________________________________________
From: Moe Bergeron [mailto:moebergeron@...] 
Sent: Tuesday, 22 August 2006 12:14 AM
To: soundofgrace@...
Subject: Re: [soundofgrace] music

Jeff,

  There's no denying there is a lot to be desired in much of what we sing from either traditonal or contemp' but as one expert has said, today we sing the best of what was filtered out from the hundreds upon thousands of songs that were written in the last 300 plus. I'm all for giving our contemp' composers an opportunity to edify their fellow saints. Besides I like some of the more modern arrangements. I just don't like music, new or old, that says nothing. I also distrust market driven music. 

   Your's in Christ,
      Moe


The trouble is at our church we only usually get one or two traditional hymns and the vast body of the 'filtered ones' just are not being heard. I suspect many churches are like this today too.

Funny thing happened the other night at church when one of our young musicians said he was going to teach us a new song. The new song went like this

"I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene...."

While the older members of the congregation were in fits of laughter he back-pedalled and said, 'Well actually it is an old song...'



________________________________________
From: Neil Whitcombe [mailto:neil.whitcombe@...] 
Sent: Tuesday, 22 August 2006 2:34 AM
To: soundofgrace@...
Subject: RE: [soundofgrace] music

Jeff
 
Most of what you have said could be applied to old hymns as well. Don’t forget that in your hymn book you only have the “good” ones. You need to look out for the new hymns by Stuart Townsend and Graham Kendrick to mention just two! It sounds very much like folk believing in the inspiration of the hymn book to me unwilling to change and being content to live in a by gone era trapped in a time warp singing words that are archaic and lacking meaning to most modern folk (I’m not referring to theology) – watch out if you dare change them or want to sing hymns other than from the only “inspired era”.  There is some great theology in modern hymns we cannot tar everyone with the same brush. 
It is hymns we are talking about or is it Bible translations ☺
 
Neil



Okay I will have another look at Kendrick but to now I have not been impressed. There are some old hymns that I would go easy on. I am not sure if 'What a friend we have in Jesus' is quite the way that we need to understand our Lord.

Can you give me an example of a modern hymn that you would say that great theology?




> -----Original Message-----
> From: TwoEdgedSword [mailto:compadvisor@...]
> Sent: Tuesday, 22 August 2006 4:40 AM
> To: soundofgrace@...
> Subject: Re: [soundofgrace] music
> 
> Jeff wrote, "Of course everyone tries to reduce the issues to taste,
> which is a nice way of avoiding the issue. The fact is that the
> contemporary 'Christian' songs that are sung in our church are grossly
> repetitive and one frequently wonders what the lyrics mean anyway.
> There is one that we sing that continually repeats the words 'there is
> none like you' and in the midst of that repetition we have the words
> 'suffering children are safe in your hands' , the relevance of which
> to any overall theme of the song completely escapes me."
> 
> The term "contemporary Christian" sounds is a label that is widely use
> for various types of music, such as; "Stryper" a heavy metal band or
> the likes of Army Grant who sings "pop" music which is mellower than
> heavy metal music but still rock nevertheless.  Because "contemporary"
> so-called Christian music copies the various levels of rock, blues,
> and even more forms of music, it tends to be very repetitive. The
> words in my opinion are more shallow than a traditional hymn.  A
> traditional hymn sung in this style tends not to be sing in great
> relevance...as Jeff pointed out....
>


I have seen non-Christians rather amused at Christian rock music because they see it for what it is: an attempt to be like the world and copy the world's style. Okay we don't have to treat it with disdain but I am not sure that we need keep up with the latest fashions either.

Interestingly I have noticed, and others have too, that the singing of traditional hymns is done more effectively and with more gusto than the modern rock types of music. The traditional hymns were written for the purpose of congregational singing whereas much of the modern Christian rock is written for performance.

And I really think it a myth that young people do not like the traditional hymns. They don't really get to know them or even hear them.

God bless,
Jeff