The Oxford Movement:

Its lasting effect through Hymns Ancient and Modern

Rick Watts
Turning Points
Dr. David Music
Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Hymn singing was not an integral part of the official Service Orders for the
worship of the Church of England until the early nineteenth century. During the English
Reformation, Archbishop Cranmer did away with hymn use in public worship
altogether (with the single exception of Veni, Creator Spiritus). The Book of Common
Prayer allowed only for the singing of canticles, psalms, and anthems.1
Hymn singing became accepted in public worship largely due to the work of
Isaac Watts and the Wesley brothers. Because of the liberal interpretation of
psalmody, Watts's Christianized, or paraphrased, psalms were admitted into worship.
One example, My shepherd will supply my need, is a paraphrase of Psalm 23. From
there, Wattss true hymns were gradually accepted because of their abundance of
scriptural references. One such hymn, When I survey the wondrous cross, references
Galatians 6:14, Philippians 3:10, to name just two. In addition to Watts, the Wesley
brothers remained clergy of the Anglican church, despite their Methodist movement,
allowing an infiltration of the evangelical movement from within the Anglican Church.2
This evangelistic movement of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, in which
Watts and Wesley were influential, emphasized salvation, piety, and conversion of the
individual, rather than the traditions and sacraments of the established church. This
resulted in individualistic and emotionally driven hymnody.3 One such hymn is Edwin

Harry Eskew and Hugh T. McElrath, Sing With Understanding: An Introduction to

Christian Hymnology, 2nd ed. (Nashville, TN: Church Street Press, 1995), 151-

Harry Eskew and Hugh T. McElrath, Sing With Understanding: An Introduction to

Christian Hymnology, 2nd ed. (Nashville, TN: Church Street Press, 1995), 152.

John G. Melton, "Evangelical Church," Encyclopedia Britannica Online, accessed

November 11, 2013,
2

Hatch's Breath on me, breath of God.

In addition to the evangelistic movement's affect on hymnic text, new tunes were
also composed. These tunes generally followed the patterns of contemporary secular
part songs. Melodies frequently began on the third or fifth scale degree, rather than
tonic, and were often quite simple. This simplicity of the melody required that the
composer use moving bass, inner parts, or rich-sounding chromatic and added-note
harmonies to make the tunes interesting.4 One such tune is ST. GEORGE'S WINDSOR
to which is sung Come, ye thankful people, come.
Although hymn singing was still officially prohibited from public worship,
Anglicans were encouraged to use hymns in other ways. One such use was in the
weekday prayer meetings for which Olney Hymns (1779) was published. This hymnal
set out to provide the congregation of the parish of Olney with its own collection of
hymns. Compiled by John Newton, the parish's clergyman, this hymnbook contains 348
hymns in three parts. The first part contains hymns based on passages of Scripture; the
second contains occasional hymns roughly following the Church year; and the third part
contains hymns on the progress and changes of the spiritual life, which are mostly
evangelical hymns.5
Anglicans were gradually won over to the singing of hymns because of the

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/196819/Evangelical-church.
4

William J. Reynolds, Milburn Price, and David W. Music, A Survey of Christian

Hymnody, 4th ed. (Carol Stream, IL: Hope Publishing Company, 1999), 80.

Susan Drain, The Anglican Church in the 19th Century Britain (Lewiston, NY: Edwin
Mellen Press, 1989), 84.

increased use of hymns. As a result, numerous individuals compiled and published

hymnals for use in their parish churches, as Newton did.6 In August 1862, English
Churchman published a letter signed An Englishman, which read:
Every Clergyman now-a-days seems to pride himself on having his own
selection of hymns, compiled probably by his wife and eldest daughter, and the
music for it selected perhaps by some young Tommie [simpleton] who has
just learned to play a double-chant, and sing boy-alto in his schoolchoir. No
doubt it is well to let gentlemen have a vent for their genius, and perhaps a
hymnbook is after all more harmless than a volume of bad sermons printed at
the request of personal admirers!7
Few of these hymnbooks gained popularity because of the sheer number of
publications, and the lack of scholarship involved in compiling them.
This popularity of hymns among an Evangelical wing of the Church of England
was countered by a small, but influential group rooted in Oxford University. This group
began what came to be known as the Oxford Movement. The leaders of this High
Church movement felt that the drastic severing from the past, for which the
Reformation was responsible, had cut the English church off from the Holy Catholic
Church. They felt that too much had been lost as a result of the Reformation. Thus, in
an attempt to restore liturgical and apostolic continuity, they aimed to recover some of
the lost treasures of the Breviaries and other Books of the early Greek and Latin
6

Harry Eskew and Hugh T. McElrath, Sing With Understanding: An Introduction to

Christian Hymnology, 2nd ed. (Nashville, TN: Church Street Press, 1995), 152.

