Then Sings My Soul: 150 of the World's Greatest Hymn Stories

Then Sings My Soul #1

by Robert J. Morgan

Rob Morgan's inimitable style will help people reacquaint themselves with the hymns of the faithful. His goal is to keep these traditional hymns vital and meaningful to all generations.

Don't look for a dry recounting of boring stories. These devotional-style stories show the emotion and drama behind the hymns of faith that have changed many lives throughout history -- the people whose faith led them to write these wonderful hymns and the people whose faith was affected by reading, hearing, and singing the songs. Designed to be personally reflective, these stories speak to your soul and add depth and meaning as you worship God through song.

FEATURES:

Includes words and music to each hymn
Special softcover, french flap cover design
Ivory paper with brown ink
Jagged-edge paper, giving it a classic feel
Complete with hymn index
Use for devotionals, teaching illustrations, introductory remarks for song leaders and music ministers

Genres: Christian, Music, Nonfiction, History, Christianity, Religion, Christian Non Fiction

308 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐ I love reading the stories behind hymns and this book was well written with more of a devotional flare.

[Trisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This wonderful devotional is perfect for anyone who loves Hymns and wishes to know more about the stories behind the songs. This is not just another dry musical history lesson. The stories within are rich in warmth and detail, joining with deeper thought and emotion behind the hymns.

I have many happy memories of singing the hymns. When I was younger the extended family would gather around the piano at my grandparent's home. Grandma would play and sing as would we all. We each had our favorites, and we would sing for what seemed like hours.

This past fall my husband, son and I happened upon the church where The Old Rugged Cross was first sung in its entirety for the first time in 1840, Pokagon Township, Michigan.

I enjoyed learning more about these wonderful songs that bring such happy memories.

[Anne (In Search of Wonder) · Rating 4 out of 5]

My boys and I used this as a morning devotional. We would sing the hymn and read the verse and hymn story for the day. It was very informative and also will function well as a resource when I want to look up the story behind a hymn. It works chronologically, starting with the oldest known hymns and ending with some that were written in the 70s I think.

I especially recommend this for families to use during family devotion time so as to introduce their children to the great hymns of the faith, which they may or may not have opportunity to hear elsewhere. It's not super deep as a devotional, but it serves that purpose very well.

[Bryan Eberl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy reading so many testimonies and how the different hymns were written. Also made me realize after over 10 years of not playing piano, I can still read music. Maybe I’ll start playing again.

[Rod Innis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book. It is a great book for old folks (like me) that remember many of these old hymns. It is good for young folks who need to be introduced to many of these old hymns. Some of these hymns are so filled with Biblical truth, put to music, and singing them is a great way to be reminded of those truths and to use them to worship the Author of those truths. The stories about the writing of the hymns so often shows the sovereign hand of God in the lives of His people.

[Celeste · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve owned Then Sings My Soul for around 20 years without doing much more than leafing through the pages on occasion. When I decided to make an effort to read more Christian nonfiction in 2025, I knew this book needed to be on the list. The stories behind great songs is a subject that has fascinated me since I stumbled upon VH1’s Behind the Music as a child. Music has always been the language of my heart, and learning the inspiration behind the songs that move me, as well as more about the lives of the artists who penned them, adds even more depth and nuance to that experience.

It turns out that this is especially true of songs written to the glory of God. Then Sings My Soul covers 150 hymns, spanning from centuries before Christ’s birth to the turn of the 21st century. Though they touch on such a wide swath of history, the majority of these hymns were penned between the 15th and 20th centuries. Some songs I knew. Many, I didn’t. But all were lovely in their own ways, and I enjoyed learning more about the writers who wrote them. Part of me wishes that some of these hymns had more than a single page written about them, but brevity is the nature of this type of book. When covering 150 songs, not much time can be spent on any one offering.

Then Sings My Soul is an enjoyable read. I would especially recommend it to anyone who is involved in music ministry, or simply has a deep and abiding affection for hymns. It’s a refreshing look at an art that is still vital to churches today.

[Paige Benzing · Rating 5 out of 5]

an excellent resource to learn short snippets of hymn history! having the music printed on the opposite page is the perfect format - got at the library, but want to purchase for future reference.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gaahh the things I could say about this book! I absolutely loved it. I'm so grateful God continues to bring me back to the beauty in the simplicity of Hymns! And this book is so great to give such personal stories alongside them to make the songs I grew up with even sweeter! I truly believe hymns are too forgotten nowadays and recommend this book to all believers in the modern churches who don't utilize the beautiful history of hymns on a regular basis. Or who don't even know the history and desire to dig deeper into what hymns are and how they came to be

[Beth Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book for free from Book Sneeze in exchange for my review. I had read some of his original book and really enjoyed the stories behind the hymns. I like this book, but probably would have enjoyed it more if it was the "normal" edition. Some of my favorite hymns had less than spectacular stories, which I was bummed about at first, but now I think that it a better look at reality. Not everyone has an amazing conversion story...God uses the normal, everyday parts of life for his glory just as much as the spectacular.

