This volume serves as a comprehensive liturgical resource designed to organize and standardize the selection of hymns for communal worship and educational settings. The authors, Martin Shaw, Percy Dearmer, and R. Vaughan Williams, utilized their expertise in musicology and theology to curate a collection that balances traditional ecclesiastical requirements with accessible, thematic organization. Their primary argument posits that a structured, thematic approach to hymnody enhances the pedagogical and spiritual utility of congregational singing.

Experts recognize this work as a foundational text in twentieth-century hymnology that significantly influenced school and church music practices. Readers frequently note the practical utility of its thematic indexing for organizing services and educational programs.