Best and worst hymns?

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On a light note, I was just wondering. What are some of the best and/or worst hymns/songs that you have ever heard at Mass?
 
hcruz402 said:
What are some of the best and/or worst hymns/songs that you have ever heard at Mass?
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Kumbaya. I got tortured with it as a kid, in school and in church. It would make a great song for torturing prisoners at Guantanamo. Right up there with “I love you, you love me”, “It’s a small world after all”, and the Meow Mix jingle.
 
Yikes… That’s gotta be awful. Some of the worst songs that I have ever heard at Mass include City of God, Let There Be Peace on Earth, and Go Make a Difference.
 
AndrewAxland said:
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ProdglArchitect:
For me, the worst is probably Amazing Grace.
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Incredible story behind that song, but it’s been overplayed to the point of becoming banal and irritating.
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Lots of songs have stories behind them. Doesn’t make them any less awful to listen to 😛
 
ProdglArchitect said:
For me, the worst is probably Amazing Grace. I really just don’t care for it.
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I don’t agree at all. Amazing Grace is a great hymn, because it can be sung by folks who didn’t attend the Juilliard and it can still sound like something.

Holy Holy Holy is a good him as well, non musicians can belt it out and it doesn’t sound bad.

That’s the key, in my view, of a good hymn. Can the people actually sing it
 
I find Amazing Grace tolerable, at least. Kumbaya is a huge no-no, though.
 
Holy, Holy, Holy (Nicaea) is a great traditional hymn to use for Holy Trinity (the Sunday after Pentecost).
 
Augustinian said:
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ProdglArchitect:
For me, the worst is probably Amazing Grace. I really just don’t care for it.
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I don’t agree at all. Amazing Grace is a great hymn, because it can be sung by folks who didn’t attend the Juilliard and it can still sound like something.

Holy Holy Holy is a good him as well, non musicians can belt it out and it doesn’t sound bad.

That’s the key, in my view, of a good hymn. Can the people actually sing it
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I view the ability to sing it decently to be less important than the content of the hymn, and also less important than how well it works with the mass setting. I’ve never heard Amazing Grace sung at a point where it actually coincides with what’s going on in the mass. It’s just sort of the “background noise” hymn people go to when they can’t think of a better hymn.

My personal favorite hymn is O Sons and Daughters.
 
Well, with the Easter Season (this year) ending with this Sunday (Pentecost), it will be a while before we hear it, again. There is a Pentecost hymn that has the same melody as “O Sons and Daughters (O Filii Et Filiae),” though: I forget its name.
 
For me,the finest hymns were written by Isaac Watts. Everything else pales in comparison. Modern ones leave me not only cold, but frosty with non-inspiration.

"Isaac Watts (/wɒts/; 17 July 1674 – 25 November 1748) was an English Christian minister (Congregational), hymn writer, theologian, and logician. He was a prolific and popular hymn writer and is credited with some 750 hymns. He is recognized as the “Godfather of English Hymnody;” many of his hymns remain in use today and have been translated into numerous languages."
 
Not a hymn, but the First and Second Antiphon on Sundays and Pascha:

Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the
earth, sing praise to his name, give to
him glorious praise. Through the
prayers of the Theotokos, O Savior,
save us.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever
and forever. Amen. Through the
prayers of the Theotokos, O Savior,
save us.

Be gracious to us, O God, and bless us;
let your face shine upon us and have
mercy on us. O Son of God, risen from
the dead, save us who sing to you:
Alleluia.

For a hymn, it’s All the Faithful Come Before You
 
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Best and worst? It’s subjective.
Some of my favorite songs include:

Alleluia! Alleluia! Let The Holy Anthem Rise
Jesus Christ Is Risen Today
Christ Be Our Light
Holy Is His Name
Here I Am Lord
We Are Called
How Can I Keep From Singing?

If I only had a good singing voice!
 
I would love to hear Thaxted (“O God Beyond All Praising”). Also Tantum Ergo (in the Latin, please). I also have fond memories of Holy God, we Praise thy name".

I have heard too much Alle Alle (with tambourine no less) and too much “Rain down”, Gather Us In, Here I Am, Lord, Gentle Woman, City of God, On Eagles Wings, Lord of the Dance, Be Not Afraid, I am the Bread of Life. . .
 
O God Beyond All Praising is my absolute favorite. At my parish the organist and the pastor meet weekly to make sure that the hymns match the readings, and they are usually spot on. Sometimes, though, I do tire of the thees and thous, etc. when they decide that the most appropriate songs come from some Anglican hymnal and are printed out for us to sing.
 
Hail redeemer King Divine, eagles wings (you who dwell in the shelter of the Lord), soul of my saviour, faith of our fathers and seek ye first are among some of my favorites. I don’t honestly think there are any that I dislike or would called worst.
 
'Make a Joyful Noise" by OCP and Friedman…

It just REEKS felt-banner Catholicism
 
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