[Stephen Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

Frustrating. I liked the idea behind this book. One page for the hymn and the next page for a short history behind it and it’s author. I was really enjoying it before I got to the Star Spangled Banner. By definition it does qualify as a Hymn, a song of praise and honor, but by context, it’s really disturbing that it’s included in hymns to God.
Additional disappointing inclusions are:
The Battle Hymn of the Republic
America the beautiful

[Jasmine Shadows · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was familiar with many of the stories behind some of these hymns due to my "always want to know the story behind the song" problem that I have. However, there were others that I enjoyed learning about. Most of the songs he included I was very familiar with, and I was able to play the ones I didn't because he was kind enough to include the music scores with the book. I enjoy the hymns and their rich roots in Biblical truths. Many of them were written from times of deep sorrow or struggles.

[Kristina · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at page 20

There are no references and citations provided for any of the biographical or historical information pertaining the these hymns and their authors; this is plagiarism. The author even quotes from Martin Luther stating: "In the forward of a book, Luther once wrote: '.....'" (p. 15). Was it too much to ask to include the title of the source of this quote?

[Jennifer Fertig · Rating 5 out of 5]

These old hymns are a treasure, and what a blessing it’s been to read the stories behind them. My girls and I have enjoyed them for our morning time over the past couple of years. This book would be a welcome addition to any family, homeschool, or one person’s own time in beautiful lyrics of saints’ souls. Looking forward to going through Book 2.
“To God be the glory, great things He hath done…”

[Gelene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! I had read book 2 and loved it. I love reading about how a song came to be. It’s powerful seeing how people take tragedy or triumph to write a song. These songs have endured through time and are still being sung by thousands of people daily.

[PJ Wenzel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very encouraging and illuminating. I loved all the mini-biographies and getting more time to see how poetry can be set to music. Especially powerful was how broad and deep the impact of tragedy and grief can be for good when people take the time to write down their thoughts in poetic form. Even years and years later their words are encouraging people.

[Elisabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the experience of reading / singing this book. I read it as part of my daily quiet time, taking one song a day. I enjoyed learning a bit about the hymn and then I found a version of the song on Spotify I could sing along with, eventually creating a playlist of my favorite hymns.

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book in my church library and thought it would be interesting to find out the history and deeper meaning behind some of the hymns that I grew up with. Out of the 150 songs included in this book, I knew maybe 5 the rest I haven't heard of and couldn't really find myself relating too. I was sad when I realized the song "Then Sings My Soul" actually was not included in this book and I wondered why.

I did like that one page had the hymn and the next gave the history behind it. When reading the history it was almost like reading a devotion with it. We see how some of the composers struggled and were affected by life around them that they NEEDED to get it into song format. Many of these songs were their prayers to God, pleading and crying out to him. That gave me a deeper meaning and understanding to these songs. I loved seeing some songs that are geared more towards Christmastime included, but also thought that could have been a book of it's own.

It did get a little frustrating when the same line was used a lot "it was during this time he(she) penned this hymn." It felt generic, repetitive, and cheap. There was a biographic portion about the author to try and tie in the time and feeling into the song. While for some hymns this worked, but for others I wondered "what did that have to do with the song." But regardless of those minor issues this is still a great book to read for those who love music and hymns. I recommend it if you want a good devotional to read or give as a gift.

[Carol Ghattas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I so enjoyed this book. Robert Morgan takes us into the lives of some of the greatest hymn writers and musicians in history, reminding us that behind every song is a story -- sometimes painful, but always pointing us to God. That's the beauty of the hymns. It's a great book to read before sleeping at night, as it enables you to go to bed with a song in your heart and a reminder that God puts a melody in each and every one of us who follow Christ. This was a gift from a dear friend, and I'm very thankful for it, as it cheered my soul.

[Sharon Weinschreider · Rating 2 out of 5]

A nice concept. A volume of hymn stories complete with music on one page and an accompanying story on the facing page. Ultimately though, there’s no reflection on the Biblical or spiritual meaning of the hymn. It’s just biographical stories on the hymn writers.

To be sure, many hymn writers had challenging lives and were inspired by tragic circumstances. However, Morgan seems at times to be a little too fascinated with the morbid details.

