Little Flock hymnbook


The Little Flock hymnbook is in common use amongst Exclusive Brethren in various editions which nevertheless derive from a common source. It exists in almost as many variations and editions as there are distinct groups of Exclusive Brethren.

Early history

In 1838 the Central Tract Depot published George Wigram's Hymns for the Poor of the Flock. This was followed in 1856 by his Hymns and Spiritual Songs for the Little Flock which gathered together hymns from diverse collections used among Brethren and on which all subsequent versions are based. This was revised in 1881 by John Nelson Darby, an edition which is still in print, published by Bible Truth Publishers of Addison, Illinois, USA and available from Chapter Two, etc. William Kelly revised the hymn book in 1894 and Thomas Henry Reynolds produced his edition in 1903.

Raven/Taylor editions

Amongst Raven–Taylor Brethren, every new doctrinal development has been reflected in renewed activity in hymn composition in English and other European languages. Doctrinal shifts were often followed by marked re-editing of the hymns themselves to bring them into line with current ministry which often necessitated the production of a new edition. The main editions are 1903, 1932, 1951, 1962, and 1973, of which there is a Taylor/Symington edition and a separate Kingston Bible Trust edition. From the 1940s, foreign language editions were gradually brought into line with English editions so that Brethren could, where possible, sing together the same hymns in the same metre. The 1962 hymnbook thus appears in varying quality in 10 or more languages. The Swedish editions in particular have a long tradition of translating English hymns, especially gospel songs for outreach. The English editions themselves have included translations from Swedish, French, Spanish and German. Taylor/Symington/Hales Brethren use their English hymnbook universally regardless of the local language.
A new edition, Hymns and Spiritual Songs for the Flock of God, was published in New Zealand in 2001 by R.D. Church and E.J. Forrest through the Joseph Bywater Trust. This collection is based on the 1951 edition and gathers together many hymns from all the pre-existing collections, restoring hymns to their original wording where possible and adding some new compositions.

Kelly/Lowe/Glanton editions

The KLG grouping have had two major hymn books since William Kelly's Hymns Selected and Revised in 1894 edition. Following the reunion of 'Kelly' and 'Lowe' Brethren in 1926, the 1928 edition was compiled by William John Hocking and is still in use by a few 'Kelly' and Open Brethren meetings. The 1978 edition followed the 1974 reunion with both 'Glanton' Brethren and 'Grant' Brethren and is used by these "reunited" Brethren. This latter book has drawn more widely from hymns in common use but does not contain hymns addressing the Holy Spirit in line with traditional Darbyite teaching. Foreign language editions have developed and continued in their own distinctive traditions.

Gospel hymnbooks

Gospel hymnbooks have been produced by most branches of Exclusive Brethren. The Little Flock editions have always contained a selection of gospel hymns, but both Raven/Taylor and KLG wings of the movement have from time to time used separate collections of gospel hymns in the gospel and outreach meetings. Chapter Two have re-published The Evangelists' Hymnal, edited by Walter Thomas Prideaux Wolston. This book is used by some Glanton and some Open Brethren assemblies.

Tune books

Little Flock Tune Books have been published in 1883, 1904, 1932, 1954, 1965, and 1979. Charles Theodore Lambert's edition of 1932 published both words and tunes with an appendix "Containing a few hymns suitable for the Christian Household". It is still published in Tonic Sol-Fa by the Symington/Hales Depot. The other Tune Books had tunes only, listed in metrical order. The KLG 1978 hymn book and the Gospel Hymn Book were both published with a music edition. All editions have drawn on Exclusive Brethren tunewriters and musicians to produce collections of a high calibre both in terms of musical editing and in the quality of the compositions themselves. Composers of note include Thomas Willey, T. Collins, Miss Marian La Thangue, Miss S.M. Walker, Charles Leflaive, C.T. Lambert, Benjamin Christiansen, R.A. Evershed, Peter S. Pope, Eric Carrén, John F. Harvey, and Gordon Millar.

