Together in Song
Together in Song: Australian Hymn Book II is a 1999 revision of The Australian Hymn Book. It contains 783 psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs for Christian worship in Australia and beyond. It was created by an ecumenical editorial committee chaired by Canon Dr. Lawrence Bartlett, with representatives from Anglican, Churches of Christ, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic, and Uniting churches.
Major changes include updating language to be more inclusive, removing hymns no longer used, placing more emphasis on psalms, and adding newer musical settings and worship songs. It also reflects decisions from the English Language Liturgical Consultation in 1988. Bartlett describes the book as ecumenical and contemporary, presenting both old and new material in a way today’s worshippers can understand.
The collection is international, drawing from 48 countries, and features a wide range of musical styles from plainsong to Hillsong-inspired worship. The most represented hymnwriter is Charles Wesley with 41 hymns; John L. Bell (27), Brian Wren (24), and Shirley Murray (5) are also well represented. When no suitable existing song could be found, editors sometimes wrote their own, such as Shirley Ludgater’s “When the light of first creation.”
A common criticism is that inclusive language can interrupt the flow of older hymns. The hymns are organized by theme or liturgical use and arranged chronologically within each section. Editions include harmony, melody line with guitar chords, large print, software, and an audio CD. The harmony edition has many indexes; the melody edition has fewer indexes and does not include guitar chords.
In 2017 it was announced there would be no further printings because HarperCollins chose not to renew copyright licenses after they expired in 2018.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 08:12 (CET).