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A leading publisher is launching its first online digital hymn book to allow clergy to download song lyrics, sheet music and backing tracks to 1,800 worship songs.

HarperCollins have placed online the entire contents of Mission Praise, the top selling evangelical hymn book first published to coincide with the 1984 campaign of evangelist Billy Graham and which has subseqently sold more than two million copies. It is thought to be the first major hymn book to be made digitally available in the UK.

Of the UK's 47,000 Christian churches, 22,000 have bought licences from Christian Copyright Licensing to allow them to photocopy or project hymns, and of these 15,000 also have a music reproduction licence, giving an indication of the demand for easily-accessible worship material.

Ian Metcalfe, Editorial Director for Collins Bibles, said: “Mission Praise was the first hymnbook to combine traditional hymns with newer worship songs and now it is the first hymnbook to go online, making it as easy as possible for churches to use this great collection of old and new hymns. We know there are thousands of churches out there using it in its printed form."

Graham Kendrick, author of Shine Jesus Shine said: “From its beginnings in Billy Graham's Mission England evangelistic crusade, Mission Praise has become one of the core resources of today's church. I'm excited about missionpraise.com because it combines traditional hymns with modern worship songs in all the electronic formats churches nowadays are after.”

The site will eventually offer Sunday school material, Bible readings, liturgies, background photographs and illustrations as well.