Our Hymns is a compilation album released in 1989 on Word Records. It features well-known church hymns each done by CCM artists' interpretation and styles of music from pop ("Holy, Holy, Holy" by Michael W. Smith) to rock ("Onward, Christian Soldiers" by Petra) to country ("More Love To Thee" by Bruce Carroll). It is also a trilogy of albums from Word Records using the word "Our" in the series starting with this album, along with Our Christmas (1990) and Our Family (1993).
Our Hymns debuted and peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Top Christian Albums chart. In 1990, four of the participating artists earned Grammy nominations for their performances:
Michael W. Smith (Best Gospel Performance, Male for "Holy, Holy, Holy")
Amy Grant (Best Gospel Performance, Female for "'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus")
First Call (Best Gospel Performance by a Duo or Group for "O Sacred Head, Now
Wounded")
American R&B a capella gospel group Take 6 won the Grammy Award for Best Gospel Performance by a Duo or Group for their interpretation of "The Savior Is Waiting" at the 32nd Grammy Awards. At the 21st GMA Dove Awards, the album won Praise and Worship Album of the Year and Grant won Country Recorded Song of the Year for "'Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus."
Track listing
1. Holy, Holy, Holy (Michael W. Smith) (John Bacchus Dykes, Reginald Heber; arranged by Michael W. Smith) -4:59
2. 'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus (Amy Grant) (William J. Kirkpatrick, Louisa M.R. Stead; arranged by Amy Grant, Brown Bannister, Jerry McPherson and Mark O'Connor) -4:07
3. More Love to Thee (Bruce Carroll) (Elizabeth Prentiss, William Howard Doane;
arranged by Chris Christian and Loren Balman) -3:24
4. I Must Tell Jesus (Kim Boyce) (Elisha Hoffman; arranged by Brian Tankersley and John Andrew Schreiner) -3:54
5. Medley (Russ Taff) (arranged by James Hollihan, Jr. and Loren Balman) -5:06
Near the Cross (Fanny Crosby, William Howard Doane)
My Jesus I Love Thee (William Ralph Featherston, Adoniram Judson Gordon)
Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus (Helen Howarth Lemmel)
6. Prelude: Bach's Bourrée/O God, Our Help in Ages Past (Phil Keaggy) (Isaac
Watts, William Croft; arranged by Phil Keaggy, Smitty Price and Loren Balman) -7:04
7. O Sacred Head, Now Wounded (First Call) (Hans Leo Hassler, Paul Gerhardt; arranged by Michael W. Smith) -5:14
8. It Is Well With My Soul (Wayne Watson) (Horatio Spafford, Philip Bliss; arranged by Wayne Watson and Paul Mills) -4:40
9. The Savior is Waiting (Take 6) (Ralph Carmichael; arranged by Mervyn
Warren) -4:10
10. Onward, Christian Soldiers (Petra) (Sabine Baring-Gould, Arthur Sullivan; arranged by John Lawry) -3:50
Production credits
Michael W. Smith -producer (tracks 1 and 7)
Brown Bannister -producer (track 2)
Chris Christian -producer (track 3)
Brian Tankersley -producer (track 4)
Russ Taff and James Hollihan,Jr. -producers (track 5)
Phil Keaggy -producer (track 6)
Wayne Watson and Paul Mills -producers (track 8)
Mervyn Warren -producer (track 9)
Bob Hartman and John Lawry -producers (track 10)
Accolades
Grammy Award -Best Gospel Performance by a Duo or Group ("The Savior is
Waiting" by Take 6)
Dove Award -Praise and Worship Album of the Year (Our Hymns)
Country Recorded Song of the Year ("'Tis So Sweet to Trust in
Jesus" by Amy Grant)
Radio singles
1989 "'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus" by Amy Grant -#2 Christian AC
1989 "Onward, Christian Soldiers" by Petra -#14 Christian CHR
1989 "Holy, Holy, Holy" by Michael W. Smith -#5 Christian AC
1989 -1990 "It Is Well With My Soul" by Wayne Watson -#14 Christian AC
1990 "More Love to Thee" by Bruce Carroll -#9 Christian AC
Next release: Our Christmas (1990)