The best English language hymnal is The English Hymnal (1906, 1933), first published at one of the high points of research and hymnal production. It’s contents and tunes are referenced and relied on by Protestant hymnals throughout the 20th century - Lutherans, Episcopals, Presbyterians, Methodists, and Congregationalists, the sort of ecumenism that VII and the 20th century in general has ruined.
It was developed and used by Anglo-Catholics. The musical editor was Ralph Vaughan Williams. It contains some dross, but generally is for the sort of liturgy that the Anglo-sphere could have adopted after V II, but which it rejected.

For a practical hymnal, Serviam nails it.

I find nothing to question in Jackson's list.

Brébeuf is simply not in the running for a laundry list of reasons which have already been discussed to death on this forum. In particular, providing forty different translations of each Office hymn does not elevate your "Catholic-est" hymnal over "Protestant" ones - it just expands the book for no real reason.

I suppose a proper response partly depends on its intended usage and whether or not you mean hymnals currently being published. Also do you mean a hymnal specifically billed as catholic? In reality, there is no "best" hymnal.

Thanks for your answer. I meant a Hymnal either of Catholic origin or which could be used within the Roman rite of the Catholic Church.

I have a scan of the English Hymnal, which seems like a very fine book (though the scan has several pages missing). As Jackson stated, it gives both a plainsong and a modern tune to each hymn, which is great.
I also like the fact it provides all propers at the end of the book.

I would agree with Don9of11 and would suggest the recently published A CATHOLIC BOOKS OF HYMNS if you are looking for a hymnal consisting of hymns that a congregation would really sing. It includes nearly 300 hymns that are useful for all occasions, including many truly Catholic devotional hymns that are not available in other sources at the present time.

A Catholic Book of Hymns

Email me for the index:
najaago@gmail.com

Perhaps the best American Catholic hymnal ever was the modest “Our Parish Prays and Sings” published by Collegeville Press in 1959. This slender volume is packed with everything a parish could need. (Even today!) It contains thirteen Gregorian masses and about one hundred hymns—mostly in English. (The Ambrosian Gloria--yes!)

In the preface, the editors wrote: “The hymns contained in this collection have been selected on the basis of the conformity to the norms laid down by Pius XII in the encyclical “Musicae Sacrae Disciplina”, namely: (1) “they must express sound Catholic doctrine and explain it accurately”; (2) “they must use simple melody and plain language, free from pompous and meaningless verbiage”; (3) “they must manifest religious dignity and seriousness.” The hymns in this collection surely meet Pius’s criteria. The small collection of hymns could serve the needs of a liturgical year quite adequately. Sprinkled throughout are short chant-based antiphons in Latin and English that would be wonderful to use.

A parish, today, that has an EF mass would find this book to be practical and of enriching benefit. Ordinary Form masses that sing the Latin Ordinary would find this book useful, also. (I like the English translation under the Latin. If people know what they are singing about, they are friendlier to Latin chant.)

https://books.google.com/books?id=ag-G1w4TRXQC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

Counterpoint: just ran into this 1906 St Basil's hymnal. Quite possibly the worst old hymnal in English I have seen. Complete organ-grinder Tin Pan Alley takeover. Unerringly bad taste.

We still sing from the Marier HPSC. Love this book.

m_r_talor :

several books have been uploaded which contain more items like the one you mention:

when vernacular hymns were sung at low Masses

* including William Henry Cardinal O’Connell of Boston.

I'd be interested to see examples from other countries.