A hymn is like a friend. We have friends from childhood and ones we have made along life’s journey – and many of us also like to make new friends. So it is natural to want to know something of a hymn’s story: who wrote the words, and why; who the composer is and what prompted them to write the music. Sing to the Lord! considers the stories behind the words and the tunes, which are as interesting and exciting as each other. For they are all human stories. Each of the 30 hymns is provided with the full music and words, followed by a reflection and finally a prayer. The Revd Canon Dr Gordon Giles is Canon Chancellor of Rochester Cathedral. He has written various books on church music and hymnody, published by BRF and SPCK, and he was on the editorial team of the latest Ancient & Modern and the Revised English Hymnal.