Nominees for worst hymn

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peary said:
OMG! Most of the ‘worst’ hymns in here are my favorites!!! What to do? What to do?:eek:
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If you really want to broaden your musical horizons, try taking (or auditing) a music history or music appreciation class at your local college or community college. With the right guidance, you will find that classical music is not at all stuffy and unapproachable. When you learn what goes into a piece of really good music, you’ll understand why many musicians prefer music not on this list. And you might find yourself a whole new list of favorites to add to these. There’s gorgeous stuff out there. Try it!

Betsy
 
“The First Noel.” Sorry, I cannot stand this song. “On a cold winter’s night that was so deep …” Ugh.

My Church uses lots of classic hymns with “all new” lyrics that read like the Democratic Party plaftorm. These bother me much more than new pieces of music. If you’d like to play a new hymn, fine. But if you’re going to play a classic, please use the original lyrics. Don’t try to “modernize” them. Thanks.
 
Gamera said:
“The First Noel.” Sorry, I cannot stand this song. “On a cold winter’s night that was so deep …” Ugh.

My Church uses lots of classic hymns with “all new” lyrics that read like the Democratic Party plaftorm. These bother me much more than new pieces of music. If you’d like to play a new hymn, fine. But if you’re going to play a classic, please use the original lyrics. Don’t try to “modernize” them. Thanks.
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I sing them as they were originally written. I never sing the inclusive language.
 
baltobetsy said:
If you really want to broaden your musical horizons, try taking (or auditing) a music history or music appreciation class at your local college or community college. With the right guidance, you will find that classical music is not at all stuffy and unapproachable. When you learn what goes into a piece of really good music, you’ll understand why many musicians prefer music not on this list. And you might find yourself a whole new list of favorites to add to these. There’s gorgeous stuff out there. Try it!

Betsy
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That is very true… 👍 part of life experience and education, and the reason why people’s taste change througout time.

For me, at least, because I have a better understanding and knowledge of music, I can say, “Yeah, I know that piece stinks and is corny, but I like it.” or “Wow!!! I can’t believe I used to like that. What in the world was I thinking? There are just so many thing wrong with it.” OR “I know compositionally, it’s perfect, but the piece just leaves me cold. It’s too ‘heady’ and not enough soul put into it.” That’s what I get with works of some 20th/21st century composers. I’m not talking about song writers, but classical composers of the 20th/21st. I love Samuel Barber, but some of his songs do leave me cold even though they are compositionally correct. Some really are too heady for me. But had I been trained in music, I wouldn’t understand why I disliked it and not even recognize the fact that it was composed almost perfectly. And for me, I don’t like not haing some understanding of a certain subject. I wouldn’t be pleased with just “I like it” or “I don’t like it” answers. I need the “Why”.

In some ways, I do believe the phrase “Ignorance is bliss,” truly is a blessing in some ways, especially when I look back into my early childhood and even my teen years and remember what I thought was “good” music back then. Although, I always had some sort of innate knowledge of what was pretty bad, but I’ve been studying music since I was four, so that does make a difference. At the same time, I also feel thankful that I do have the education and knowledge that broadened my experience. It’s just sometimes harder to take when you know that there is so much better stuff out there and better musicians to perform them.
 
I am indeed thankful that I have not heard many of the hymns listed on the OPs post given that the ones I do recognize are…

I don’t know about how y’all have heard Gather Us In but as a processional with organ, I don’t mind it at all.

Does anyone realize how utterly shocking it was in 1969 to go from Praise to the Lord, To Jesus Christ Our Sovereign King, Immaculate Mary, Humbly We Adore Thee, etc. to Sons of God Hear His Holy Word, They’ll Know We Are Christians, One Bread One Body and that incredibly saccharine Whatsoever You Do?

I wish I had the background in music to adequately express the quantum differences between the hymns we sang prior to 1969 and those which came thereafter.

There were some good compositions - Sr. Suzanne Toolan’s “How Brightly Deep” in 4 part acapella harmony is one of them but it’s been watered down to “The Two Fishermen” .

My all time worst hymn is Here I Am Lord. At the risk of annoying some of you, every time I have to sing this, I have visions of Kermit and Miss Piggy and the muppets singing along and waving their hands - Praise to the Lord it isn’t.
 
I really do not like:
  1. Lord of the Dance The annual silent retreat I am able to attend has a Jesuit on staff that ALWAYS chooses this one for the morning prayer. Not only do I have to put up with it at all, but it is at the crack of dawn before breakfast and all 101 verses!
  2. How Can I Keep from Cringing – errr Singing.
It is so easy to complain!

In the love of Christ
 
I know about half of the hymns on that list,and I love them all!Why dont you like them?😦 ‘Here I am Lord’ is taken from that story in 1 Samuel 3,where God called Samuel 3 times.Whats wrong with it?And ‘They’ll know we are Christians’ is perfect,because they WILL know by our love,and Jesus told us to love people!How could you possibly dislike a hymn?God loves all hymns!Psalm 191 says ‘make a joyful noise unto the Lord’.If people are doing that,why wouldn’t you like it?I have written 5 hymns,and I suppose you’d absolutely hate them.
 
