Sad person that I am, I posted this yesterday, but the post seems to have self destructed......
Anyway, if anyone posted to the other thread wants to re-post to this one it would be much appreciated.
Alright, this is one of those ‘What was your favourite’ questions:
When you were a Witness (or even if you’re still reluctantly attached like me), did you have a favourite Kingdom Melody (why couldn’t they just be called hymns by the way)?
I remember thinking they were ok as a young child, but that was until I got to secondary school and heard the other kids singing ‘proper’ hymns in assembly, while I had to stand outside that I realised how inadequate they are. The one thing I notice about the updated songbook is that they are all written in a much higher key than most people can manage – when they’re sung at my hall, most people just mumble their way though them. Most sound like dirges rather than songs of praise. No one really seems to look forward to singing.
I visited the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris last year, and in it was strange how in just the few minutes I spent in there, I was really moved by the music being played in there. Certainly a lot more moved than I’ve ever been moved in the (what seems like hundreds of) years I’ve been attending the Kingdom Hall.
I’ve been to two funerals for relatives that have passed away in recent years. At the first one (the non-Witness one) at the graveside, everyone knew the words to the hymns and sang harmonies to them – really moving. At my Witness relative’s funeral, everyone stood at the grave side wondering what to do until a sister started singing the first few lines of ‘Life Without End – at Last’. But for some reason, that song just sounded wrong to sung in that situation (in fact it was at that point where his wife broke down). Because no one knew the Witness ‘protocol’ for that sort of situation, you had a few half-heartedly join in the singing, but the rest just stood around looking awkward, unsure if we were ‘allowed’ to do that sort of thing at a graveside.
I remember years ago, certain brothers and sisters would get together to sing the songs a make up different melodies/harmonies to them and so forth, but all that was stopped. The thinking was that, unless you play it like it sounds on the cassette, you’re disrespecting Jehovah.
Anyway, the songs I absolutely hate are the ‘marriage’ songs (‘Marriage is God’s Arrangement’ – pass the sick bag – and the ‘children/youth’ songs (“they are gifts from God, He says use the rod”)
Anyway, does anyone have any favourites that they miss singing? Perhaps you might even admire the way they've managed to get the words 'efficacious' and 'ignominiously' to rhyme.
I personally think that the society has stifled so much talent by not encouraging 'real' singing. How many popular singers started out singing in their (gospel) church (ignoring Michael Jackson obviously).
I suppose my ‘favourite’ Kingdom Melody would be
‘Jehovah is my Shepherd’ (although I still prefer the ‘Christendom’ version of this song 'The Lord is my Shepherd').