Dah dah dah dah dah dah dah
dah dah dah dah STEE-PHEN
Dah dah dah dah dah dah dah
dah dah dah dah EEE-VEN
Dah dah dah dah dah dah dah
dah dah dah dah CRUU-EL
Dah dah dah dah dah dah dah
dah dah dah dah FUUU---UUU---ELLLLLLL

The badger one is a new one on me.

While searching through a childrens song book, I found a marching song, I can only remember the first line -anyone heard it

How great is our God
How great is his name
How great is our God
Forever the same

He rolled back the waters
Of the mighty Red Sea
And he said I`ll never leave you
Put your trust in me

How great..

He sent his Son Jesus
To set us all free
And he said..

How great..

He sends us his Spirit
So now we can see
And he said..

All played at a dirge-like speed (it`s meant to be a very upbeat song with a kind of bouncybouncy feel) on an out-of-tune organ. Well, I suppose it`s not their fault the organ`s out of tune (various people have said there`s no point even trying to fix it, and they should just chuck the whole thing), but they do have a piano and there`s no reason they couldn`t use it, especially when the tune is so obviously unsuitable for organ.

[1]It was a joint service. The Other Church seems to have a taste for these things.. every single service I`ve ever been to there has ended with the same hymn, which has the chorus:

And he will raise you up on eagle`s wings
Bear you on the breath of dawn
Make you to shine like the sun
And hold you in the palm of his hand

quote:

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V1:Siya hamb' ekukwemen kwekos
V2:We are marching in the light of God
V3: See a hamster cooked in white wine sauce
v4:See a badger cooked in black bean sauce

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When I saw this thread, my first thought was 'and in His presence/our problems disappear', which I discovered was thoroughly dealt with on the first page, back in June. My second thought was a line from a hymn; the exact wording I can't remember, but it speaks of Jesus going 'cheerfully' to death, or the cross, or summat.

Chas, thank you for bringing up Earth and All Stars, and also for your alternate verse selections. For those who don't remember page two of this lengthy thread, the hymn lists many sound-making things in creation, ancient and modern, such as "loud-boiling test-tubes" and "loud pounding hammers" and how they "sing to the L-o-o-o-ord a new song."

Thus it is that in the choir my Dad conducts, this hymn is referred to simply as "Loud Flushing Toilets".

I slaved through this whole ghastly thread, which I had neglected, because as a church musician, I've heard so much awfulness that can barely be believed perpetrated in the name of "music" and find myself entirely overcome, now that I have surveyed yet again the apparently unplumbable depths out there. The pain is intense.

Nonethless, I will add a couple I remember that have not (staggeringly) been mentioned yet.

At a summer church camp, we once learned a little ditty bastardized from Sound of Music's "Do(e), a deer" that went as follows:

Doyou know the Saviour died?
raised again in three short days?
Me, the one for whom he died,
Far away he took my sins.
So I'll love him ever more!
Love I never knew before!
T, that stands for Calvary!
That means Je-sus died for Me!

Oh, the horror. The horror.

And there was some awfulness that had as the chorus:

Je-sus, O Je-sus, come and fill your lambs!

Which I thought as a child made no sense and was, also, creepy.

Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Take Jesus as your saviour
And then you'll have two.

quote:

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Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Take Jesus as your saviour
And then you'll have two.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Laura:

At a summer church camp, we once learned a little ditty bastardized from Sound of Music's "Do(e), a deer" that went as follows:

Doyou know the Saviour died?
raised again in three short days?
Me, the one for whom he died,
Far away he took my sins.
So I'll love him ever more!
Love I never knew before!
T, that stands for Calvary!
That means Je-sus died for Me!

---

Laura, you have cheered me up no end in the middle of a long day at work. Thank you.

(my co-workers now think I'm a total loony, as I'm sat giggling into my PC, but who cares?!)

A few years ago, a religious Internet site (cannot recall the name now) conducted a poll of "favourite Catholic hymns." I was amazed that "On Eagle's Wings" won by a "landslide."

