Author	Thread: Does Anyone Listen to Hymns Anymore?
IaoKim View Profile History	Does Anyone Listen to Hymns Anymore? Posted : 24 Apr, 2011 06:11 PM Being Easter Sunday, I visited a close friend of mine at another church. I was pretty disappointed in the worship -- like 90% of the people in the pews weren't even lip syncing. I've noticed that participation in worship tends to be lower on average with contemporary worship than in those churches that do more traditional forms of music. Don't get me wrong, I like contemporary worship music, but for me nothing beats some of those awesome hymns of the faith. Before anyway gets the wrong idea, I know I am being pretty general when I saw these things. I have been to churches with contemporary worship with great participation and traditional churches with bad participation but the trend I have noticed personally tends to favor those traditional churches. I have nothing against contemporary worship just the apathy I sometimes see associated with it. :) I grew up listening to a bunch of those hymns packed with powerful words of truth with minimal musical instruments as distractions. It has been a long while since I have attended a Church that sang hymns on a regular basis, but I can still remember singing those hymns like it was yesterday. I don't know about you, but some of these contemporary worship songs these days I can't even remember five minutes after there over! It seems to me that nowadays with all the lights, computers, soundboards, etc. that the focus is on making everything sound good instead of focusing on the purpose for it all -- worshiping. I have visited several churches where 80% of the people aren't even singing along like they are afraid to chime in because they will ruin the perfect tone and pitch of the lead singers. I can't help but think: "Wake up people we aren't watching a performance or a concert we are supposed to be worshiping with a joyful noise whether we are tone deaf or not!" When I was a kid, if the church didn't get up and sing you wouldn't be able to even get the song off the ground because all we had were hymn books, people in the pews, and one classy organ! Anyway /rant . . . The main purpose of this topic is just to point out some of my observations on recent trends I have noticed in some of the churches I have visited. Mainly I just wanted to say I like hymns and I miss them! It is sad I think when I have to choose between going to a church with a decent young adult population or going to a church that actually still plays hymns. :) I could list a ton, but these are some of my favorite hymns! 1. Be Thou my Vision 2. It is Well with my Soul 3. A Mighty Fortress 4. Just as I Am 5. Amazing Grace 6. How Great Thou Art 7. Just a Closer Walk with Thee 8. Softly and Tenderly 9. The Old Rugged Cross 10. There is Power in the Blood 11. Rock of Ages 12. Fount of Every Blessing So is it just me or are there some in my generation that have yet to completely forsake hymns? :waving: Post Reply
Tulip89 View Profile History	Does Anyone Listen to Hymns Anymore? Posted : 25 Apr, 2011 08:44 AM Nah, I've never sung out of the psalter. Post Reply
NPX7 View Profile History	Does Anyone Listen to Hymns Anymore? Posted : 25 Apr, 2011 12:04 PM In many ways I prefer Hymns over contemporary Christian music/aka praise songs because Hymns seem to be more doctrinally sound. Now that is not to say some praise songs teach good doctrine but it just seems 9 out of 10 that Hymns are much richer in teaching doctrine. One of my favorite hymns is Martin Luther's "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God". I also love "The Old Rugged Cross". Post Reply
View Profile History	Does Anyone Listen to Hymns Anymore? Posted : 25 Apr, 2011 12:13 PM I hated the old hymns when I was a kid - usually sang out of tune by a few old women and a crusty organ. Of course, they're also a pig to play on guitar (that's if they even have the chords printed). Now I'm older and wiser (well, the first at least), I can appreciate them a lot more than I used to. But I still can't get many on the guitar! Post Reply
View Profile History	Does Anyone Listen to Hymns Anymore? Posted : 25 Apr, 2011 01:59 PM Yes the good old hymns! But I enjoy some of the newer contempory music too.. Kay:glow: Post Reply
