It is sometimes forgotten that hymns are the offering of the entire congregation, not merely of the clergy and choir. In the worship of almost all Christian groups (even those with a pre-scribed liturgy) hymns are pre-eminently the part of corporate worship in which the congregation has assumed the largest and most direct part.

In the current stress on the role of the laity in the work of the church, full involvement of the congregation in hymn singing should therefore be accentuated.

Indeed, congregational singing is presupposed if the church as the body of Christ is in actuality engaged in the action of worship.

…Every person—young and old, homemaker, teacher, storekeeper, business executive—is included in the work of singing praise.

from Sing with Understanding