Nominees for worst hymn

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I’m sorry. One more… Let There Be Peace On Earth
Oh, Lordy! That one makes me scream! It reminds me of that 70s tune that Coke put out one Christmas, “I’d like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony, grow apple trees and honey-bees and snow-white turtle doves…”

I wonder why we haven’t sung that yet? It’s at least as good as “Cum ba ya.” 😉
 
I guess I’m not limited by the style of music I like or dislike, for I like all music.

I like Gregorian Chant, and I like the St. Louis Jesuits. I like John Michael Talbot and I like Michael Card. Saturday evenings, I like listening to the Gather Gospel Music Hour.

In secular music, I like jazz, classical, country, bluegrass, traditional rock and roll, as well as rhythm and blues.

If I were force to pick a style of music I don’t like, I would say rap, but then, I’m not sure that qualifies as music.

Jim
I agree totally with this.

I think it’s best to cultivate a tolerant, positive attitude towards music, and stop finding fault. This will make our hearts lighter and help us to stop thinking about ourselves and concentrate on God and others.

Obviously there will be certain songs that strike us as funny or irreverent, but that’s because of our individual particular backgrounds. I think it’s very interesting that a poster had never heard of the Muppet Show, so the song comparison meant nothing to him/her.

The same thing can be said across the Boards. Those who grew up with a certain style of music will probably always be put off by the “replacements.” But those who have only heard the “replacements” are quite happy–why make them feel deprived?

And of course trained musicians will find many pieces of music irritating. I say too bad, so sad, suck it up. It’s the cross you have to bear. I am a trained classical musician, BTW. Go home and turn on the “good music” in the privacy of your home. You would probably find that much of the music that you consider “good” many regular folks would find “boring.”

I have the same type of problem with family dinners, BTW. Because I am a microbiologist I absolutely blanch in horror at some of the practices–leaving food out at room temp for more than 15 minutes, double-dipping, using a finger to test food taste or temperature, using raw eggs in food, eating dough (eugh!). But my comments are not welcome at family dinners, so I just keep my mouth shut and eat only what appears to be microbe-free.

As for the comments about children’s music–I have worked with many children’s choirs over the years with some very well-trained directors. I agree, children are capable of singing high and mighty songs and they enjoy these songs if they are presented enthusiastically. But why not allow them to be children and enjoy children’s songs? There is nothing wrong with this! Children are not miniature adults. They like strong melodies, simple accompaniments, descriptive words, stories, and images that make pictures of items and places that they are familiar with. Songs like “If I Were A Butterfly” are very appropriate for children to sing. They shouldn’t be made to feel ashamed because they would rather sing about a caterpillar than the heavenly host on high.
 
I just conducted a (very) unscientific survey on this thread.

The posts which view the “new music” (written after 1965) disfavorably outnumber the posts which favor it by a margin of nearly 13 to 1.

The posters who like the “new music” (and who put their ages in their profiles) are for the most part either over 50, or younger than 19.

I suspect that we could draw the conclusion that the vast majority of us who are between 20 and 50----those of us who were cheated out of the beautiful heritage of pre-Vatican II music and who have had to endure this stuff for 40 long years----are sick unto death of it and would dearly like to see OCP just go away. Somewhere far, far, far away.
 
Something I noticed as a theme in the lists: Many people said they like this or that as a young person, but not now. Could it be that a less formal, yet reverent music would be allowable for youth? I remember many of the songs listed here as inspiring my return to the Church many years ago. I don’t listen to them much now, however. So maybe it is just that taste changes with age.
 
I don’t know why Pescador des hombres was put into the worst song category. That happens to be a favorite of mine! How did that happen? when I attended Mass in a very small village near Tehuantepec, Mexico. When the priest arrived, someone from the village began to ring the bell. It took an hour for everyone to get to the church. There was no guitar or organist. But the people began to sing this song and it was really one of the most heartfelt experiences I have ever had. Since that time, the song has always had deep meaning for me. I guess that can be said with just about anybody who likes just about anything!
I agree, I have heard it sung in the same manner in a small chapel in downtown Los Angeles, and it was very touching to me too. I’ve also heard it in large churches with guitars and drums and it sounded horrible. Perhaps it’s the setting that matters.

And I see only one person has mentioned my all-time least favorite, “Sons of God”, which I like to call the “Happy Cannibal Hymn” because of the rousing chorus:

Eat his body, drink his blood
And we’ll sing a song of love!
 