bcpianogal View Profile History	Does Anyone Listen to Hymns Anymore? Posted : 25 Apr, 2011 02:47 PM Dkj, that's why so many of the old hymns have been updated and simplified...so that the majority of guitarists and keyboardists can actually play them! Of course, that sort of ruins the hymn, in my opinion. It's one thing to take the hymn's words and put it to a whole new tune and chord setting (my favorite setting of "Take My Life and Let It Be" is a new one, not the old one), but it's quite another to keep both the words and tune, but simplify the chords and reduce the number of chord changes. That's just, just...wrong! Post Reply
View Profile History	Does Anyone Listen to Hymns Anymore? Posted : 25 Apr, 2011 05:52 PM Great Post Iaokim! I Love the old hymns. Sounds like you and I went to the same church as kids! lol Post Reply
View Profile History	Does Anyone Listen to Hymns Anymore? Posted : 26 Apr, 2011 12:14 AM Funny this came up, but not really. I have always loved the hymns and sang them a lot in the mega/trendy church I went to for 11 years. Many of the people in the congregation would beg me to sing more specials, but the forte of the leadership was contemporary clone music from the latest Christianese CD from one of the big name groups doing cookie cutter music for the mega churches. I hollered about it a lot and they ignored me. The hymns were birthed out of deep valleys and trials and had the hand print of God on them, most of them, anyway. One of my favs and I sang it as a special often is "It is Well." If you read the story of Horatio Spafford and how that song was birthed...it makes you feel very small. Not all modern music is bad and the bible does say psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. That is a variety, but without the presence of God on it, it will not break the yoke of satan off anyone. Anyway, you got me on my soapbox and I just wrote an article over the weekend of my top 10 favorite gospel singers. You might like to see and hear the good gospel music. Let me know if you like it...say nothing if you don't...just kidding. :laugh: http://www.squidoo.com/my-ten-favorite-gospel-singers Post Reply
View Profile History	Does Anyone Listen to Hymns Anymore? Posted : 28 Apr, 2011 03:08 PM @bcp: I love some of the revamps of the old hymns, e.g. The Lord's my shepherd (Stuart Townend), etc. I don't think simplifying things is neccessarily bad though I can understand true musicians and composers missing the beauty of the original tunes - but now our organ player has passed away it falls to a group of us guys on guitars and we ain't talented! Out of our group I'm probably one of the few that can read music (sort of, only on a pitch and relative timing basis - I'm better getting the starting note and chord and going by ear). I dread when we have to play some of the older stuff because it seems to be a chord change every beat almost, and some of them are awkward bar chords. If I'm teaching them a new song then I'll 'abuse' the piano so they get the tune before I revert back to the guitar role! Post Reply
View Profile History	Does Anyone Listen to Hymns Anymore? Posted : 30 Apr, 2011 02:22 PM I just now saw this post. Personally, I love both Modern Praise and Worship and Hymns. I grew up on both. I prefer a church that utilizes a blend of both styles of music. I will say one of the first things I notice in a church is if it is worshiping. If not, I tend to view it as a dead church. And usually, you can see it reflected in the message of the pastor. On a side note,did you know some of Praise and Worship actually comes from the Bible? Post Reply
View Profile History	Does Anyone Listen to Hymns Anymore? Posted : 11 May, 2011 12:45 PM I personally prefer the older hymns, as others have described. Perhaps it is because of my upbringing, but hearing a choir and classical instruments just strikes a chord with me (no pun intended) that contemporary music doesn't. Among my favorites are: 1) How Great Thou Art 2) When I Survey the Wondrous Cross 3) To God Be the Glory However, I have not read of anyone who listens to Gregorian chants (or work in a similar vein). I am fortunate enough to have a few from a class I took at university. The four I have are: 1) Palestrani - Pope Marcellus Mass (Gloria) 2) Hildegarde von Bingen - Alleluia, o virga mediatrix 3) Arvo Part - Cantate Comino canticum novum 4) Guillame de Machaut - Puis Qu'en Oubli Post Reply

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