The Drawbacks Of Giving Praise In Song
I accidentally caught a bit of 'Songs of Praise' the other day, whilst punishing my TV with a hammer, and it got me thinking about my visits to the local church throughout my childhood.
Why is it assumed in a church that everyone there would know the hymns? On the many occasions I attended church services there were always a few hymns to be sung. The fact is, I'd never heard these songs in my life and I really didn't know how to sing them. Yes, OK, a hymn book was given to you, but this is not enough. Knowing the words is one thing, but how do I know the melody, or how fast to sing these words? How many words in a phrase?
Wouldn't it be helpful if the priest, vicar, whatever, announced that hymn number 353 from the blue book was about to be sung, then grabbed a guitar and talked you through the song. At least you'd stand half a chance.
Nobody ever questions it. All the other people are singing along trying to guess the melody, following the organ and each other, and there are often complications. Songs of Praise shows hundreds of the church-going public improvising loosely around a song they've never heard in their lives. You can see those at the front appear to know what they're doing. Either they've slipped the composer a few bob, have downloaded a recent Godcast with all the latest from the hymn chart, or they just have damn fine poker faces.
A whole church full of people all singing with different melodies and in different time. No wonder some are so willing to pick up a tambourine, you can mask the fact that you don't have a bloody clue what you're singing. In my time at these holy sing-songs, sometimes the end of the hymn would nearing and I'd still have half a verse to go. I'd have to squeeze all the words in very quickly on the last note.
There's clearly an assumption that everyone is familiar with the hymn book, and people are just too embarrassed to admit they don't know the tunes they've been singing for years.
Next time you're at a service, when they announce the next hymn to be sung, stop the proceedings and demand someone at least whistles it so you don't feel like such an idiot.
Why is it assumed in a church that everyone there would know the hymns? On the many occasions I attended church services there were always a few hymns to be sung. The fact is, I'd never heard these songs in my life and I really didn't know how to sing them. Yes, OK, a hymn book was given to you, but this is not enough. Knowing the words is one thing, but how do I know the melody, or how fast to sing these words? How many words in a phrase?
Wouldn't it be helpful if the priest, vicar, whatever, announced that hymn number 353 from the blue book was about to be sung, then grabbed a guitar and talked you through the song. At least you'd stand half a chance.
Nobody ever questions it. All the other people are singing along trying to guess the melody, following the organ and each other, and there are often complications. Songs of Praise shows hundreds of the church-going public improvising loosely around a song they've never heard in their lives. You can see those at the front appear to know what they're doing. Either they've slipped the composer a few bob, have downloaded a recent Godcast with all the latest from the hymn chart, or they just have damn fine poker faces.
A whole church full of people all singing with different melodies and in different time. No wonder some are so willing to pick up a tambourine, you can mask the fact that you don't have a bloody clue what you're singing. In my time at these holy sing-songs, sometimes the end of the hymn would nearing and I'd still have half a verse to go. I'd have to squeeze all the words in very quickly on the last note.
There's clearly an assumption that everyone is familiar with the hymn book, and people are just too embarrassed to admit they don't know the tunes they've been singing for years.
Next time you're at a service, when they announce the next hymn to be sung, stop the proceedings and demand someone at least whistles it so you don't feel like such an idiot.
posted by Spoon at 12:32 am
1 Comments:
'.. The sacred lessons of thy grace,
Transmitted through thy word, repeat,
And train us up in all thy ways,
To make us in thy will complete;
Fulfil thy love's redeeming plan,
And bring us to a perfect man...'
One of my favourites.
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