A.P., Newspaper clipping, English Churchman, August 14, 1862.

churches.8
In 1833, John Keble preached an important sermon on National Apostasy that
marked the beginning of what became known as the Oxford Movement. 9 Born in 1792,
Keble attended Corpus Christi College at Oxford, and soon became a Fellow of Oriel
College at Oxford. In 1827, Keble wrote The Christian Year, a series of poems for all
the Sundays of the year and some liturgical feasts. The Christian Year was hugely
popular, having been called the most popular volume of verse in the nineteenth
century. It was while he was a Fellow of Oriel College at Oxford that Keble delivered
his influential sermon on July 14, 1833, marking the start of the Oxford Movement10
Kebles sermon, because of its subsequent printing and distribution, has been
regarded as the undoubted spark that set the Movement ablaze. However, there is no
doubt that there was significant tinder in place before Keble set the spark. Most
fundamentally, there was a growing sentiment that the English Reformation had gone
too far. The leaders of the Oxford Movement lamented the loss of several key doctrines
that resulted from the Reformation.11 One such doctrine was that of apostolic
succession. This is the belief that there is a direct line through the Bishops that leads
back to the original Apostles. This doctrine was lost in the Reformation, but those in the
8

Harry Eskew and Hugh T. McElrath, Sing With Understanding: An Introduction to

Christian Hymnology, 2nd ed. (Nashville, TN: Church Street Press, 1995), 153.

Paul Westermeyer, Te Deum: The Church and Music (Minneapolis: Fortress Press,
1998), 273-4.

10

Louis F. Benson, The English Hymn (New York: Hodder & Stoughton, 1915), 493.

11

William J. Reynolds, Milburn Price, and David W. Music, A Survey of Christian

Hymnody, 4th ed. (Carol Stream, IL: Hope Publishing Company, 1999), 75.

Oxford Movement defended it.

In September of 1833, John Henry Newman published the first Tract for the
Times, in which he defended the doctrine of apostolic succession. Tract for the Times
was a series of short leaflets by various authors that promoted the beliefs of the Oxford
Movement. It is because of these tracts that the Oxford Movement is sometimes called
Tractarian. Newman, like Keble, was a Fellow at Oxfords Oriel College and an
influential figure in the Oxford Movement. Focused on returning the Church of England
to many of the Catholic doctrines lost in the Reformation, it is understandable why
Newman left the Church of England for the Roman Catholic Church in 1845.12
Although its effects continued, many scholars consider this event the end of the Oxford
Movement. There are, of course, scholars who do not regard Newmans conversion as a
firm ending to the Movement; however, this is not the prevailing thought.13
The Oxford Movement was concerned largely with the doctrine of the church.
There was a group with similar goals that was more focused on the application of this
same doctrine as it was reflected in the aesthetics of the church especially the
architecture and music. This group was called the Cambridge Camden Society (thus this

12

Paul Westermeyer, Te Deum: The Church and Music (Minneapolis: Fortress Press,
1998), 274.

13

George Herring has worked in recent years to debunk some of what he considers
the myths regarding the history of the Oxford Movement. He does not regard
Kebbles 1833 sermon or Newmans 1845 conversion as distinct events marking
the beginning and end of the Movement. He regards the Movement as more
fluid in its origins and continuation. For more, see George Herring. What Was
the Oxford Movement? London: Continuum, 2002.

larger Movement is sometimes called the Oxford-Cambridge Movement14). Founded in

1839, this group was later renamed the Ecclesiological Society in 1845.15
The Ecclesiological Society argued that church music ought to be almost
exclusively vocal, deeming the organ unnecessary and, perhaps, negative. This view of
the organ was based largely on the belief that the money spent on the organ could be
better spent on one more visually pleasing art and architecture. Also, the organ tended
to turn churches into practice rooms and concert halls.16 One significant voice in this
movement was the Ecclesiological Societys journal titled The Ecclesiologist. One
contributor to this publication was Thomas Helmore. Concerning church music, he
considered there to be two branches: congregational church music and choral church
music. He believed that the style of church music ought to be distinct from the music of
the opera, oratorio, theater, and concert hall. Thus for the congregational branch,
Helmore considered Gregorian chant to be the ideal, while Anglican chant and operatic
music were not fit for congregation singing. For choral music, Helmore considered the
sixteenth-century music of Palestrina and Vittoria as the ideals, and J.S. Bach as worthy
also.
Initially the leaders of the Oxford Movement opposed the use of hymns because
of their association with Evangelicalism. However, as they began to research early
14

