Not so bright and beautiful

[Barry Rose]

https://www.for3.org/forums/forum/classical-forum/the-choir/1305834-not-so-bright-and-beautiful#post1305834

I'm more than slightly taken aback at Lord Lisvane's views re ATB&B.
If he's a church organist and playing for Weddings (for a fee, I presume) then surely he should play what the couple want, and do it with a good grace as well as he can - not complain about having to do so. Alternative - ask someone else to play.
And as for helping them to a 'better choice' - who is to be the judge that his 'better choice' is actually better?.......
Weddings are aboout the couple to be married, and funerals are about what the family wants - NOT what (we) organists want - or think they should have.

[oddoneout]

https://www.for3.org/forums/forum/cl...ul#post1305834


I'm more than slightly taken aback at Lord Lisvane's views re ATB&B.
If he's a church organist and playing for Weddings (for a fee, I presume) then surely he should play what the couple want, and do it with a good grace as well as he can - not complain about having to do so. Alternative - ask someone else to play.
And as for helping them to a 'better choice' - who is to be the judge that his 'better choice' is actually better?.......
Weddings are aboout the couple to be married, and funerals are about what the family wants - NOT what (we) organists want - or think they should have.

Indeed. "He who pays the piper..."

[Pulcinella]

This forum got there first!


Misreading hymns

Sir, Professor Ian Bradley [...] claims that the presence of a comma in the third line of the “naughty” verse of All Things Bright and Beautifulrenders it acceptable, as that line then means that God made everyone, irrespective of their social standing (“high” or “lowly”). Alas for his reading of the hymn, the fourth line goes on “and ordered their estate”, making it clear that Mrs Alexander considered that God had set up who was high or lowly — a rather typical Victorian misreading of Scripture.
The Rev Professor Steve Walton
Trinity College, Bristol

Sir, The hymn And Can It Be [...] was chosen a few years ago to be sung during our annual civic service, to which the county’s mayors and consorts, all in full regalia, had been invited. Fortunately, in spite of some gleeful anticipation, the singing of the line “Our chains fell off” passed without incident.
Christine Matthews
Former Mayoress of Wilton; Wilton, Wilts

[cloughie]

This forum got there first!


Misreading hymns

… I am sure that I’m not the only one who, at a very young age, was curious to know why on earth a green hill should need a city wall!

[french frank]

… I am sure that I’m not the only one who, at a very young age, was curious to know why on earth a green hill should need a city wall!

Not alone, no. In Scotland they used 'outwith' - I'm not sure whether they sing There Is a green hill far away Outwith ...

[Pulcinella]

More missing punctuation (I, Rose, went forth...), but a nice tale:


Bicycling hymn

Sir, Tricia Shuler’s family call And Can it Be, That I Should Gain the bicycling hymn [...]. My family did too, but for my mum and dad it was personal. They met on a chapel-organised cycling outing when my mum’s chain fell off and my dad fixed it. The lines of the hymn are: “My chains fell off, my heart was free,/ I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.”

My mum’s name was Rose, and we sang the hymn at my dad’s funeral.
Sue Scott
Theydon Bois, Essex

[LMcD]

… I am sure that I’m not the only one who, at a very young age, was curious to know why on earth a green hill should need a city wall!

Similarly, I often wondered who the Merry Gentleman were that God was being asked to rest.
It was only during a conversation during a walking holiday some years ago that I discovered why some Scots find credit cards useful for 'messages'.

[Serial_Apologist]

Similarly, I often wondered who the Merry Gentleman were that God was being asked to rest.
It was only during a conversation during a walking holiday some years ago that I discovered why some Scots find credit cards useful for 'messages'.

I think some Jerry mental men might have been about-faced in a spoonerism.

[Old Grumpy]

Similarly, I often wondered who the Merry Gentleman were that God was being asked to rest.

Ah, but there is an all important comma, is there not?

God rest you merry, gentlemen...

[vinteuil]

Ah, but there is an all important comma, is there not?

God rest you merry, gentlemen...

... and did we as schoolchildren appreciate the subjunctive rest ?

[Padraig]

It was only during a conversation during a walking holiday some years ago that I discovered why some Scots find credit cards useful for 'messages'.

Interesting LMcD. I always knew that 'messages' meant doing the shopping, in some form. I thought too that it was only in Derry that people said that. I have not researched this, but I suspect that the linguistic connection between Scots and Irish in Derry could be 'The Scotch Boat', so called because of the volume of travel between Derry and Glasgow. Hence, I suppose, 'message boy', though a message boy was a paid employee of a large shop. Boys, on the other hand, were at the beck and call of mothers in the area who wanted us to 'do a wee message for me, there's a good boy.'

[Pulcinella]

Interesting LMcD. I always knew that 'messages' meant doing the shopping, in some form. I thought too that it was only in Derry that people said that. I have not researched this, but I suspect that the linguistic connection between Scots and Irish in Derry could be 'The Scotch Boat', so called because of the volume of travel between Derry and Glasgow. Hence, I suppose, 'message boy', though a message boy was a paid employee of a large shop. Boys, on the other hand, were at the beck and call of mothers in the area who wanted us to 'do a wee message for me, there's a good boy.'

Used when/where I grew up (Crosby, north of Liverpool; 1960s): Irish connection there, perhaps?

[Padraig]

Used when/where I grew up (Crosby, north of Liverpool; 1960s): Irish connection there, perhaps?

We had a Liverpool boat too!

[french frank]

We had a Liverpool boat too!

Common in Aberdeen, on the east coast of Scotland. I'd thought of it as a local expression.

[LMcD]

Ah, but there is an all important comma, is there not?

God rest you merry, gentlemen...

We never saw the title at school, we were just told to sing it.