New Treasures and Old Make Up Survey's Top Ten Hymns

A hymn written in the early 18th century and another written in 2001 are amongst the Top Ten hymns of the north-west Midlands - according to the results of a survey.

Throughout the month of August, the Church of England's Diocese of Lichfield asked visitors to its website to nominate their three favourite hymns. More than 220 hymns - including modern worship songs, traditional hymns and Christmas carols - were nominated and a total of 1,648 votes cast to produce the region's top ten spiritual songs.

The most popular hymn in the region - Dear Lord and Father of Mankind - in fact was not intended to be a hymn at all. It was written as a protest against Vedic priests who used drugs to induce a hysterical form of worship.

John Whittier's words, advocating a quiet contemplative response to God's call - "Let us, like them, without a word Rise up and follow thee", are in sharp contrast to the words of the second-most favourite hymn, How Great Thou Art, whose singers respond to the awesome wonder of God's creation by proclaiming "My God How Great Thou Art".

The oldest hymn in the chart - Charles Wesley's Love Divine - dates back to the 18th century, while the newest - In Christ Alone - was written by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend just six years ago.

Several other hymns in the top ten can be considered new, including "I The Lord of Sea And Sky", written by Dan Schutte in 1981; "Be Still For The Presence of the Lord", written by Southampton-based piano teacher David J Evans in 1985 and "Christ Triumphant", written by the Rev Michael Saward, a former Canon of Saint Paul's Cathedral in 1964 for the 28th birthday of the Young People's Fellowship of a church in Edgware.

The hymn Amazing Grace, which shares the title of a film released earlier this year about the life and work of anti-slavery campaigner William Wilberforce, failed to make it into the diocesan-wide Top Ten, coming in at 22. But it appears in the local top ten for Stoke-on-Trent, where it is 2nd; and Oswestry where it is 8th.

The full top 25 hymns for the area covered by the Diocese of Lichfield, together with top 10 hymns for each local authority area within the diocese, are published on the diocese's website: www.lichfield.anglican.org