Nominees for worst hymn

[Rabbititus]

“Alle, Alle, Alleluia”

The corniness factor makes me actually like it as a song, but not as a hymn. It makes me think of an old Beany and Cecil cartoon where they sing “Ragg Mopp.”

Al-le, al-le, al-le-lu-oo-ia!
Al-le, al-le, al-le-lu-oo-ia!
Al-le, al-le, al-le-lu-oo-ia!
Alle alle alle alle alle-loo-oo-ia!

It must be heard to be believed.

 

[Tonks40]

In another forum, folks were invited to post their favorite hymns. Following the original poster’s vein, I now ask for candidates for the bottom of the barrel. Here are mine:

Pescador de los Hombres (Lord, When You Stood by the Seashore)

Word has it out there that this song was one of our late Holy Pontiff, John Paul II’s favorite songs.

 

[skatepixie]

Word has it out there that this song was one of our late Holy Pontiff, John Paul II’s favorite songs.

Luckly for the OP, you don’t have to have the same favorite song as the Pope.

 

[lyre]

Since the request is for worst hymn, i wont give a long laundry list, but the absolute worst has to be the old venerable but overused Sanctus chant vat ed XVIII. It reminds me of “Eleanor Rigby” by the Beatles. “Sanctoooos, Sanctoooos,… picks up the rice in a church where her wedding has been…” Everytime I hear it it makes me chuckle. And, its only got 4 notes that repeat over and over again! Well, actually its got five notes, but the fifth one doesn’t repeat over and over again. Worst of all is when its played on the organ! What a wonderful instrument it can be, but not the most nimble and flexible when trying to follow the subtle nuanced rise and fall of the human voice singing chant. Plus the forced akward harmonizations imposed by “trained classical” composers. It ends up sounding like a cross between a bad March and a haunted house song from a horror movie. Sanctus is supposed to mean Holy, but this one doesnt make me feel like thinking holy thoughts. Other than that, I generally like chant.

 

[Sarabande]

Since the request is for worst hymn, i wont give a long laundry list, but the absolute worst has to be the old venerable but overused Sanctus chant vat ed XVIII. It reminds me of “Eleanor Rigby” by the Beatles. “Sanctoooos, Sanctoooos,… picks up the rice in a church where her wedding has been…” Everytime I hear it it makes me chuckle. And, its only got 4 notes that repeat over and over again! Well, actually its got five notes, but the fifth one doesn’t repeat over and over again. Worst of all is when its played on the organ! What a wonderful instrument it can be, but not the most nimble and flexible when trying to follow the subtle nuanced rise and fall of the human voice singing chant. Plus the forced akward harmonizations imposed by “trained classical” composers. It ends up sounding like a cross between a bad March and a haunted house song from a horror movie. Sanctus is supposed to mean Holy, but this one doesnt make me feel like thinking holy thoughts. Other than that, I generally like chant.

The churches you’ve attended must really not know what they’re doing with that piece. I’ve never heard it done with organ or sung quickly. We always do it a capella at mass. Also, who are those composers that you are talking about harmonizing it? I just want to hear what they’ve done. I didn’t even know there were any settings of this chant harmonized. One thing my husband and I will do with all the chants is chant them in the very old forum of organum - not during mass, but for fun - usually in a tunnel near our house which has an awesome echo. It makes all of the chants sound a little spooky.

But I do have to say, even as a cantor I cannot stand cantors chanting into the microphone. It sounds absolutely ridiculous. Whenever I’ve had to cantor for those masses I stay turned towards the altar so that my voice won’t be heard above the rest of the congregation.

 

[1962Missal]

Although I almost never hear it, my vote goes to “Gather Us In”. It makes me think of “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald”.

Honorable mention goes to “You Are Near”. I am just not comfortable with the Ineffable Name being used, even in a hymn.

Justin

 

[Sure]

Although I almost never hear it, my vote goes to “Gather Us In”. It makes me think of “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald”.

YES! It does sound the same.

What is the song that goes, “Gentile or Jew!.. Servant or Free!..” Because everytime I hear that song, I hear the string section from Knights in White Satin in between those two phrases.

I have also heard a version of the Our Father that sounded remarkably like Puff the Magic Dragon.

 

[RHisComingHome]

In another forum, folks were invited to post their favorite hymns. Following the original poster’s vein, I now ask for candidates for the bottom of the barrel. Here are mine:

Pescador de los Hombres (Lord, When You Stood by the Seashore)
Here I Am, Lord
Glory and Praise to our God
The King of Glory
Sing a New Song Unto the Lord
Lead Me, Lord
O Love of God/O Amor de Dios
Make Me a Channel of Your Peace
Bread of Life
Gather Us In
Song of the Body of Christ
Sing a New Church
Whatsoever You Do
They’ll Know We are Christians
On Eagles’ Wings
Lord of Glory (especially when they sing with a banjo)
Battle Hymn of the Republic
Though the Mountains May Fall
One Bread, One Body
We Remember
Hail Mary, Gentle Woman
We are the Light of the World
Pan de Vida
City of God
Ven al Banquete/Come to the Feast
Alabare

I realize this is a rather long list, but I’m sure that there are some other hymns that are worse.

