101 More Hymn Stories

Rating:
Summary: XLNT resource for Christians, especially home educators
Review: 101 More Hymns provides not only the histories of by-gone hymn authors and composers. It provides the complete sheet music. Some of these hymns are not found in the current hymn books. This is an excellent resource for anyone interested in older hymns and hymn histories. My children highly recommend this book as does as their mother.

Rating:
Summary: Once again, Ken Osbeck does a great job.
Review: I tend to be conservative in my reviews, but Mr. Osbeck rightly deserves the highest marks for his ability to bring a meaningful story to each of the wonderful hymns many have loved for so long. Behind each of the hymns there lies some fascinating information. While some might see merely an odd assortment of facts, Ken Osbeck has clearly used his gift as an author to mold these facts into a wonderful story. These stories are not fiction--- they are all true because behind each hymn lies the story of it's authors: the lyricist (who wrote the words) and the composer (the writer of the musical melody). I would urge the reader to purchase not only this, but the other books about hymns written by Kenneth Osbeck. Truly, this man has answered a calling: to shed light on the reasons why hymnwriters wrote those deeply spiritual and personally meaningful words. Today, in an age where traditional hymns are being used less and less, I personally believe this book is even more important: because the problems and situations hymnwriters faced were really not very different than our own. And while I enjoy the new trend in "Worship and Praise" music, I still enjoy performing the old hymns and reading the stories behind them. Bottom line? Very highly recommended.