Teeliumtrozzle said:
I know about half of the hymns on that list,and I love them all!Why dont you like them?😦 ‘Here I am Lord’ is taken from that story in 1 Samuel 3,where God called Samuel 3 times.Whats wrong with it?And ‘They’ll know we are Christians’ is perfect,because they WILL know by our love,and Jesus told us to love people!How could you possibly dislike a hymn?God loves all hymns!Psalm 191 says ‘make a joyful noise unto the Lord’.If people are doing that,why wouldn’t you like it?I have written 5 hymns,and I suppose you’d absolutely hate them.
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I cannot say that I would dislike your hymns, as I have not heard them. Those two, “Here I am Lord” and “They’ll All Know We’re Christians”, have a melody that sounds like something from the Muppet Show. It sounds like bad folk music. I like good folk music. I have seen Bob Dylan in concert. However, I do not wish to hear somebody trying to copy Bob Dylan’s style (and butchering it) during Mass.
 
peary said:
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!
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Several of these songs are children’s song, written for children. It is no wonder that an adult doesn’t care for them, but many kids absolutely love “If I Was A Butterfly.”

Although some children can appreciate adult hymns, I don’t think it’s right to expect them to have the same appreciation for adult hymns as adults do. To me, this would be like giving the child adult novels instead of children’s books. Even good adult novels are not meant for children. A lot of adults (myself included) love children’s books, but the opposite is usually not true, nor should it be true.
 
lak611 said:
I cannot say that I would dislike your hymns, as I have not heard them. Those two, “Here I am Lord” and “They’ll All Know We’re Christians”, have a melody that sounds like something from the Muppet Show. It sounds like bad folk music. I like good folk music. I have seen Bob Dylan in concert. However, I do not wish to hear somebody trying to copy Bob Dylan’s style (and butchering it) during Mass.
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Very well,if thats what you think.But I never noticed any resemblence between Bob Dylan and the hymns… what is the Muppet Show?
 
You know, I already cringe when I hear most of these songs in Church, but these threads (which make me laugh out loud - thank you!) make it even harder to keep a straight face!
Anyone else here think the Alleluia from the “Mass of Rejoicing” sounds like the “Macarena?”
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And I call it the Mac-eluia:thumbsup:
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“Gather Us In”. It makes me think of “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald”.
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“Sanctoooos, Sanctoooos,… picks up the rice in a church where her wedding has been…”
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"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!
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I love these threads! Shows the incredible sense of humor we Catholics have!
 
Teeliumtrozzle said:
Very well,if thats what you think.But I never noticed any resemblence between Bob Dylan and the hymns… what is the Muppet Show?
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The group known as the St. Louis Jesuits (and who originally recorded “Here I Am, Lord” since the composer was part of that group) filled a great void in the 70s and 80s as far as liturgical and personal devotion music was concerned. I remember the Muppet Show and I haven’t been able to make the connection between that song and the show itself. HUH?

Many of the songs composed and recorded by the SLJs became standard liturgical music as the years went on. I happen to like a lot of their music. One needs to listen to the original versions to really appreciate their beauty and depth. Their albums (as CDs) are still available, such as:

Lift Up Your Hearts
Earthen Vessels
Let Heaven Rejoice
Gentle Night
A Dwelling Place
Come to the Water
 
brotherhrolf said:
I don’t know about how y’all have heard Gather Us In but as a processional with organ, I don’t mind it at all.
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One thing this thread should remind us is that we have a variety of tastes and preferences. At least on this one point I can specify why I do not like it. It was waaaayyyy over used when I first became catholic. However, I do not let my prejudice prevent me from using it every now and then. Actually, those who have made long list, like the OP and peary, I like about half of there dislike list.
 
peary said:
The group known as the St. Louis Jesuits (and who originally recorded “Here I Am, Lord” since the composer was part of that group) filled a great void in the 70s and 80s as far as liturgical and personal devotion music was concerned. I remember the Muppet Show and I haven’t been able to make the connection between that song and the show itself. HUH?
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Actually I think “Here I Am Lord” sounds more like the Barney theme song. "Here I am, I love you, you love me . . . "
 
Sarabande said:
Although, I always had some sort of innate knowledge of what was pretty bad, but I’ve been studying music since I was four, so that does make a difference. At the same time, I also feel thankful that I do have the education and knowledge that broadened my experience. It’s just sometimes harder to take when you know that there is so much better stuff out there and better musicians to perform them.
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The downside for many of us university-educated musicians is that we can’t “turn our ears off.” We can’t help but notice the tiniest compositional details of everything we hear, even the background music of the commercials on the TV. So of course we are a bit more picky about the hymns we detest and why. Sometimes this drives us nuts, but we can’t stop it.

One time years ago when I was a student, I worked in a restaurant during the holiday season. They had a single two-hour-long recording of Christmas songs which they played over and over and OVER. If you think that isn’t bad enough to hear, imagine knowing it well enough to think, “Oh, here comes ‘Silent Night’ with the second verse played as an English horn solo – and what is up with that reharmonization?” I wasn’t yet Catholic, but if I had been, I would have offered it as an Advent penance! Indeed, sometimes ignorance IS bliss…:o
 
I have an organist friend who despises “Eagle’s Wings.” His biggest beef is the way that it starts with “You who…” To him, it reminds him of his days growing up in Kentucky, when some people would call out, “Yoo-Hoo!” in order to get someone’s attention! :rotfl:
 
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