While I do like some of the songs listed above, you seemed to also list all the songs that feel like they go on for 10 minutes. I think the worst, for me, is Though the Mountains May Fall. We just sang that two Sundays ago and it is AWFUL.

 

[lyre]

The churches you’ve attended must really not know what they’re doing with that piece. I’ve never heard it done with organ or sung quickly. We always do it a capella at mass. Also, who are those composers that you are talking about harmonizing it? I just want to hear what they’ve done. I didn’t even know there were any settings of this chant harmonized. One thing my husband and I will do with all the chants is chant them in the very old forum of organum - not during mass, but for fun - usually in a tunnel near our house which has an awesome echo. It makes all of the chants sound a little spooky.

But I do have to say, even as a cantor I cannot stand cantors chanting into the microphone. It sounds absolutely ridiculous. Whenever I’ve had to cantor for those masses I stay turned towards the altar so that my voice won’t be heard above the rest of the congregation.

To tell the truth, i actually like that Sanctus, and have used it frequently (accapella) I was just having a little fun with some of the associations people can draw from certain songs. For example, I once heard a seminary prof. of music poke fun of Haugen’s “Canticle of the Sun” because it reminded him of John Denver. I don’t particulary like CoftheS and have never used it, but i’ve sung played and listend to a lot of John Denver in my life and never once assoicated that song with his music. CoftheS always made me think of Haydn’s “The Heavens Are Telling” from Creation, and “St Francis Canticle of the Sun”. I wasnt joking about the Eleanor Rigby part, though, that Sanctus does remind me of that song. ER is actually quite modal and chantlike. I wonder if Paul McCartney wrote it that way on purpose? As for those aharmonizations, check out any accomapniment edition from a major hymnal. And I never said anything about tempo.

 

[Sarabande]

What is the song that goes, “Gentile or Jew!.. Servant or Free!..” Because everytime I hear that song, I hear the string section from Knights in White Satin in between those two phrases.

“One Bread, One Body” - I’m not crazy about this hymn and happy that we never sing it where I attend mass (unless there’s a wedding), but it’s passable. I don’t really have anything against it. It’s definitely not the worst hymn. The only thing I could never stand was the vocal harmonization you’d sometimes hear especially if it is a guitar mass. I remember at the Newman Center in college, I always had to sing that harmony. ugh.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

In another forum, folks were invited to post their favorite hymns. Following the original poster’s vein, I now ask for candidates for the bottom of the barrel. Here are mine:

Pescador de los Hombres (Lord, When You Stood by the Seashore)
Here I Am, Lord
Glory and Praise to our God
The King of Glory
Sing a New Song Unto the Lord
Lead Me, Lord
O Love of God/O Amor de Dios
Make Me a Channel of Your Peace
Bread of Life
Gather Us In
Song of the Body of Christ
Sing a New Church
Whatsoever You Do
They’ll Know We are Christians
On Eagles’ Wings
Lord of Glory (especially when they sing with a banjo)
Battle Hymn of the Republic
Though the Mountains May Fall
One Bread, One Body
We Remember
Hail Mary, Gentle Woman
We are the Light of the World
Pan de Vida
City of God
Ven al Banquete/Come to the Feast
Alabare

I realize this is a rather long list, but I’m sure that there are some other hymns that are worse.

Sigh! How can a person who supposedly knows and love God, post so much negativity?

“Glory and Praise to Our God”, is a bad hymn?

All this is a matter of taste in liturgical music. None that I recognize in your list is inappropriate for Mass.

Jim

 

[Sarabande]

To tell the truth, i actually like that Sanctus, and have used it frequently (accapella) I was just having a little fun with some of the associations people can draw from certain songs. For example, I once heard a seminary prof. of music poke fun of Haugen’s “Canticle of the Sun” because it reminded him of John Denver.

hahaha! Now that you mentioned that, I can hear John Denver as well, although you have to stretch your imagination a bit. I never thought of that, and I grew up with a Dad who liked his music and played it a lot.

I don’t particulary like CoftheS and have never used it,

Neither do I. Our church never uses it either.

CoftheS always made me think of Haydn’s “The Heavens Are Telling” from Creation

Perhaps because it starts with the same interval and same words? I don’t have a Creation score on me, although I have sung it in choirs, but I do believe it does start off with the same interval on “The” and “heavens”. Everything else (at least to me) is pretty much different.

I wasnt joking about the Eleanor Rigby part, though, that Sanctus does remind me of that song. ER is actually quite modal and chantlike. I wonder if Paul McCartney wrote it that way on purpose?

Who knows? He might have. They picked up a lot of different things for writing music along the way, so I wouldn’t be surprised.

As for those aharmonizations, check out any accomapniment edition from a major hymnal.

When you mentioned “classically trained” composers, I was thinking of composers like Durufle (who makes beautiful use of the Agnus Dei chant in his Requiem) or someone similar. I didn’t have people like those in the hymnals in my head when I asked about it. Sorry for the confusion. I don’t have any accompaniment editions of hymnals at my fingertips, but I wouldn’t be surprised to find what you described in some of them. I honestly think that some really weren’t trained too well. Some might have taken a few composition and theory lessons here and there in college.

