I TOOK PART IN A SURVEY the other day as suggested by the Cathedral Church of St. Luke. It revolved around music, with an eye on revising the hymnal currently in use. What follows are a few of my thoughts I wrote down in the "Got Anything Else to Say" section:
- I'm not opposed at all to new music, provided it's beautiful (according to what I say is beautiful, of course) and theologically sound—by which I mean orthodox, according to the Scriptures and the tradition of the Christian church and her seven ecumenical councils.
- I cannot stand sappy music, and much of what came out of Western revivalism is just that. I'd excise those portions from the hymnbook right now, if I could.
- All Anglican churches, including my own, ought to devote more time to the singing of the Psalter.
- I do not trust a revision of the hymnal, unless those revisions include: (1) the removal of revivalistic Americana [and its attendant civil religion]; (2) the inclusion of ancient hymns both Western and Eastern; and (3) the absence of any modern hymns one may find in a Unitarian-Universalist's hymnbook.
The survey also ended with the ridiculous question, "If you were stuck on a desert island, which eight songs would you want to have with you?" It's ridiculous, of course, because who can pick just eight songs? Everytime I look at this, I want to change it, but here's what I wrote:
- "Across the Universe" —the Beatles
- "Blackbird" —the Beatles
- "With or Without You" —U2
- "Until the End of the World" —U2
- "Song Remains the Same" —Led Zeppelin
- "Ramble On" —Led Zeppelin
- "All I Want" —Joni Mitchell
- "St. Matthew's Passion" —Bach (it has two movements, but it's broken up in several parts on youtube)
5 comments:
My thoughts on your thoughts are that they are good thoughts because your thoughts are my thoughts (even if your ways may not be mine). In other words, I agree with you because you are right, and I think you’re right because I agree with you.
Re the eight song selections, that sounds like a variation on a “What is your favorite…?” I have a personal rule against favorite questions because they limit enjoyment. Plus, they seem kinda girly. Plus, wouldn’t you end up hating songs you used to love because you listen to them over and over? I do like your selections though. I had a college roommate who said he’d pay $500 for McCartney to come to his house and just sing “Blackbird.” I said that was just crazy—more like $750.
They are kind of girly, you're right.
I'm not sure which eight I would choose, but Dougie Maclean's Caledonia would have to be one of them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpnFEqdHI6Q
Oh, sure, get all inspirational on us, Keith. I hate parts of my list even more now.
Okay, off the top of my head, here's 8 (subject to change in the next five minutes).
1. Caledonia - Dougie Maclean
2. Bad - U2 (Wide Awake in America version)
3. Shambala - Three Dog Night (Needing some hippie music)
4. Into the Mystic - Van Morrison
5. Stomping Grounds - Bela Fleck and the Flecktones
6. Lowlands - Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
7. No Woman, No Cry - Bob Marley
8. Aime - Pure Prairie League
You know, come to think of it, I can't limit myself to just eight.
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