Author Topic: Do you have a favourite hymn? (Read 3011 times)

pancreas · « **on:** October 29, 2018, 10:02:17 PM »

Somewhat going against my implacable atheism, I might have scored myself an actual organist gig at a church. I can suppress the cynicism, but the trouble is that I can't sight-read that well yet, so I need to learn things in advance. The vicar says he'd be delighted if I just picked some hymns myself, so I'm looking for ones to learn. But I realise I hardly know any because I rarely step foot inside a church except to practise with choirs.

I like Old 100th, Lord of all Hopefulness, Jerusalem (obvs), one random one called 'My faith looks up to thee' (Olivet). That's as far as I've got. I guess I should learn the Lord's My Shepherd.

Any suggestions?

Delete Delete Delete · « **Reply #1 on:** October 29, 2018, 10:15:38 PM »

I Danced In The Morning https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xkk0YodJqH8

famethrowa · « **Reply #2 on:** October 29, 2018, 10:18:58 PM »

Definitely go with Vaughan Williams' Down Ampney (Come Down O Love Divine)

https://hymnary.org/tune/down_ampney_vaughan_williams

famethrowa · « **Reply #3 on:** October 29, 2018, 10:20:47 PM »

Standard joke response: give em a bit of this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgKKxs7Xf8k

Darles Chickens · « **Reply #4 on:** October 29, 2018, 10:21:43 PM »

I like Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring, is that a hymn? All Things Bright and Beautiful (you can introduce it with the Stewart Lee routine).

Not a hymn, but it was always my ambition to nail this one. Never did; turns out my fingers start hurting after about the first page, and then it gets too difficult anyway.

Keebleman · « **Reply #5 on:** October 29, 2018, 10:31:57 PM »

I went to the funeral of a friend's mother a couple of years ago. It was in a beautiful church on a gorgeous autumn day; the mood was generally positive (the deceased had passed at 69 having had a good life but the last months of it had been miserable cos of her cancer) and there was a fantastic spread at the wake. The service was well attended; my friend read a lesson, her voice breaking but she got through it; her brother read a poem he'd written specially, which sounds gruesome but which worked really well, not mawkish at all and often funny (he rhymed 'Grand National' with 'totally irrational').

And the choice of hymns was superb: there was Guide Me O Thou Great Redeemer (the church was in England but the deceased was Welsh), Amazing Grace, Abide With Me, which, even though it's often thought of as the archetypal funeral hymn, I had never heard in a church before, and best of all, How Great Thou Art, which has a magnificent tune and a well-constructed lyric. (They also played a recording of the Carpenters' Top of the World, as she used to sing it to her kids when she was little.)

My absolute least favorite is All Things Bright and Beautiful. It's so childish and dishonest. I once attended a funeral of a school friend at which it was played (Sue Perkins was in attendance!). I could imagine the conversation with the priest beforehand. "What hymns would you like?" "I don't know really." "Do you know if she had any favorites?" "No, she never mentioned any." "Did she like animals." "Yeah, she quite liked them." "OK, how about..."

jobotic · « **Reply #6 on:** October 29, 2018, 10:47:43 PM »

I used to like When A Knight Won His Spurs at school.

Agree that Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring in great but not a hymn.

olliebean · « **Reply #7 on:** October 29, 2018, 11:02:31 PM »

I used to like the one that was set to the theme of Van der Valk. Can't remember the lyrics or what it was called, though.

Kane Jones · « **Reply #8 on:** October 29, 2018, 11:29:19 PM »

Are carols the same as hymns? If so, The First Noël. Loads of Christmas ones are good actually. Apart from the Chrimbo ones, To Be A Pilgrim has a strong melody, as does Lord Of All Hopefulness as Pancs mentioned.

One thing that makes my shit itch is how many non-christian couples who insist on marrying in a church, choose All Things Bright And Beautiful as a hymn during their wedding. It's only because it's the only one they remember from school. "The purple-headed mountain.." *snigger* Oh do fuck off.

Pearly-Dewdrops Drops · « **Reply #9 on:** October 30, 2018, 12:36:30 AM »

In the Garden of Eden: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSCUhqsy4Nk

Here Comes Mongo · « **Reply #10 on:** October 30, 2018, 01:04:43 AM »

Probably 'To be a Pilgrim' or 'All my Hope on God is Founded'. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2oYTtyBSxk

Small Man Big Horse · « **Reply #11 on:** October 30, 2018, 02:09:28 AM »

No. I was forced to go church between the ages of 4 and 14, and my step-father regularly made us listen to hymns on the weekly journey to see our Grandparents on a Sunday and due to such memories I hate each and every one of them, even the sound of a church organ makes me shudder.