When it comes to trendy, totally "un-singable" tunes, there was one, popular mainly amongst those who worked with either little children or the aged, which I believe was called "You Want to Pass it On." Since this is the sort of tune (any lyric) one desperately longs to forget, I may be off track a bit, but I recall it's being something like:

It only take a spark
To get a fire going
And soon all those around
Are warmed up with its glowing
That's how it is with God's Love
Once you've experienced it
You want to sing,
It's fresh like spring,
You want to pass it on.

"Pass it On" was originally part of a "Christian Musical," as I recall.

In the same genre was a song called, "He's Everything To Me." It began, "In the stars his handiwork I see," but rapidly degenerated after that. I.will.not.think.of.any.more.of.it.

NB: there's a second verse to "Pass it On," but we shall pass over it, in testimony to the infinite mercy of God.

quote:

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You want to sing,
It's fresh like spring,
You want to pass it on.

---

quote:

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Originally posted by tomb:
Oh, Newman, you beat me to it. I thought of posting "Pass it On" the other day, then forgot to do so.

"Pass it On" was originally part of a "Christian Musical," as I recall.

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Please excuse my ignorance, tomb, but what is a "Christian Musical"? (This so I can avoid anything related to it in the future...)

Musician that I was, I cannot resist adding two general "crappy choruses" general categories. I loathe when Latin (or other foreign language) hymns are "translated" into words that bear no resemblance to the original, but are merely English words cramped into the tune.

As well, when there are modern hymns, composed perhaps by monks or nuns, which were intended specifically as adaptations of texts proper to a particular liturgy, their adaptation for "general use" (copied from a CD, perhaps) often has strange results.

In re: Latin hymns, my favorite is the translation of the Ave Maria (usually Schubert, but I've seen it done to Bach/Gounod as well) that turns it into an "Our Father"--presumably so it can be sung in translation at Protestant weddings and not offend prod sensibilities.

As to the Ruth passage, what a hoot! And this was about the time, I suppose, that married women were being counseled to swath themselves in Saran Wrap and great their husbands at the door when the came home as a way of spicing up the marriage. If my wife ever did anything like that, I'd probably have nightmares and end up impotent. She's more sensible than that, thank God.

Regarding Christian musicals, probably the only thing you need to know is that they are not musical and tend to be silly and allegorical. I haven't heard of one being performed in decades, so you're probably safe.

quote:

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Originally posted by tomb:
LOL.
And this was about the time, I suppose, that married women were being counseled to swath themselves in Saran Wrap and greet their husbands at the door when the came home as a way of spicing up the marriage. If my wife ever did anything like that, I'd probably have nightmares and end up impotent. She's more sensible than that, thank God.
tomb

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ROTFL - but I'm way too innocent to have thought of things like plastic wrap... I only meant that they seemed to ignore that Hosea's wife (even apart from being Israel...) is a prostitute... Years ago, I once heard the same song done for a penance service - and, while it actually is appropriate on one level, I doubt anyone caught why that was so.
This was the era when penance services emphasised that no one ever sinned.

In about 1980 (I was still an RC nun), I remember a highly creative "penance service," for little children who were making first confession. I recall the church was rather large, and that the priests were seated in the rooms beside the spot where the altar was. Of course, the nuns were terrified that a child making first confession might feel guilt or something, so this was a song-fest.. of the worst. The kids had to bring their families (this was a big time for making everything a family event..), sitting with them in the pews, and singing all sorts of things like, "And we're so happy! So very happy! We've got the love of Jesus in our hearts!" - guitars, tambourines, all sort of beyond happy clappy songs. Each kid, in turn, went up the aisle to make first confession, with all this noise all around, then return to hug and kiss the family members (reconciliation, I suppose... no, this crowd was too dense to even think of that one...)

I still remember, with that horrible, loud music and this false festival atmosphere, that this happy occasion was a penance that I would not wish on Jack the Ripper... I still am trembling, remembering how it upset me.

