Tech Forum

Does anyone else’s Sacred Music app only show words for the hymn Be Still My Soul? The other hymns show sheet music.

I see the same. It appears the music is under copyright. I'm guessing the church wasn't able to negotiate the rights to distribute it electronically.

I prefer a non-church-released app for hymns. When I pull up this hymn on that app, I see only the words with this note at the bottom of the screen: "Due to copyright restrictions the music for this hymn is unavailable."

abcrew wrote:Does anyone else’s Sacred Music app only show words for the hymn Be Still My Soul? The other hymns show sheet music.

As russellhltn said, the music is under copyright and the Church has not reached an agreement with the Presbyterian Board of Christian Education and/or Westminster John Knox Press that would allow for electronic distribution. The Church probably pays the copyright holder a fee for every physical hymnbook published.

The words themselves are not under copyright, only the music, as opposed to How Great Thou Art where both the music and words are under copyright.