Paul Westermeyer, Te Deum: The Church and Music (Minneapolis: Fortress Press,
1998), 273.

15

William J. Reynolds, Milburn Price, and David W. Music, A Survey of Christian

Hymnody, 4th ed. (Carol Stream, IL: Hope Publishing Company, 1999), 75.

16

Paul Westermeyer, Te Deum: The Church and Music (Minneapolis: Fortress Press,
1998), 274.

church practices, they found that hymns were an integral part of the offices of the
medieval church, and they began to see, in the medieval Breviary, both a source and
model for hymns in the Anglican service.17 In contrasting this new liturgical hymn with
the evangelical hymn, Louis F. Benson wrote:
The Evangelical Hymn is inevitably the voice of the believer; the Liturgical
Hymn is the voice of the worshiping church. The Evangelical Hymn deals
primarily with inward experience; the Liturgical Hymn, even though expressive
of common experience, relates it objectively to the hour of worship, the church
season or occasion, the ordinance and sacrament.18
Certain leaders among the Oxford Movement most significantly Henry W.
Baker united to combine one book which would command general confidence,
resulting in Hymns Ancient and Modern (1861). Clergy and their publishers were asked
to withdraw their previously published hymnbooks in support of this new venture.
Because of widespread support, Hymns Ancient and Modern experienced overwhelming
immediate success, and became the most popular English hymnal ever.19
What set Hymns Ancient and Modern apart from other Anglican hymnals of the
time was its unique goals. At that time, most hymnbooks were either collections of
favorite hymns of a particular congregation, or works intended for scholastic use, to

17

William J. Reynolds, Milburn Price, and David W. Music, A Survey of Christian

Hymnody, 4th ed. (Carol Stream, IL: Hope Publishing Company, 1999), 76.

18

Louis F. Benson, The English Hymn (New York: Hodder & Stoughton, 1915), 498.

19

Harry Eskew and Hugh T. McElrath, Sing With Understanding: An Introduction to

Christian Hymnology, 2nd ed. (Nashville, TN: Church Street Press, 1995), 156.

introduce or revive the hymnody of other languages and times. Hymns Ancient and
Modern sought to do both for the benefit of congregations and choirmasters alike. The
contributors had a necessary balance of practicality and scholarship. They were
concerned with singable translations of ancient hymns that would reveal the treasures of
medieval hymnody to nineteenth-century congregations.
The compilers of Hymns Ancient and Modern did not hesitate to seek the help of
scholars and experts when they deemed it necessary.20 Under the musical editorship of
William H. Monk, hymn tunes were contributed, which satisfied the musical tastes of
churchgoers of the time. Because of this, Hymns Ancient and Modern is the original
source of many well-known Victorian tunes.21
Through Hymns Ancient and Modern, the Oxford Movement has had a timeless
effect on hymnody. Nearly every hymnal published since that time has been indebted to
the work of its compilers. Text and tunes originally paired in Hymns Ancient and
Modern continue to be used together. Also, tunes that were first published in Hymns
Ancient and Modern are nearly universally utilized in subsequent hymnbooks. Finally,
the ecumenical hymnody represented in Hymns Ancient and Modern has set a standard
to which most responsible hymnal compilers strive.22
Prior to Hymns Ancient and Modern, texts and tunes were published separately.
20

Susan Drain, The Anglican Church in the 19th Century Britain (Lewiston, NY:
Edwin Mellen Press, 1989), 98-9.

21

Harry Eskew and Hugh T. McElrath, Sing With Understanding: An Introduction to

Christian Hymnology, 2nd ed. (Nashville, TN: Church Street Press, 1995), 156.

22

Harry Eskew and Hugh T. McElrath, Sing With Understanding: An Introduction to

Christian Hymnology, 2nd ed. (Nashville, TN: Church Street Press, 1995), 156.

