I like ++Rowan

[yrieithydd]

I'm sorry to say that some new hymn books alter these words for the benefit of those who can't understand 'consubstantial'; a minor campaign of civil disobedience when faced with the weaker new versions seems called for.

Rowan Williams, Tokens of Trust p. 71.

This is in the context of discussing 'being of one substance with the Father' or `of one being with the father' and the doxology 'Consubstantial, co-eternal/While unending ages run.'

Comments

[ukcanuck.livejournal.com]

Singing in the church choir requires some flexibility when using a new hymnal. Our parish uses The Complete Anglican (http://www.kevinmayhew.com/Shop/Sections/Items/Item.aspx?item_id=29164). Quite a few of the hymns have some adjustment to the lyrics for various reasons:

a) to make references to the congregation or the singer's self more gender inclusive.
b) to reduce the strident martial (or imperial) overtones of some hymns.
c) where certain words are no longer within the vocabulary of the general populace.

Sometimes the change works well. You end up wondering, not being sure if it ever was different. Other times, the effect is completely ghastly! It can affect the timing, the phrasing, everything which makes a hymn both musically and spiritually effective.

Greater accessibility? Thumbs up.

Dumbing down? Thumbs way, way down.

[meirion.livejournal.com]

I was subjected to that vile excuse for a hymnal yesterday. Gah!

[yrieithydd.livejournal.com]

We use one of it's predecessors which is similar. I don't get the problem with Onward, Christian soldiers and that's from a pacifist.

I don't mind it when the other has changed something but it's when someone else imposes the change it bugs me (especially as it often has knock on effects on the rhymes).

The other stupid thing about that hymnbook is its index which maintains the divisions (general, kids and chants) of the hymnal which is arranged in numerical order so the index is in numerical order except for a few titles where these are different from the first lines!