Calvin’s first bundle of Psalms (1539) was called “Aulcuns pseaulmes et cantiques mys en chant [Collection of Psalms and Canticles for singing].” When I open the Book of Praise, I see Psalms and Hymns, but what happened to the Canticles?
Canticles are songs with lyrics taken from Scripture, and, as Calvin included the Apostles’ Creed: Creeds and Confessional songs.
With this distinction, our Hymns include the Creeds, Canticles, and free hymns.
I think it is essential to make this distinction. If the Canadian Reformed Churches want to add more hymns, are they aiming for more sung Scripture passages, Confessions, and Creeds, or for more human-composed hymns?
The current hymn selection includes 32 Canticles from Scripture and three Canticles taken from the Creeds and Confessions. When there is a call for “we want more…”, it would be wise to first determine, “more of what…?”