Neville Chamberlain · « **Reply #12 on:** October 30, 2018, 07:05:43 AM »

I like that one that mentions being naked. Forgotten what it's called, though.

bgmnts · « **Reply #13 on:** October 30, 2018, 07:22:39 AM »

Hymns were forced upon me in a secular school so they really can fuck off.

I do like Lord of the Dance though. Has an almost modern sounding pop vibe.

Plus, the idea that Jesus loved dancing is ace.

Darles Chickens · « **Reply #14 on:** October 30, 2018, 09:03:09 AM »

At primary school we were all issued with the Come and Praise hymn book, from which we sung something every day in assembly for six years.

They were kind of "kiddie hymns", but there was some good tunes there. I remember liking "Colours of Day" (which is indelibly imprinted in my brain as hymn number 55), "Think of a world without any flowers" and "Who put the colours in the rainbow?". Can't imagine playing any of them on a church organ - they really need "teacher on piano" and a slightly dissonant recorder descant.

I also remember "The earth is yours O God" which was notable for clearly containing the word "shit" on the second line (you nourish it with rain), which we used to childishly emphasise with great relish.

^{No wonder some of our pupils turned out so bad.}

the science eel · « **Reply #15 on:** October 30, 2018, 09:09:29 AM »

'Colours Of Day' was classic Vatican II-influenced stuff, when the hippies took over and brought out acoustic guitars and it was all 'Jesus is my friend'. Fucking awful shit.

Those terrifying old hymns played on a pipe organ in a freezing cold church still give me some kind of chill/thrill. 'Abide With Me', etc.

I don't recognise most of the others mentioned here - are they CofE or something?

Norton Canes · « **Reply #16 on:** October 30, 2018, 10:37:41 AM »

We had this one

They had a lovely strong plasticky smell.

jobotic · « **Reply #17 on:** October 30, 2018, 10:56:28 AM »

Quote from: Neville Chamberlain on October 30, 2018, 07:05:43 AM

I like that one that mentions being naked. Forgotten what it's called, though.

I was cold, I was naked
Were you there? Were you there?

I still sing

I was cold, I was naked
Jess was there, Jess was there

to make my friend Jess sound dubious.

pancreas · « **Reply #18 on:** October 30, 2018, 10:59:33 PM »

Quote from: Darles Chickens on October 30, 2018, 09:03:09 AM

At primary school we were all issued with the Come and Praise hymn book, from which we sung something every day in assembly for six years.

They were kind of "kiddie hymns", but there was some good tunes there. I remember liking "Colours of Day" (which is indelibly imprinted in my brain as hymn number 55), "Think of a world without any flowers" and "Who put the colours in the rainbow?". Can't imagine playing any of them on a church organ - they really need "teacher on piano" and a slightly dissonant recorder descant.

I also remember "The earth is yours O God" which was notable for clearly containing the word "shit" on the second line (you nourish it with rain), which we used to childishly emphasise with great relish.

^{No wonder some of our pupils turned out so bad.}

We did ALL of this. I was the dissonant flautist on descant.

hummingofevil · « **Reply #19 on:** October 30, 2018, 11:23:02 PM »

Thine Be The Glory is a beast of a tune.

Just a quick question Pancreas if you don’t mind. How the hell do you get good enough at playing church organ if you not a church organist. What your previous? Blackpool ballroom? Klaus Wunderlicht covers band?

icehaven · « **Reply #20 on:** October 30, 2018, 11:23:27 PM »

Quote from: Neville Chamberlain on October 30, 2018, 07:05:43 AM

I like that one that mentions being naked. Forgotten what it's called, though.

That was my favourite because we all used to giggle at the naked bit.

Quote from: jobotic on October 30, 2018, 10:56:28 AM

I was cold, I was naked
Were you there? Were you there?

And the creed and the colour and the name won't matter
Were you there?

gib · « **Reply #21 on:** October 30, 2018, 11:27:42 PM »

Quote from: Darles Chickens on October 30, 2018, 09:03:09 AM

Christ on a Raleigh Grifter, that sent a shiver down my godless spine.

borealis · « **Reply #22 on:** October 30, 2018, 11:48:13 PM »

Hi, pancreas.