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.
Ditto to every single one you just mentioned. Except for the Battle Hymn of the Republic. I like that one - just not during mass.
 
Songs like “If I Were A Butterfly” are very appropriate for children to sing. They shouldn’t be made to feel ashamed because they would rather sing about a caterpillar than the heavenly host on high.
I’m not talking about children. I’m talking about the actual singing of this song during a regular Mass by adults:eek: . O PLEASE!!
 
I
4. I Am the Bread of Life - Most congregations can’t sing it as it is all over the place for an average person to jump from singing in the lower registers beneath middle C to high E.
I was practising this song in choir. We weren’t singing so well and had to practice is many times, and now I have a really sore throat.
 
One Bread, One Body
This song gets stuck in my head so much, I think I can hear it in my dreams!😃
Hail Mary, Gentle Woman
This hymn reminds me of medieval music, and gets stuck a lot too. The tune really annoys me.
 
After reading lots of posts in this thread, I’d like to thank all of you for the wonderful laughs!😃
I’m in our parish choir and once I mentioned to a choir mate that one of our songs sounded like “The Witchita Lineman”. She looked at me askance, like…how could I criticise a song we sang in mass?
So thank you, thank you all! Yes, I’ve also had Muppet and Sesame Street tune recalls. But our director manages to intersperse some quality pieces with the shmaltz. I don’t understand why we need the lackluster songs but I go along for the spirit of community. The Prayer of St. Francis, however is "Lord, make me an instrument of your peace…not “chanel”.
Now I hope I can keep from cracking up when we sing the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald; The Brady Bunch, and perhaps Elenor Rigby.:rotfl:
 
I think some of the beef I have with certain songs is when the choir chooses to sing them.
My parish is fond of doing P&W before Mass, or as an added adoration after Father processes in and before the opening prayer. One that is popular is “Blessed Be Your Name” which I love, and my daughter and I often sing together with our Veggie Tales Worship Songs CD. However, we had it as a Communion song one Sunday.

BTW- Seahumba (or however it is spelled) has the English translation: “We Are Marching in the Light of God” people might know that one.
 
Ditto to every single one you just mentioned. Except for the Battle Hymn of the Republic. I like that one - just not during mass.
“Battle Hymn of the Republic” when sung in my parish has always been as the recessional hymn; technically Mass is over at that point.
 
And of course trained musicians will find many pieces of music irritating. I say too bad, so sad, suck it up. It’s the cross you have to bear. I am a trained classical musician, BTW. Go home and turn on the “good music” in the privacy of your home. You would probably find that much of the music that you consider “good” many regular folks would find “boring.”
We’ve been “sucking it up” for a while and, for me, I just don’t attend masses that have that kind of music. I settled the problem for myself in that way. So where I attend mass now, I don’t have to “suck it up”, as you put it. I’ve been in a blissful bubble for a few years. 🙂 Although, from what I’ve read, some aren’t as fortunate. The other thing, too, is that you don’t have to be a trained musician to know what’s “bad” and “good”. It is certainly more noticable as a musician, but my parents, family and other friends/people I know aren’t musicians and they complain about the same music that the people here have been talking about in this forum. It is something innate. So all of these non-musicians need to suck it up as well, I guess, and not receive any spiritual nourishment because a few people don’t believe in trying to make things better within the music liturgy?

And actually, I would agree there is “good” music which is totally compositionally perfect, but absolutely boring in terms of finding a depth in one’s soul. I mentioned that in a previous post. I don’t even listen them in the privacy of my own home or perform them unless I’ve been paid to do it. But I can guarantee that much of the music which I find poignant and moving (music that many people may not have grown up with) is music that would touch them as well, especially when performed very well and with love and depth. I’ve seen it happen many times in my own performances with people coming up afterwards telling me they never saw recitals or opera and now were so inspired, to students having revelations about music they never thought they would like. I also have seen it when my husband and I start talking to friends or neighbors about music and then we exchange different tracks of music we all like. Almost every time, they are surprised that they really liked what we played for them - “stuff” they thought would be “boring”.