And I never said anything about tempo.

I know you didn’t, but when you talked about the Sanctus sounding like Eleanor Rigby, I was picturing the entire congregation chanting the Sanctus at the same tempo that ER is played. That would be downright comical and horrible at the same time.

Cheers!

 

[Sarabande]

…I was just having a little fun with some of the associations people can draw from certain songs.

I know I already mentioned this abouit the Here I am, Lord, but this is how the Brady Bunch theme comes in the song for me every time I have to sing it. It takes so much energy for me not to start singing the second part.

"Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord. (pick up tempo) I have heard your calling in the Night. (dah da dah da daah - heard in my head) All of them had hair of gold, like their mother. The youngest one in curls. " I can never get this out of my head. It’s torture. :crying: hahaha!

 

[pnewton]

Word has it out there that this song was one of our late Holy Pontiff, John Paul II’s favorite songs.

Which goes to show how subject this topic is to personal opinion and taste. I like at least half the songs here.

My least favorite is “SIng a New Church.” However I love the hymn from which is was derived, “Come Thou Font.” It takes a rare talent to make such a beautiful hymn so awful.

My other gag song is “Gather Us In.” I do know a few people who like it, though.

 

[peary]

In another forum, folks were invited to post their favorite hymns. Following the original poster’s vein, I now ask for candidates for the bottom of the barrel. Here are mine:

Pescador de los Hombres (Lord, When You Stood by the Seashore)
Here I Am, Lord
Glory and Praise to our God
The King of Glory
Sing a New Song Unto the Lord
Lead Me, Lord
O Love of God/O Amor de Dios
Make Me a Channel of Your Peace
Bread of Life
Gather Us In
Song of the Body of Christ
Sing a New Church
Whatsoever You Do
They’ll Know We are Christians
On Eagles’ Wings
Lord of Glory (especially when they sing with a banjo)
Battle Hymn of the Republic
Though the Mountains May Fall
One Bread, One Body
We Remember
Hail Mary, Gentle Woman
We are the Light of the World
Pan de Vida
City of God
Ven al Banquete/Come to the Feast
Alabare

I realize this is a rather long list, but I’m sure that there are some other hymns that are worse.

Most of these are my favorites

 

[peary]

OMG! Most of the ‘worst’ hymns in here are my favorites!!! What to do? What to do?

 

[CarrieH]

“Alle, Alle, Alleluia”…It must be heard to be believed.

Yeah, I know the one. The first time I heard it, I thought I had walked in on the All-School Mass; it sounded like something written for the kids.

Anyone else here think the Alleluia from the “Mass of Rejoicing” sounds like the “Macarena?” We’re doing that one at my parish church these days, and every time I’m temped to belt out, “HEEEEY, Alleluia!” at the end. Ah well, Advent is coming, along with a switch in Mass settings. Bye-bye, Macar-alleluia!

 

[Sarabande]

OMG! Most of the ‘worst’ hymns in here are my favorites!!! What to do? What to do?

Don’t do anything. You like them. No one can negate that. It’s impossible to make someone dislike something as much as it is impossible to make someone like it. They have to come to that decision on their own, based on their experiences and life. I used to love Broadway music. Now, based on my life path and experience, I’ve come to really think most of it is all cheese. I try to go back to my past and find something that I truly enjoyed with it, but it’s very difficult. As we all know, life, experience, education changes a person in every aspect, even to the most minute things like taste in music. You probably have hymns you absolutely can’t stand that some of us absolutely love. And maybe one day you might switch your tastes - it happened to my mom. So, no worries.

 

[peary]

If there was ever a hymn written that should be on List of Forbidden Hymns it should be “We Are The Church.” It has to be one of the lamest songs ever written, and the timing is atrocious, not to mention the words.

Others that should make the same List, in my opinion:

Lord of the Dance
O Sing About Christingle
I Watch the Sunrise
Caterpiller, Caterpiller Munching Munching
God’s Supermarket
How Great Thou Art
Make Me A Channel of Your Peace
What A Friend We Have in Jesus
If I Was a Butterfly
Let the Lower Lights Be Burning
Ain’t It a Shame
It Is Finished

And that’s just the beginning!

 

[Tim_Kirchoff]

Yeah, I know the one. The first time I heard it, I thought I had walked in on the All-School Mass; it sounded like something written for the kids.

Anyone else here think the Alleluia from the “Mass of Rejoicing” sounds like the “Macarena?” We’re doing that one at my parish church these days, and every time I’m temped to belt out, “HEEEEY, Alleluia!” at the end. Ah well, Advent is coming, along with a switch in Mass settings. Bye-bye, Macar-alleluia!

Soooo true… I was tempted to start doing the dance… just to get my point across. And I call it the Mac-eluia:thumbsup:

Then there’s some hymn, Becoming What We Pray or something like that, absolutely atrocious. No rhyme, no pattern, just horrid lyrics- they do little but call all Chrsitians hypocrites anyway.