Music Resources

🎵 Are you looking for our page full of hymn-based (and other) music videos for online worship? Let's go there.

“Without music life would be a mistake.
—Friedrich Nietzsch

“Qui bene cantat bis orat” (They who sing pray twice.)
—St. Augustine

Music and singing are integral parts of our Unitarian Universalist (UU) worship services. Whether it's classical, rock, folk, or a cappella, music shifts the energy of worship and moves it into our bodies. Below are some ways to connect to Spirit, and to one another, through music.

Thematic Collection

The Association for UU Music Ministries (AUUMM) maintains the AUUMM Index of Music for Themed Worship, a database of music compatible with dozens of specific worship themes, from “Gratitude” to “Grace,” “Transcendence” to “Transformation.”

Children's Recessionals

Kaye McSpadden (Indianapolis) has compiled a list of children's recessionals for use in UU worship services.

Hymnals and Songbooks

The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) publishes the hymnal Singing the Living Tradition plus two hymnal supplements: Singing the Journey and the Spanish-Language Las Voces del Camino. We also publish the multigenerational songbook Come, Sing a Song With Me through our imprint Skinner House Books.

For background on these individual hymns and songs: the book Between the Lines provides information about Singing the Living Tradition, and the Singing the Journey website offers background for the songs in Singing the Journey.

CDs of Hymns and Accompaniment

The First Unitarian Church in Oakland has recorded two CDs of music from our hymnals—Bring Many Names and Music in the Air—for congregations, and individuals, that want to listen to the music from the hymnals. The Orange Coast Unitarian Universalist Church (Costa Mesa, CA) created a CD with family-friendly music from Singing the Living Tradition, Singing the Journey, and May This Light Shine, called Family ValUUes. It is available in CD form from the Orange Coast UU Church, or via digital download from iTunes or Amazon.com.

Often people ask if there is a CD of just accompaniment and, to date, there is no comprehensive CD of all of the hymns in the two hymnals. MP3 files of some of the songs in Singing the Journey can be found at the Singing the Journey website, and some of our congregations have created CDs of accompaniment for the public domain hymns in Singing the Living Tradition.

The Abraham Lincoln Unitarian Universalist Church in Springfield, IL has recorded two CDs of piano accompaniment (including an introduction and all verses) to hymns from Singing the Living Tradition. One contains thirty "favorite" hymns, and the other is a collection of Christmas holiday hymns. Contact the Abraham Lincoln Unitarian Universalist Church for purchase information.

Other Resources

The Association for Unitarian Universalist Music Ministries (AUUMM) "nurtures, educates, and inspires UU music leaders to create dynamic and transformative music ministries" everywhere from our largest multi-staff congregations to our smallest lay-led fellowships.

Insights and Instructions: a collection of essays and articles with information on everything from how to read the rhythms in the hymnal supplement, to how to be an effective songleader for your congregation, to ways to think about the ministry of the music director.