First off

I will sing unto the Lord
I will sing unto the Lord
For he has triumphed gloriously
The horse and the rider he has thrown into the sea
I will sing unto the Lord

Fabulous - and it is solid biblically based so can't go wrong.

Second:

Pierce my ear oh Lord my God
Take me to your throne this day
I will have no other Lord
A free man I'll never be.

Those both made sense. Not.

But boy it was hours of mirth as we had to sing them at youth choir and then, joy of joys, sing them to the church.

quote:

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Originally posted by Beenster:

...

Pierce my ear oh Lord my God

...

---

(Voice-over): Bioterrorism. Because God said so.

I will sing unto the Lord
I will sing unto the Lord
For he has triumphed gloriously
The horse and the rider he has thrown into the sea

quote:

---

Originally posted by Beenster:
I will sing unto the Lord
I will sing unto the Lord
For he has triumphed gloriously
The horse and the rider he has thrown into the sea
I will sing unto the Lord

---

Exodus 15:20-21
"Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron's sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her, with tambourines and dancing. Miriam sang to them: "Sing to the LORD, for he is highly exalted. The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea."

quote:

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Pierce my ear oh Lord my God
Take me to your throne this day
I will have no other Lord
A free man I'll never be.

---

Exodus 21:5-6
"But if the servant declares, `I love my master and my wife and children and do not want to go free,' then his master must take him before the judges. He shall take him to the door or the doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life."

A little bit of context make a big difference.

Perhaps Thomas Merton was right, that becoming religious brings on a sort of brain rot.

For years I belonged to a church where the organist was recognized as a very good instrumentalist and choir director, but he wouldn't give the congregation a break.

I used to attend the 8:15 AM service where there was no choir. At that hour, people who would have needed no help staying in tune later in the day did need help.

On the first stanzas of the hymns, he gave a melody line, but not as strong as it could have been. On the next to the last stanza, he played a harmony with no melody line at all.

One Sunday the one of the lessons had a sentence to the effect that the shepherds were gone and the sheep were scattered. As I listened people groping for the tune while the organist played his harmony, it suddenly struck me, "The sheep are scattered."

It never dawned on this talented musician that he should help the congregation sing.

These are the facts as we have received them
These are the truths that the Christian believes
This is the basis of all of our preaching
Christ died for sinners and rose from the grave.

quote:

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Originally posted by Moo:
I... It never dawned on this talented musician that he should help the congregation sing.

Moo

---

Then he wasn't a musician, let along a talented one.

quote:

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Newman's Own:

It only take a spark
To get a fire going
And soon all those around
Are warmed up with its glowing
That's how it is with God's Love
Once you've experienced it
You want to sing,
It's fresh like spring,
You want to pass it on.

The tune was weird and difficult enough, but that it tended to be introduced for congregational singing, at such gatherings as would be held either in nursing homes or those related to primary school children, made it all the worse.

---

Oh, but we sung it at our young-adult worship service too. I could never get the "experienced" word right: thou it seemed no-one else could either. You were trotting merrily along, and then needed to say "exprnced" or something similar in two syllables.

While more of a kid's song, and a quote from a Psalm I believe, the fact we sung this in church and that actions were deemed necessary make this one a candidate:

From the rising of the sun
(Wave hands from your right-hand side to above your head in air and make "ch-ch-ch" noise)
To the going down of the same
(Complete the semi-circle of hands to your left)
The Lord's name
(Point upwards)
Is to be praised.
(Dance, flip, whatever!)

Finally, I always thought, as an un-trained singer, that the "Alleluia" in "Angels We Have Heard On High" stretched my breath capacity to its limits. (BTW: what is the proper pronounciation for "excelsis": hard or soft 'c'? I had disagreements with the choir. ) That was until I heard and was forced to sing the otherwise passable "We believe". Anyone else remember the lung capacity one needed to belt out in one breath:

Jesus, Lord of all, Lord of all.
Jesus, Lord of all, Lord of all.
Jesus, Lord of all, Lord of all.
Jesus, Lord of all, Lord of all.
Name above all names; Name above all names

Mental note: do not post at 1am after downing port.

