# Blue vs Red Hymnals?



## Simply_Nikki (Apr 28, 2009)

My church uses the original blue 1961 OPC Hymnals in worship. I've only ever used a Red hymnal for a church I visited a few Sundays ago. My question is, what are the major differences between the two? I would like to buy an accompanist hymnal so I can play piano for my church, but it seems they only have the red ones available on www.gcp.org. I don't know why they don't they have the blue ones. Does anyone sell the original accompanist hymnals anymore?


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## fredtgreco (Apr 28, 2009)

The blue hymnals are being (relatively) phased out. The major differences are that the Blue hymnals have better harmonies, the Red more unison singing. There are also differences in which hymns are included.

In my opinion, the biggest advantage of the Red hymnals is that they are easier to read (see) and they have titles. That is very annoying in the Blue. And the fact that the Blue has different versions (tunes) of the same hymn with the same number is crazy. I absolutely hate it went some one requests a hymn, and we are not sure which tune it is.


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## Scottish Lass (Apr 28, 2009)

Nikki, I've poked around a bit on the OPC site, GCP, etc., and nobody seems to offer the accompianist version for the 1961/blue version, new or used, not even on Amazon. Your best bet may be to see if someone currently has a copy they aren't using because they switched to the red version.


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## Marrow Man (Apr 28, 2009)

Fred is correct. The biggest disadvantage of the blue Trinity is readability. The tune names, for instance, are missing, and I believe the font is slightly smaller as well. Plus, some "stand by" hymns are missing -- for example, I don't think "Be Thou My Vision" is in the older hymnal.

According to the Great Commission Publications website, they still some of the older hymnals left. Also, this link from the OPC website might help with the differences.


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## VictorBravo (Apr 28, 2009)

fredtgreco said:


> And the fact that the Blue has different versions (tunes) of the same hymn with the same number is crazy. I absolutely hate it went some one requests a hymn, and we are not sure which tune it is.



That's my favorite part. _Rock of Ages_ to the tune of Ajalon. 

Nikki, if you want to find an accompanist edition with _most_ of the hymns, I think you will have to get the Trinity Baptist edition. It does in fact have most of the Blue Trinity hymns, but toward the end they added some Baptist oriented (and, in my opinion, not very good) hymns.

Kinda pricey:

Order Form for the Trinity Hymnal (Baptist Edition) &mdash; Site


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## Montanablue (Apr 28, 2009)

As well, the tunes in the blue hymns are higher. I hate this because I have a low voice, and whenever I visit a church that uses the blue hymnal, I can't even sing the alto line!


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## Glenn Ferrell (Apr 28, 2009)

I'd like to obtain a used copy of the blue Trinity Hymnal. If anyone has an extra copy they're willing to sell, let me know.


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## PointyHaired Calvinist (Apr 28, 2009)

The red TH has also changed the language of many hymns, the best known being "How Sweet and Awe-ful/Awesome Is the Place". Lots of hymns (inconsistently) changed thees and thous to plain old yous as well. (Any hymn that has "mod." on the bottom of the page has done this.)


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## Josiah (Apr 28, 2009)

Glenn Ferrell said:


> I'd like to obtain a used copy of the blue Trinity Hymnal. If anyone has an extra copy they're willing to sell, let me know.



My church (Bothell OPC) has many unused copies of the blue hymnal. Im sure that if you emailed Pastor Marc or the elders they might send you a copy.


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## py3ak (Apr 28, 2009)

The red hymnal has a different, very agreeable, tune for the version of Psalm 90 done by E.H. Bickersteth.


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## Simply_Nikki (Apr 28, 2009)

Montanablue said:


> As well, the tunes in the blue hymns are higher. I hate this because I have a low voice, and whenever I visit a church that uses the blue hymnal, I can't even sing the alto line!



Yes i have noticed this. I strain every time to reach those high D's and E's! and boy does it sound awful! 

-----Added 4/28/2009 at 08:08:06 EST-----



Glenn Ferrell said:


> I'd like to obtain a used copy of the blue Trinity Hymnal. If anyone has an extra copy they're willing to sell, let me know.



Oops.. i meant to hit quote, not the the Thanks button. Ah well.. consider it a freebie. Anywho you can still buy the blue hymnals "Pew Edition" from the gcp.org site. They just don't sell the blue accompanist hymnals anymore . Oh well.. from what it seems the red accompanist one may be better anyway.


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## Kevin (Apr 28, 2009)

Glenn Ferrell said:


> I'd like to obtain a used copy of the blue Trinity Hymnal. If anyone has an extra copy they're willing to sell, let me know.



I just had 80 donated to my work here. 

What are you offering? If you would pay shipping I could probably send you one.


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