I am one of the (apparently few) people who has never really liked Jesus Loves Me. NOt so much the words but I always found the music incredibly cloying.
BUt here is a version I would love to use (JEsus Loves ME is second, after a nice lively version of Joyful, Joyful). We heard it following the close of business at the Conference Annual Meeting. Mind you I don't theink the congregation is ready for a shoop-shoop version of this "classic".
Yep--but Jesus Loves Me and many others (possible exception is Make Me a Channel of Your Peace--the tune is irredeemable and its metre,if I remember rightly, precludes putting the lyrics to another tune)can be rescued from the Evil Land of Cloy by simply going to the back of the burgundy book and selecting another tune with the same metre (the little collection of numbers on the lower right corner of each page). The exceptions are the folk-style and jazz-style ones marked "Irreg."
ReplyDeleteYOu are right Peter, I have often used the metrical index to be able to sing words I wanted to a tune that was familiar. BUt with classics there is always the question "will they sing it to this tune?"
ReplyDeleteAfter all, listen to people singing Christmas Carols. Even if the words in the book have been altered for inclusivity reasons most people will automatically sing the old words.
Good question--depends on your music leader and whether they are into trying it out or not. Figuring on the exponential cultural inertia of the United CHurch generally, I'd say you need perhaps a dozen straight Sundays with the new version before you start hearing congregational voices accompanying the piano...
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