Hymnal Companion to the Lutheran Book of Worship (Lbw Resources and References)

Rating:
Summary: LBW worship planning resource
Review: This companion text is a tremendous resource for worship planning. In addition to great historical pieces and extensive background on nearly every hymn in the LBW, the Companion has a suggested hymns section in the back which is worth the price of the book by itself. I don't know how a worship planning committee can pick hymns without this book. We use it everytime we meet.
The only limitation is the Companion is limited to the contents of the Lutheran Book of Worship and doesn't reflect later publications such as With One Voice and Renewing Worship.
If you're doing "traditional" Lutheran worship, you need the Companion.

Rating:
Summary: LBW worship planning resource
Review: This companion text is a tremendous resource for worship planning. In addition to great historical pieces and extensive background on nearly every hymn in the LBW, the Companion has a suggested hymns section in the back which is worth the price of the book by itself. I don't know how a worship planning committee can pick hymns without this book. We use it everytime we meet.
The only limitation is the Companion is limited to the contents of the Lutheran Book of Worship and doesn't reflect later publications such as With One Voice and Renewing Worship.
If you're doing "traditional" Lutheran worship, you need the Companion.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent resource
Review: Whether you are simply curious to know the origins of hymn texts and tunes or are doing serious research, this book is an excellent resource. A nice surprise for me was the front section describing history of hymns from various ethnic groups. I've used this book to answer long-standing questions about my favorite hymns and identify suitable hymns for particular ceremonies. My only criticism is the inconsistent volume of information. Some authors/composers are given several paragraphs while others are hardly mentioned. That notwithstanding, this is a thoughtful gift for organists, worship directors or anyone who loves to learn more about hymns.