Historical and critical apparatus

An Access database of all first lines and metres of hymns with limited biographical and bibliographical material is held at the Christian Brethren Archive in the John Rylands University Library, Manchester.
Gordon Rainbow has collated some on the Little Flock Hymnbook. This contains links to all the prefaces to the early hymnbooks and from 1903 follows the Raven/Taylor line of hymnbooks. Various accounts of new editions of the hymnbook were published and these are given in full.
An account of all the major developments in the tradition was published in Frank Wallace's The History of the Little Flock Hymnbook. Also by Frank Wallace, Spiritual Songsters contains biographies of many hymnwriters found in the Little Flock tradition and is published by .
Adrian Roach wrote a History of the 1881 edition containing much biographical information on the hymnwriters. It is published by .
A text of the 1978 Kelly/Lowe/Glanton edition is available where there is a large amount of biographical material and a first line index of the 1881 "Darby" edition

List of English editions

TitleDateLocationCompiler/EditorPublisherNumber of HymnsUsed by
Hymns for the Poor of the Flock1839LondonGeorge WigramCentral Tract DepotPlymouth Brethren
Hymns for the Poor of the Flock1840LondonGeorge WigramCentral Tract Depot, Warwick Square377 + 73 + 40Plymouth Brethren
A Few Hymns and Some Spiritual Songs. Selected... for the Little Flock1856LondonGeorge WigramG Morrish, Paternoster Row340Exclusive Brethren
A Few Hymns and Some Spiritual Songs. Selected... for the Little Flock, Revised1881LondonJohn Nelson DarbyG Morrish, Paternoster Sq341 + 85Exclusive Brethren & Tunbridge Wells Brethren
Hymns Selected and Revised1894William KellyKelly Brethren
A Few Hymns and Spiritual Songs. Selected... for the Little Flock, Re-arranged and Further Revised1903LondonThomas Henry Reynolds402London/Raven Brethren & Glanton Brethren
Hymns Selected and Revised1922 LondonF.E. RaceC.A. Hammond TrustKelly Brethren
Hymns Selected and Revised1928LondonWilliam John HockingC.A. Hammond Trust Bible Depot436Kelly/Lowe Brethren
Hymns and Spiritual Songs for the Little Flock1932LondonJames Taylor Snr & 9 othersStow Hill Bible and Tract Depot382Raven/Taylor Brethren
Hymns and Spiritual Songs for the Little FlockRevised 1951Kingston upon ThamesA.E. MylesStow Hill Bible and Tract Depot480Raven/Taylor Brethren/Pre Aberdeen "Outs"
Hymns and Spiritual SongsSelected 1958ManchesterJames MacDonald400Anti-Taylor Raven Brethren
Hymns and Spiritual Songs for the Little Flock.Revised 1962Kingston upon ThamesJames Taylor JnrStow Hill Bible and Tract Depot456Taylor Brethren/Renton Brethren
Hymns and Spiritual Songs for the Little FlockReselected 1973LancingRobert StottKingston Bible Trust480Frost/London/Oxted Brethren
Hymns and Spiritual Songs for the Little FlockAmended 1973Kingston upon ThamesBible and Gospel Trust417Taylor/Symington Brethren
A Few Hymns and Spiritual Songs for the Last DaysCompiled 1974Horsham, SussexJ.F. Trussler401Hamilton Brethren
Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual SongsSelected 1978Wooler, NorthumberlandCentral Bible Hammond Trust500Kelly/Lowe/Glanton Brethren
Supplement to Hymns and Spiritual Songs for the Little FlockAdditions 1984LancingKingston Bible Trust22Frost/London/Oxted Brethren
The Companion Hymn Book1997CroydonG Bacon, A SheldrakeThe Whytecliffe Trust95Oxted Brethren
Hymns and Spiritual Songs for the Little FlockAmended 1990HounslowBible and Gospel Trust420Taylor/Symington/Hales Brethren
Hymns and Spiritual Songs for the Flock of God2001Auckland, New ZealandR D Church, E J ForrestThe Joseph Bywater Trust633Raven/Taylor Brethren

