Hymn Restoration: 101 Treasured Hymns with Devotions

Walk into any Protestant church and you are likely to encounter a "worship team" that sounds a lot like a rock band. The musical worship will have a strong backbeat, and simple, easy-to-follow repetitive melodies, reinforced by made-to-order electric guitar strains. The arrangements and chord charts are readily available to all from various Internet sites that cater to the needs of modern worship centers hoping to attract and keep a young demographic.

We honor these young musicians and composers, and the love and skill they bring to musical worship, whatever their level of competence, because we know that the Lord hears their hearts. But can it be that in the pursuit of a new sound, an old treasure has been lost?

Hymn Restoration is about introducing a new generation to the musical treasures of Christian history. "America's Piano Showman" Dino Kartsonakis has brought his passion for sacred music and deep knowledge of its history to the task of choosing 101 of what he considers to be the best of the best from the vast wealth of hymns going back centuries. Readers will immediately recognize the depth of the lyrics and the inspired beauty of the melodies, that cannot help but rise once again to the top, particularly when compared to much of what we hear today.

Each hymn is presented alongside a devotion that expands on the theme expressed in the hymn. Many include stories about how they were written and about the extraordinary people who wrote them.