It's not like we can just ask her Majesty

November 10, 2024 3:51 PM

My father has requested something quite specific for his Christmas present this year. He heard/read that there's a book of, or about, the 100 greatest hymns compiled by "some fellow in England" that was presented to Queen Elizabeth II at her coronation, and he'd like me to identify it and get him a copy. I've googled like mad and can't find anything. My dad is 86 and is seriously ill with cancer, so I'd to track this book down if I can. Anyone have any thoughts?
posted by orange swan to Grab Bag (12 answers total)

Was it Queen Elizabeth II The Coronation Gift, Book by Malcolm Saville HB, 1952, B88
posted by willnot at 4:00 PM on November 10

Time lines up on this one -- published in 1950 -- Hymns Ancient and Modern, Revised, didn't immediately see that it was a gift to her though.
posted by gregr at 4:04 PM on November 10

There's a 1953 edition of the Common Prayer Book that was printed in commemoration of Queen Elizabeth II--though unlikely it was ever presented to her specifically, this could be what your father is thinking about. It's just one edition of the Book of Common Prayer though, not something specifically compiled for Queen Elizabeth II (though I suspect it's easy for these details to get muddled).
posted by brook horse at 4:06 PM on November 10

I don't know the answer, but if I were you I'd ask the academics involved in The Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology. There is a contact address in the FAQ.

I'd also ask the Public Information Office of the Royal Household (letters only, no email). If nothing else, might make an amusing story for your father.
posted by paduasoy at 5:13 PM on November 10

Hmm, I think if that was so, then you'd definitely find mention of it, and there doesn't seem to be any mention of it. That would be a shoe-in collection for publishers to market and no one seems to have done that, so I would assume it doesn't exist.

Perhaps buy him a copy of this?
posted by einekleine at 5:36 PM on November 10

If you don't get an answer, I suggest contacting the librarians at the British Library to see if they can help you.
posted by toastedcheese at 6:56 PM on November 10

This is a good question. Most hymn books have 4-500 hymns in, including the BBC Hymn Book which had the right date to be presented as a new publication (and likewise A&M, mentioned upthread). I will keep thinking!
posted by lokta at 4:14 AM on November 11

A brainwave: could someone try searching a catalogue like WorldCat for books published in the 40s and 50s by the Royal School of Church Music? They’re the bigwigs in the field.

Would also look for books in the same timeframe listed under hymns and hymnody as subjects/topics/keywords. A structured database is going to be your friend here.

Ironically I can’t do this myself right now as I’m busy applying for a job in church music :) But crowd work can be a real strength of ask.mefi. Best wishes to your dad. Hymns are fantastic balm and sustenance.
posted by lokta at 4:31 AM on November 11

Maybe a Hymn Nerd at the Hymn Society of Great Britain would know if such a book exists.

The closest thing I've been able to find is a commemorative Book of Common Prayer which also contains the hymns sung at the Coronation,
posted by essexjan at 7:59 AM on November 11

Might it be this one? Hymns We Love: Stories of the Hundred Most Popular Hymns, published in 1954 (so a year after the Coronation)? I don't know if this is actually a hymnal, or just a bunch of stories about the hymns, but the seller says further pictures can be sent on request.
posted by essexjan at 8:34 AM on November 11

essexjan’s find is not a hymnal, but would go nicely alongside a 1950s edition of ‘Hymns Ancient & Modern Revised’.
posted by lokta at 11:24 AM on November 11

This is far afield and tangential but it may explain your father's confusion: The great British composer Ralph Vaughan Williams did an arrangement of the great hymn tune "Old Hundredth" (a tune written to sing Psalm 100 to) for Queen Elizabeth's coronation. Remarkably, YouTube has a video of the original broadcast.

So maybe your father remembered the connection of a great British composer, a hymn, and the number 100 but forgot the exact context?
posted by hydropsyche at 10:30 AM on November 12