Scandinavian editions

TitleEdition/DateLocationCompiler/EditorPublisher/PrinterNumber of HymnsUsed by
Psalmer og Lovsanger for Guds Forsamling1877Exclusive Brethren
Psalmer og Lovsanger for Guds Forsamling1879Exclusive Brethren
Psalmer og Lovsanger for Guds Forsamling1892KøbenhavnNorrebros Bogtrykkeri130Exclusive Brethren
Tros-Sångern.d. A B Petersons Förlag159Exclusive Brethren
Psalmer og Lovsanger for Guds Forsamling1901Exclusive Brethren
Tros-Sånger4th Edition 1907GöteborgA B Petersons Förlag218Raven/London Brethren
Psalmer og Lovsanger for Guds Forsamling1914Exclusive Brethren
Tros-Sånger5th Edition 1916GöteborgA B Peterson255Raven/London Brethren
Psalmer och Lovsånger1939GöteborgA B Petersons Förlag315 + 89Raven/Taylor Brethren
Psalmer og Lovsanger for Guds Forsamling1949Exclusive Brethren
Psalmer och Lovsånger1955GöteborgE CarrénA B Petersons Förlag480Raven/Taylor Brethren
Psalmer og Lovsanger for Guds Forsamling1952Exclusive Brethren
Lovsånger och andliga Sånger för den Lilla Hjorden1962GöteborgA B Petersons Förlag456Raven/Taylor Brethren
Lovsanger og Åndelige Viser for den Lille Hjord1962DrøbukOB Hansens Bogtrykkeri456Raven/Taylor Brethren
Salmer og Lovsange for den Lille Hjord1962456Raven/Taylor Brethren

Spanish editions

TitleEdition/DateLocationCompiler/EditorPublisherNumber of HymnsUsed by
Himnos Y Canciones Espirituales para la manada pequeña1937Raven/Taylor Brethren
Himnos Y Canciones Espirituales para la manada pequeña1958Rosario, ArgentinaDeposito de Biblias y tratados Darragueira480Raven/Taylor Brethren
Himnos Y Canciones Espirituales para el Pequeño Rebaño1962Buenos AiresReuniones Evangélicas456Raven/Taylor Brethren

German editions

TitleEdition/DateLocationCompiler/EditorPublisher/printerNumber of HymnsUsed by
Geistliche Lieder und Gesänge1899AltenvoerdeChristian SchatzVerlag Christlicher Schriften. Printer: Oscar Brandstetter, Leipzig170 + musicRaven Brethren
Geistliche Lieder und Gesänge1909HildesheimRichard ArrasAugust Mann188 + musicRaven/Taylor Brethren and Raven/Glanton Brethren
Geistliche Lieder und Gesänge1921Hildesheim, Interlaken August Mann / Adolf Steiner 200 Glanton Brethren
Geistliche Lieder und Gesänge1922LeipzigRichard ArrasF H Rückbrodt196 Raven/Taylor Brethren
Geistliche Lieder und Gesänge1926LeipzigRichard ArrasF H Rückbrodt209 + musicRaven/Taylor Brethren
Geistliche Lieder und Gesänge1934LeipzigRichard ArrasF H Rückbrodt227 Raven/Taylor Brethren
Geistliche Lieder und Gesänge1936LeipzigRichard ArrasF H Rückbrodt227 + musicRaven/Taylor Brethren
Geistliche Lieder und Gesänge1948 reprint + AppendixLeipzigF H Rückbrodt227 + 65Raven/Taylor Brethren
Loblieder und Geistliche Lieder für die kleine Herde1951LeipzigAlfred Wellershaus, WermelskirchenF H Rückbrodt480Raven/Taylor Brethren
Geistliche Lieder und Gesänge1952InterlakenF. A. Burri204 + music Glanton Brethren
Loblieder und Geistliche Lieder für die kleine Herde1962Kingston upon ThamesKingston Bible Trust456Raven/Taylor Brethren
Loblieder und Geistliche Lieder1997Probably Waldemar Schubert849 Raven/Taylor Brethren