Was alerted to this page by a friend.

I'm an elderly agnostic who's been playing guitar and singing with a music group for four local rural Canadian Anglican churches for the past 8 or 9 years.

Can't help you with the keyboard, but there are hundreds of hymnal resources online, no doubt including for whatever denomination you're playing for. Many of them include music and midis (synthesised digital melody) so you can learn the melody.

Most denoms have something like a lectionary, which tells the clergy what scriptures to read and on what, loosely, to base the sermon, along with a list of suggested hymns, which you can ignore. Most hymnals are divided into sections also, seasonal and occasion relevant.

You can also cheat by checking other churches' online bulletins which often list the next week's hymns.

I'd bet just reading the titles in a few hymnals will bring back a lot of tunes to your memory.

I've really enjoyed doing it - the services are boring, the eucharist is always a bit creepy, but the people are pretty nice, and in my experience, very grateful to have any music at all.

Hope this helps.

borealis · « **Reply #23 on:** October 31, 2018, 12:09:16 AM »

Oh, and some of my favourites:

In Christ There is no East or West
I Feel the Winds of God Today (same folk tune is used for I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say)
Trees of the Field
For Those in Peril on the Sea (can't recall proper title)
Sing a New Song
Streams of Living Justice
Be Not Afraid

A lot of the tunes will work for multiple hymns - the tunes themselves have names, and are often suggested beside or above the hymn's title, and the music may be printed in the front or back of the book. The tunes may be bits of classical music or traditional British folk tunes.

Astronaut Omens · « **Reply #24 on:** October 31, 2018, 01:13:07 AM »

Quote from: Darles Chickens on October 30, 2018, 09:03:09 AM

At primary school we were all issued with the Come and Praise hymn book, from which we sung something every day in assembly for six years.

Did that book have the hippy-commune-singalong one that goes, "And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love"? I was always keen on that one at school.

Most of my musical memories from my Catholic upbringing are less about the hymns and more about the accapella chants that were always part of the mass. There was one beginning "Through him, with him, in him" that I always used to find really hypnotic.
Loads of well known hymns never cropped in my time going to church, I presume stuff like "Abide with Me" and "All Things Bright and Beautiful" have specific Anglican associations that meant that Catholics didn't sing them- obviously that's the case with "Jerusalem".

Lately, this modern adaptation of Psalm 23 I find capable of choking me up a bit in vunerable moments, something of the release in the "All the days of my life", followed by the dying fall.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2LYCR5leQc

Twed · « **Reply #25 on:** October 31, 2018, 01:48:52 AM »

Quote from: pancreas on October 30, 2018, 10:59:33 PM

We did ALL of this. I was the dissonant flautist on descant.

I could probably play the violin and recorder parts of that entire book and its green counterpart, including the "B" parts right now if presented with the sheet music, despite not having touched a violin or recorder in 20 years.

Twed · « **Reply #26 on:** October 31, 2018, 01:51:58 AM »

All over the world,
Everywhere , where the sun shines,
And where the white snow gleams;
In the green, green forests and by the streams,
Hands are busy, plans are laid,
And slowly, slowly, somewhere, somebody’s house is made.

Everybody’s building, everybody’s building,
Everybody’s building, day by day,
Everybody’s building, everybody’s building,
Everybody’s building, in a different way.

Number 5, I think.

Twed · « **Reply #27 on:** October 31, 2018, 01:53:50 AM »

I feel like there must be an entire class of people on this forum intrinsically bound by "Autumn Days".

Twed · « **Reply #28 on:** October 31, 2018, 01:58:15 AM »

Quote from: Darles Chickens on October 30, 2018, 09:03:09 AM

They were kind of "kiddie hymns", but there was some good tunes there. I remember liking "Colours of Day" (which is indelibly imprinted in my brain as hymn number 55), "Think of a world without any flowers"

Similar to "Water of Life" isn't it?

Nobody can live who hasn't any water,
when the ground is dry then nothing much grows.
Jesus gives us life if we drink the living water,
sing it so that everybody knows!

There's water, water of life!
Jesus gives us the water of life.
There's water, water of life!
I feel I must reiterate: Jesus gives us the water of life.

BlodwynPig · « **Reply #29 on:** October 31, 2018, 02:27:55 AM »

*pancreas thread*

Lord of the Dance.

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Author Topic: Do you have a favourite hymn? (Read 3011 times)