I recently read of the newly released Listen While We Sing recording on the blog of First Presbyterian Church in Jackson, MS. This is a four CD set of 88 great hymns played on piano by Susan Beisner, a classically trained pianist and organist.

The website describes the set as follows:

Intended to be the first of several volumes, Listen While We Sing is an excellent tool for private, family, or corporate worship. Each hymn is played with an introduction and all the verses found in Trinity Hymnal, (GCP, 1990). The insert features a cross-reference to this and several other common hymnals.

When I first read about the CD a week ago, I was very interested. The Trinity Hymnal has become our favorite hymnal, full of rich and beautiful God-glorifying hymnody. Even though my wife plays piano, I can’t exactly take that with me. This seemed like a great opportunity not only to learn new hymns without Lois’ help, but also to have lovely Christ-centered background music while I’m working and around the house.

As soon as I got the set, I copied the music into MP3 format on my laptop and got a-listenin’! And I haven’t been disappointed, listening to it nearly non-stop during the day and also at home. All of the pieces are tastefully done: neither dry and monotonous, nor overly ostentatious (sample audio is on the website). Beisner does a great job building complexity and variety in each subsequent stanza of each hymn, yet retaining a reflective tone throughout where appropriate. It’s clear both from her biography and liner notes that she as much loves these hymns for their content as she enjoys playing them.

I’m already familiar with about half of the hymns in the recording, which is great because as I am at work with my headphones, I find myself reflecting on the lyrics I can recall, or simply humming their tune. And all this without being really distracted from work, which typically happens when I listen to worship music with vocals. An additional bonus for me is that I play these from my computer or CD player and learn hymns without having to hunt-and-peck my way on our piano to figure out the tune. When I hear an unfamiliar tune, I take a glance at the song name on my computer and make a mental note. In the future, I plan to pick new hymns from the recording and learning the words from my hymnal. I expect the learning curve will be simpler for having heard the tunes over and over, especially since my sight-reading skills are not what they could be.

I’d encourage anyone who is a lover of classic hymnody to pick up a copy of this CD set. And with it, the Trinity Hymnal, if you don’t already have one; for either family, individual, or corporate singing and devotion.