A few of the friars I knew had attended some sort of ecumenical service where they heard a song they thought the absolute worst: "There is power, power, wonder working power in the precious blood of the Lamb." They parodied this tune with, "There were five, five constipated men in the bible, in the bible. There were five, five constipated men in the B-I-B-L-E."

In between, they chanted:

Hearken ye, the first constipated man in the Bible was Cain. He was not Abel.

Hearken ye, the second constipated man in the Bible was Moses. He took two tablets.

Hearken ye, the third constipated man in the Bible was Solomon. He sat for forty years.

The first was Cain...he wasn't Abel

The second was Solomon...he sat for forty years

The third was Moses...he took two tablets

The fourth was Samson...he brought the house down

The fifth was Balaam....he couldn't move his ass

'Take from our souls the strain and stress'
[think about it...]

Excelsis

Point of dispute.

The Romans would have said 'Ex-kehl-seess' - and no 'z' sounds for either s.

However, ecclesiastical Latin is pronounced as if it were Italian. Therefore, it is 'Ex-chehl-sees' - the English short 'i' is never used; it should be the vowel in 'see' but shorter, and the 'e' should be given its full value.

Glory, glory in the highest;
Glory, to the Almighty;
Glory to the Lamb of God,
And glory to the living Word;
Glory to the Lamb!

repeat

I give glory, (glory)
Glory, (glory)
Glory, glory to the Lamb!
I give glory, (glory)
Glory, (glory)
Glory, glory to the Lamb!
I give glory to the Lamb!

repeat all.

Spirit of God in the clear running water,
Growing to greatness the trees on the hill.
Spirit of God in the finger of morning,

Refrain:
Fill the earth, bring it to birth, and
blow where you will.
Blow, blow, blow till I be,
But breath of the spirit blowing in me.

quote:

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Originally posted by Karl:
[Latin lesson]

Excelsis

Point of dispute.

The Romans would have said 'Ex-kehl-seess' - and no 'z' sounds for either s.

However, ecclesiastical Latin is pronounced as if it were Italian. Therefore, it is 'Ex-chehl-sees' - the English short 'i' is never used; it should be the vowel in 'see' but shorter, and the 'e' should be given its full value.

[/Latin lesson]

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Have you heard the raindrops drumming on the rooftops,
Have you heard the raindrops {something} on the ground,
Have you heard the raindrops {something something something}
And running to the rivers all around.

It's water, water of life,
Jesus gives us the water of life
(x2)

In my adult maturity, the chorus just makes me think of whisky. However, as a child we sang for (and yes, it scans):

It's Rupert, Rupert the Bear,
We're all fans of Rupert the Bear.

quote:

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Originally posted by Karl:
It is one of my bugbears that the Bach Society of which I am a member, despite repeated corrections by the conducter still sings 'sanctus' with an English A (as in Southern English 'cat') and 'in' as if it were the English 'in'.

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And it doesn't matter how fine the choir for the latter problem. I sang the Me Minor Bass with a distinguished symphonic chorus last year, practically all of whom had done the piece repeatedly, and the thing most likely to get us yelled at was the "in" issue. Or singing long-o sounds in words like "Hose-anna" or "Doe-minus" rather than the proper short o - "Awsanna" and "Dawminus" for the correct pronunciation.

If you think that's bad, you should hear how Okies and Texans pronounce "dominus." It's not uncommon to stretch the "o" to a three-syllable diphthong.

A while back, I came across a recording of the Oklahoma All-State choir that I sang in while in High School. With a sense of anticipation, I played the Durufle "Ubi Caritas." It had been my first exposure to that sublime piece, and to this day it never fails to conjure wonderful memories.

I turned it off after hearing the first line. It is unimaginable what a bunch of Oklahoma teenagers can do to the vowels in the line "Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est." Better we should all have been drowned as infants.