The Hymn Society of Great Britain and Ireland is a not-for-profit organisation in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland which aims to promote the study and use of Christian hymns.
[1] The society was founded in 1936 by Dr J. R. Fleming for the purpose of:[2] In the years after its creation, the Society set itself the task of updating John Julian's 1892 Dictionary of Hymnology.
[3] The Society's primary actions are the production of a Newsletter and Bulletin four times per year containing articles and research on hymns and hymnody, as well as publishing additional Papers on topics in greater depth.
It also works closely with sister Societies around the world, including the Hymn Society in the United States and Canada and International Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Hymnologie in Germany.
[1] Each July, the Society holds a three-day conference of talks and workshops, culminating in a large event known since 2003 as The Festival of Hymns, and prior to that was called the Act of Praise.