One book would contain hymn texts, and in another hymn tunes. This meant that the
local clergyman was responsible for pairing texts with tunes. This clergyman would
rarely put thought into this pairing, using whatever tune was familiar to the
congregation, regardless of how well it fit the text. The compilers of Hymns Ancient and
Modern felt that this was an injustice both to the texts and the tunes, so they were quite
deliberate in their texts and tune pairings. This resulted in many pairings standing the
test of time, becoming inseparable. One such paring is Matthew Bridges's text Crown
him with many crowns, with George J. Elvey's tune DIADEMATA, which has been by
far the most common pairing ever since. Another example is Isaac Watts's text O God
our help in ages past and William Croft's tune ST. ANNE.23
Many tunes that first appeared in Hymns Ancient and Modern have become
staples of hymnody of a wide range of denominations. One example of this is John B.
Dykes's NICAEA which we sing to Reginald Heber's text Holy, Holy, Holy. Another
example is EVENTIDE by William H. Monk, which is sung with Henry Lyte's Abide
with me.24
The ecumenical hymnody was an important goal for the compilers of Hymns
Ancient and Modern, and they achieved this goal superbly. Leonard Ellinwood has said
In this volume are the corporate praises of Roman saints, ex-Anglican cardinals,
reformers, invalid women, great poets and humble country-folk. This ecumenicism

23

Erik Routley, The Music of Christian Hymns (Chicago, IL: G.I.A Publications, 1981),
91-94.

24

Paul Westermeyer, Let the People Sing: Hymn Tunes in Perspective (Chicago: GIA,
2005).

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allowed Hymns Ancient and Modern to be embraced by a wide range of Christians.

Many of the doctrinal goals of the Oxford Movement have been lost. However,
this is not to say that the effects of the Movement are no longer felt. Because of Hymns
Ancient and Modern, the work of hymnal compliers has forever been uplifted. The
Oxford Movement paved the way for the an ecumenical approach to hymnal
compilation. Rather than focusing exclusively on one congregation or one hymn writer,
compilers reach back through the breadth of hymnic history for the gems of ages past,
as well as the hymnic gems of today.

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Works Citied

Benson, Louis F. The English Hymn. New York: Hodder & Stoughton, 1915.
Bunn, Leslie H. "Hymns Ancient and Modern." The Hymn, January 1961, 5-12.
Drain, Susan. The Anglican Church in the 19th Century Britain. Lewiston, NY: Edwin
Mellen Press, 1989.
Ellinwod, Leonard. "Hymns Ancient and Modern in America." The Hymn, October
1961, 107-12.
Encyclopedia Britannica. Accessed March 24, 2009.
http://search.eb.com.ezproxy.samford.edu/eb/article-9057830.
Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Accessed April 29, 2009.
http://search.eb.com.ezproxy.samford.edu/eb/article-9033320.
Eskew, Harry, and Hugh T. McElrath. Sing With Understanding: An Introduction to
Christian Hymnology. 2nd ed. Nashville, TN: Church Street Press, 1995.
Herring, George. What Was the Oxford Movement? London: Continuum, 2002.
Kiefer, James E. "The Oxford Tractarians, Renewers of the Church." The Society of
Archbishop Justus Computer Service. Accessed March 24, 2009.
http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bio/249.html.
Long, Kenneth R. The Music of the English Church. New York, NY: St. Martins Press,
1971.
Melton, John G. "Evangelical Church." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Accessed
November 11, 2013.
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/196819/Evangelical-church.
Monk, William H., ed. Hymns Ancient and Modern. New York, NY: E. & J. B. Young
&, 1884.
Reynolds, William J., Milburn Price, and David W. Music. A Survey of Christian
Hymnody. 4th ed. Carol Stream, IL: Hope Publishing Company, 1999.
Rogal, Samuel J. A General Introduction to Hymnody and Congregational Song.
Metuchen, NJ: American Theological Library Association, 1991.
Routley, Erik. The Music of Christian Hymns. Chicago, IL: G.I.A Publications, 1981.

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Ryden, Ernest E. The Story of Christian Hymnody. Rock Island, IL: Augustana Press,
1959.
Westermeyer, Paul. Let the People Sing: Hymn Tunes in Perspective. Chicago: GIA,
2005.
Westermeyer, Paul. Te Deum: The Church and Music. Minneapolis: Fortress Press,
1998.

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