Not so bright and beautiful

[vinteuil]

I think the iconography of hymns used to get introjected deep into one's consciousness by early exposure to it. I was always impressed, at my Junior school, by 'pavilioned in splendour and girded with praise'. Later, noticing how I remembered the line it struck me as redolent of Imperial trappings. On checking today, I found that Robert Grant, its author, had indeed been born in India and had been a Governor of Bombay.

... interesting - thank you. I knew of Robt: Grant as a Governor of Bombay (when I lived there, Grant Road was my nearest railway station) - only a pedant wd point out that he died in 1838 : India only came under crown control in 1858, and Victoria only became empress in 1877. "Imperial trappings" were still some time to come...

[Serial_Apologist]

An American friend had grown up thinking 'Gladly the cross I'd bear' was about a cross-eyed teddy.
[Vints beat me to it.]

When I first joined in singing All Things Bright and Beautiful as a small child, I thought the words to the first two stanzas were:

All things bright and beautiful
All Grecians great and small.

At that age I had no knowledge of Greece or its people!

[kernelbogey]

I used to live next door to a retired Primary School Headmistress here in Hampshire, who reported having overheard a child reciting the Lord's Prayer beginning 'Our Father, which art in Havant...'

[jonfan]

I used to live next door to a retired Primary School Headmistress here in Hampshire, who reported having overheard a child reciting the Lord's Prayer beginning 'Our Father, which art in Havant...'

Well at Infant School I thought ‘Our Father’ had the name of Harold. (Not a bright start).
When covering the Christmas story at Primary School I was asked, ‘What is a virgin sir?’ Old teachers’ trick playing for time I asked if anyone had any ideas. ‘Yes sir, I know. It’s someone who doesn’t eat meat.’

[oddoneout]

‘All things B&B’ is a listing of the glories of creation, that makes it appealing for weddings and funerals with nostalgia for supposed better times. Even the Revised English Hymnal offers Monk’s tune now as well Shaw’s. Ever popular.
Two examples from my time at the chalk face re the language of hymns: what does ‘Lo! He abhors not the Virgin’s womb’ mean? A six year old’s favourite hymn was the one about a settee. Turned out to be ‘Lord of the Dance.’

Seeing mention of the Revised English Hymnal reminds me of this which I came across while checking the left out verse of ATB&B

https://canterburypress.hymnsam.co.uk/features/the-new-am

Ancient & Modern: Hymns and Songs for Refreshing Worship

I'm not sure whether that's refreshing as in Sam J's attack on R3 or refreshing as in reaches the parts other drinks can't.

[mopsus]

I was asked a few days ago about strange choices of music for weddings and funerals/memorial services I've sung at. Like most people who sing at weddings, I have a personal list of oddities, but I found it harder to think of inappropriate music at funerals. Maybe it is because a wedding looks forward to two people joining their lives together, and so a hymn like In an age of twisted values (look up the words; yes, I really did sing this at a wedding) might not seem to fit. But a funeral or a memorial service looks back at a life and depending on the life history of that person all sorts of texts might seem appropriate.

[Pulcinella]

Today's Times letters:

Terrifically trite

Sir, Alas, All Things Bright and Beautiful [...] is now almost mandatory at baptisms, not just weddings and funerals. Grasping the nettle, I add sound effects to the accompaniment: little birds tweeting, rivers running by and colds wind blowing, for example. Some find these devices either charming enhancements or cheap embellishments underlining the triteness of this hymn. Job done!
Simon Eadon
Organist, St Andrew’s Church, Yetminster, Dorset

Sir, Lord Lisvane should be congratulated for his skilful assassination of the achingly dull hymn All Things Bright and Beautiful. But I would also beg him to consider adding the insufferable Lord of the Dance to his hit list. Too many young ears have been tortured over the years: enough is enough.
The Rev Al Gordon
Rector of Hackney, London E8

Sir, I congratulate Lord Lisvane on his success rate persuading couples out of All Things Bright and Beautiful at their weddings. I once, after a lot of effort, had a similar success against I Vow to Thee My Country (totally inappropriate, if you read the words). I couldn’t argue, then, with their replacement choice: All Things Bright and Beautiful . . .
The Rev Annabelle Elletson
Crickhowell, Powys

[smittims]

We see how astute Roy Plomley's idea was , that a person's choice of music tells us so much about them. Funerals as well as weddings. How many must have groaned at having to play 'I did it my way' as a send-off?

[mikealdren]

Well Peter Sellers chose 'in the mood', a piece he hated, as the music to which he would leave the world at the crematorium. Apparently the remaining Goons laughed out loud.

[LMcD]

I recently attended a friend's funeral, and we discovered, as the coffin was taken out of the church and the congregation began to leave, that his choice of music to accompany this final stage of the proceedings was Josef Locke singing 'Goodbye'.

[Ein Heldenleben]

We see how astute Roy Plomley's idea was , that a person's choice of music tells us so much about them. Funerals as well as weddings. How many must have groaned at having to play 'I did it my way' as a send-off?

Don’t know why . On the piano at least it’s a very satisfying piece of music to play - harmonically well constructed and permitting a Chopinesque tremendous climax for “I faced it all and I stood tall and did it My Way.”
that final F semibreve on “ My” ..certainly sorts out the amateurs.

[french frank]

We see how astute Roy Plomley's idea was , that a person's choice of music tells us so much about them. Funerals as well as weddings. How many must have groaned at having to play 'I did it my way' as a send-off?

Even worse if they had to sing it. If you think All Things Bright and Beautiful is doggerel ...

[Ein Heldenleben]

Even worse if they had to sing it. If you think All Things Bright and Beautiful is doggerel ...

I’m sorry but My Way ( or Comme D’Habitude in the French original ) is a classic. ATBAB in contrast is a rather poorly written piece.

The problem with My Way is that it’s over sung, too associated with the decline of a great singer’s career, and has been murdered by drunks the world over.
As a classic piece of pop harmonic construction it’s rarely been bettered.

[Master Jacques]

The problem with My Way is that it’s over sung, too associated with the decline of a great singer’s career, and has been murdered by drunks the world over.
As a classic piece of pop harmonic construction it’s rarely been bettered.

Irrespective of 'My Way' and its qualities, those millions choosing it are mercifully in no condition to appreciate the ultimate irony - that in doing it their way with My Way they're doing it nearly everyone's way!

[vinteuil]

I’m sorry but My Way ... is a classic...

... but the words are doggerel (to be kind)

.