Comments on: These are a few of my favorite hymns

By: Kim Siever

Kim Siever — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 03:55:23 +0000

I like to expand my ward's exposure to new hymns by playing little-known ones as postlude or prelude often so that if they are chosen as congregational hymns people will recognize them more easily.

An excellent idea. I will keep this in mind if I ever become ward organist or music chairperson.

By: Michaela Stephens

Michaela Stephens — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 00:22:32 +0000

I'm a ward organist and I suspect that sometimes the range of hymns may be dictated by what the organist is capable of playing. Even if people like "All Creature of Our God and King", if the organist drops every second note and plays it slower than a funeral dirge that song probably won't be sung. It took me quite a while before I was confident enough to play more than a handful of hymns. (And woe unto the bishopric member who changed the hymn mid-meeting to something I hadn't been able to practice ahead of time!) Fortunately I've improved since then.

Personally, I like to expand my ward's exposure to new hymns by playing little-known ones as postlude or prelude often so that if they are chosen as congregational hymns people will recognize them more easily.

By: Kim Siever

Kim Siever — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 21:14:22 +0000

All the verses means less time for the speakers.

So?

By: ltbugaf

ltbugaf — Fri, 17 Nov 2006 02:03:40 +0000

Are you familiar with the tune formerly used for “If You Could Hie to Kolob”—the one used in the 1948 hymnal? It’s quite different. The current tune is a traditional English tune not composed for the hymn.

By: Eric Nielson

Eric Nielson — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 22:20:00 +0000

Our wad sings the Kolob song about every other week. Everyone refers to it as our ward anthem.

By: TylerD

TylerD — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 20:30:39 +0000

I’m partial to the hymns whose music was written many centuries ago. I don’t know for sure what the difference is between those hymns and the new ones, but the bass part on those classics is usually much more alive. I’m also a big fan of “If You Could Hie to Kolob,” not so much for the words (though I like them), but more for the music.

By: ltbugaf

ltbugaf — Mon, 13 Nov 2006 20:27:27 +0000

One of my favorite moments was when I had scheduled “O Say, What Is Truth?” and one of the speakers quoted its words in her talk—without our having spoken to one another. We both just thought of it based on the theme of the meeting.

By: George

George — Sun, 12 Nov 2006 02:59:11 +0000

All the verses means less time for the speakers.

By: Kim Siever

Kim Siever — Sat, 11 Nov 2006 04:33:45 +0000

“I also made singing ALL the versesâ€”including the ones not between the staffsâ€”the rule, rather than the exception.”

I’ve thought for awhile if I ever became the chorister (ha ha), I would do the same thing.

By: ltbugaf

ltbugaf — Sat, 11 Nov 2006 02:23:46 +0000

When I was ward chorister, I tried to include a lesser-known hymn about once every other week. If we’re not going to learn hymns we don’t already know, what’s the point of having them in the book? We could just have a 10-page pamphlet.

I also made singing ALL the verses—including the ones not between the staffs—the rule, rather than the exception.

I think I took the bishoric by surprise by doing things the way they’re supposed to be done in the handbook: Through the ward music chairman, I asked the bishopric to supply me with the themes for upcoming meetings, chose hymns appropriate to those themes, and submitted them for approval in advance. If the bishopric didn’t have a theme chosen, I would choose generic opening and closing hymns.

I also tried to look beyond mere labels in choosing hymns. For example, I didn’t use “Jesus, Once of Humble Birth” as a sacrament hymn, because it’s mainly about the Second Coming, not as much about the Atonement, and not about the ordinance of the sacrament. However, I did once choose “Rock of Ages” as a sacrament hymn, because its words are entirely centered on Christ’s atoning sacrifice.