With children’s music - I save the kidsy, cutesy stuff for outside of mass or maybe a purely children’s mass for their weekly mass in school. I loved children’s songs too growing up, so I wouldn’t want them totally taken away. Yes, they need both, so let them enjoy the kidsy stuff for most of the week and then meatier, more soulful sacred music for one hour of their lives per week to show that there is a special place for mass and for God. But I don’t really have a strong opinion on children’s masses.

I hope I’m not sounding harsh. That isn’t my intent, but it’s almost 3 in the morning and my mind doesn’t have the clarity to truly put my thoughts down.
 
Does anybody know if “Caterpillar, Caterpillar, Munching, Munching” really is a song for a children’s Mass or just some kind of children’s novelty song?
 
I suspect that we could draw the conclusion that the vast majority of us who are between 20 and 50----those of us who were cheated out of the beautiful heritage of pre-Vatican II music and who have had to endure this stuff for 40 long years----are sick unto death of it and would dearly like to see OCP just go away. Somewhere far, far, far away.
I think a far more logical conclusion isthat the thread’s title was bound to attract like-minded people. Misery, after all, loves company. I have conducted a proper survey at my parish and found most of the people there actually prefer the hymns that are here called the worst. A survey is only as good as one’s population.
 
I think a far more logical conclusion isthat the thread’s title was bound to attract like-minded people. Misery, after all, loves company. I have conducted a proper survey at my parish and found most of the people there actually prefer the hymns that are here called the worst. A survey is only as good as one’s population.
According to a survey by the National Pastoral Musicians Association, these were the most popular:
  1. On Eagle’s Wings (Michael Joncas, 242)
  2. Here I Am, Lord (Dan Schutte, 152)
  3. Be Not Afraid (Bob Dufford, 146)
  4. You Are Mine (David Haas, 138)
  5. How Great Thou Art (Stuart Hine, 76)
  6. Holy God, We Praise Thy Name (Ignaz Franz, 70)
  7. Amazing Grace (John Newton, 69)
  8. All Are Welcome (Marty Haugen, 58)
  9. Prayer of St. Francis (Sebastian Temple, 43)
  10. Ave Maria (42)
  11. We Are Called (David Haas, 38)
  12. Let There Be Peace on Earth (Miller-Jackson, 36)
  13. I Am the Bread of Life (Suzanne Toolan, 30)
  14. The Summons (trad./John Bell, 30)
  15. Panis Angelicus (29)
  16. The Servant Song (Richard Gillard, 29)
  17. Pescador de Hombres (Cesareo Gabarain, 28)
  18. Servant Song (Donna McCargill, 28)
  19. Shepherd Me, O God (Marty Haugen, 27)
  20. Ave Verum Corpus (26)
  21. Lord of the Dance (trad./Carter, 24)
  22. One Bread, One Body (John Foley, 24)
  23. Tantum Ergo (24)
  24. Hosea (Gregory Norbet, 23)
  25. Pange Lingua (23)
 
My nominees would be Gather Us In, and Peace is Flowing like a River. They both make me sick to my stomach!
 
I’m with Sarabande. I have driven 25 miles for 25 years precisely because I am one of those who “sucked it up” in obedience to the magisterium of HMC from 1969 to 1982.

I have a frame of reference upon which I can base my observations. I grew up singing traditional Catholic hymns in English. They were good solid hymns with perfectly sound theology in perfectly good English. Yes, there were “sappy” hymns (e.g. “Bring Flowers of the Fairest”) but by in large, there is absolutely no reason why we have to sing “I Am the Bread of LIfe” (just to note that I am not the Bread of Life - that part has always puzzled me) when we have “Jesus, My Lord, My God, My All”.

My reference to Muppet Music reflects when I joined my choir back in the 80s. The Muppets were still on TV. Our choir director at the time had another name for this genre of music - sacro-pop. I would ask those of you who have never heard what we, as Catholics, sang back in the early 60s to take a look at the lyrics and listen to the mp3 file.

romaaeterna.jp/index4.html

(I should note that some of the hymn music was not what everyone might have sang back then).
 
Hello,

Looking over the lists of hymns, I must say that I enjoy many - if not most - of the ones lists. Just NOT AT MASS! (with the notable exception of Sanctus XVIII). They are lovely to listen to in the car, or at home. But when I go to Mass, it is a foretaste of Heaven that is present here on earth. And I pray that in our eternal reward, when we are privileged to sing God’s praise always, we will not be forced to belt out some of the gobbly-gook that has been put forth in the last 40 some years.
 
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