[Kathy3335 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a fun book. There 150 Easter Christmand and all time favorite hymns and the story as to how the hymn came to be. It is really alot of fun to bring the hymn up on YouTube and sing it. It is really alot of fun to read the background for the hymn and what was going on in the person's life as they wrote the hymn

[Sinar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is more like a song book with histories behind the songs written there. Good outlook and pretty complete. I just hope they will come up with the second and the third book to collect as many songs as possible.

[Aaron Will · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book and resource. It has the words and music to the 150 hymns. It's very inspiring to see the way some of these songs came together and in many cases the working of the Holy Spirit to bring it about. And also very encouraging as a worship leader desiring to write original songs!

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This a very informative book of where our favorite hymns originated. Full of interesting information, beautiful truths, and memories. :)

[Janice M Dodson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so inspired with every hymn story! Thanks to Robert
Morgan!

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

This contained many neat stories behind popular hymns. Toward the end, it seems to stretch the notion of what qualifies as a hymn.

[Dennis Steussy · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you enjoy learning about the origins of hymns and like singing them, then this two volume set by Robert J. Morgan is great for you.

[Nicole Elliott]

I grew up in a very conservative church where we only sang hymns. I’ve always found that knowing the stories behind these songs made it much more interesting to sing them and gave me a depth, understanding, and appreciation for them. I’ve heard hymn stories used for different devotions and programs from time to time. This book is a great compilation of all of my home churches favorite songs. It definitely isn’t the kind of book you can sit down and read it just a few sittings, it took me several months to get through, reading it here and there. It would be great to have for referencing or to use in devotions or any classes at church. One of the things I found extremely interesting is the varying backgrounds and churches that many of our hymns come from. I grew up in a Baptist church and so few of the songs we sing were actually written by Baptists. I just found that rather interesting and eye opening. I love the look and feel of the special edition-it has rugged edges and thick paper, gives it such a great feel!! Call me old fashioned but that’s why I will always love a “real” book compared to one on a reader! This book makes an interesting and useful addition to any Christian’s library and I’d highly recommend it!

[Addie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this wonderful book as a gift. It contains 150 grand timeless and best-loved hymns (written with musical notation i.e. playable/sing-able) and a story about each (on facing pages). The stories always start with a scripture reference and usually provide some sort of personal application. Usually they will include a biographical sketch of the hymn writer and some background information about the hymn. Since hymns are written out of life experience, these often strike an emotional chord. Three indexes in the back of the books help you locate any hymn by its title, author/songwriter, or first line. The book has heavy ragged edge paper and self-flaps on the heavy paper cover. The hymns are in chronological order from the 14th century to 2002. The stories of the writing of the hymns are very interesting and leave my singing the tunes throughout the day. Some patriot and Christmas songs are also included. Each hymn and story would also make a wonderful Sunday School lesson. A friend in Michigan shared that her Ladies' Class had a very special program using this book. First they sang the song, then someone would read the story about the hymn, and fololwed by a group discussion . I'm looking forward to getting Volume 2 and 3.

[Glen · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a deep spirituality in the rhythmic theology of beloved hymns. Contained in this work is an excellent collection of songs and the inspiration that led their moving lyrics. I experienced many a sacred moment with the Lord as I stopped to sing some of my favorite stanzas.

Hymnists were not creating in the abstract. These short chapters demonstrate that with potent images of faithful men and women who endured crushing hardships only to then composed anthems of worship to God. Other writers exemplified for us a life-time fidelity to Christ that never wavered despite the vicissitudes of their journey. Knowing their stories deepens my love of the messages they proclaimed.

You can enrich your devotional reading by pondering these 150 stories. Or, you may simply want to select those essays concerning your favorite hymns. Either way, it is worth the effort to sit and hear from those who have gone before us.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed slowly working through these hymn stories for 150 classic hymns, and I was continually reminded of the blessing that I am part of a church that taught me 90% of these from my youth. It was really interesting to see how hymnody has evolved over the years, from what I would consider the best of Christendom to much more me-centered gospel hymns, not that those are all bad. This is a good catalog of stories for each one regardless of its theological strength, and it has affected how I view certain of these hymns, now that I know a bit of the backstory. Not all stories are equal though, and it's clear that it was a stretch to fill a page for some of them. The most shocking story for me was that It Came Upon the Midnight Clear was written by a Unitarian. I had no idea as I had never paid that close attention to the lyrics before, and now it's impossible to miss. A Christmas song that doesn't mention our Savior!?! ARGHH!!