) (PDF)  Recorded at Trinity Moravian Church, Winston-Salem, N.C.
  • The Path We Take (Text by the Rev. Andy Meckstroth, Tune by Jill Bruckart) (MP3) (PDF)
  • Beyond the Walls (Words & Music by the Rev. Greg Behrend) (MP3) (PDF) (Video)

 

Recordings for specific liturgies

Below are organ and choir recordings for use with specific liturgies. Thanks to Becky Lepore of Central Moravian Church for organ recordings recordings and Gwyn Michel for choir recordings. Added 5/12-26/2020

 

Added 5/4/2020

The following are organ recordings performed by Becky Lepore of Central Moravian Church.  They are public domain hymns from the 1995 Moravian Book of Worship

Hymns for Ascension Sunday

  • Hymn 371 Hail the Day That Sees Him Rise (four verses) (MP3) (PDF)
  • Hymn 372 Rejoice the Lord is King (four verses) (MP3) (PDF)
  • Hymn 373 Alleluia! Sing to Jesus (three verses) (MP3) (PDF)
  • Hymn 374 O Christ, Our Hope, Our Heart’s Desire (MP3) (PDF)

 

Hymns for Pentecost

  • Hymn 376 O Spirit, Our Lord God (five verses) (MP3) (PDF)
  • Hymn 377 Spirit of God, On This Great Day Inspire (three verses) (MP3) (PDF)

 

Hymns for Trinity Sunday

  • Hymn 380 God, Whose Almighty Word (four verses) (MP3) (PDF)
  • Hymn 381 Holy, Holy, Holy (four verses) (MP3) (PDF)
  • Hymn 383 Praise to the Father (three verses) (MP3) (PDF)
  • Hymn 386 Holy God, We Praise Your Name (MP3) (PDF)

 

Added 4/16/20

  • SFH Hymn 73 He Lives! This is the Watchword Sure (PDF)
  • Hymn 404 Jesus Shall Reign Where’er the Sun (PDF)
  • Hymn 405 Crown Him with Many Crowns (PDF)
  • STLNS 59 Friends Welcome One Another (PDF)
  • STLNS 26 Jesus, Lord of Life and Light (PDF)

Note: We currently do not have recordings for these hymns.

Hymns and Liturgical Music for Palm Sunday

These materials from various sources provide musical resources for Palm Sunday.  For liturgies, click here.

(*) Thanks to College Hill Moravian Church, Bethlehem, Pa.

 

Hymns and Liturgical Music for Easter

We are grateful to Schoeneck Moravian Church in Nazareth, Pennsylvania and their music director, Ryan Morrow, for their recordings of the music contained in the Easter Liturgy.  These recordings are from their CD “Sing Hallelujah!” which features hymns and more from throughout the church year.  Please consider purchasing a copy of this CD when you have an opportunity, as it will help fund the music program at Schoeneck!

  • (MBW, pg. 90) The Day of Resurrection (MP3)
  • (MBW, pg. 91) Christians, Dismiss Your Fears (MP3)
  • (MBW, pg. 93) Alleluia! Alleluia (MP3)
  • (MBW, pg. 94) Sing Hallelujah, Praise the Lord! (MP3)

 

Additional Hymns for Easter

  • Hymn 356, Christians Dismiss Your Fear (MP3)* (PDF)
  • Hymn 358, Jesus Christ is Ris’n Today (MP3)* (PDF)
  • Hymn 364 Sing Alleluia, Christ Does Live (MP3 (Brass)) (PDF)
  • Hymn 366, We Know that Christ is Raised (MP3)* (PDF)
  • Hymn 360 Christ the Lord is Ris’n Again (MP3 Organ only)1 (PDF)
  • Hymn 361, The Strife Is O’er (MP3 Organ Only)1 (PDF)

(*) Thanks to College Hill Moravian Church, Bethlehem, Pa.)
(1) Performed by Becky Lepore, Central Moravian Church)

 

Hymns without recordings

  • This Easter Celebration by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette (outside link)

 

 

Easter Dawn Brass

These selections are from Moravian Music Foundation recordings, “Mit Freuden zart,” “Harmonious to Dwell” and “What Heights, What Depths,” and “Church Rejoice” For more on these recordings, click here.

  • “Hail all hail” (185 A) (MP3)
  • “The Spirit and the church” (146 A) (MP3)
  • “Lord, Your Body Ne’er Forsake” (205 A) (MP3)
  • “The graves of all his saints” (14 C) (MP3)
  • “Who Are These…” (205 A) (MP3)
  • “I Give You Thanks Unfeigned” (151 G) (MP3)
  • “Sing Hallelujah, Praise the Lord” (MP3)
  • Postlude, Tune 159D (MP3)

The Rev. Dr. Nola Reed Knouse offered this video on “When Can We Sing?” based on recent learnings about singing in church.

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