by Bereano 26 Replies latest jw friends
I haven`t been to a kingdom hall in over twenty years , so I can`t answer your question .
However , granted , their were a few reasonable melodic songs , there were also some bloody awful tunes you just could not sing to..I`m talking about the era from the 60`s through to the 80`s .
It was embarrassing trying to sing them without complaining how awful they were.
smiddy
One of the best of the pink songbook (# 61 - we're JW's was #62 - they were the centre of the pink songbook) that Splane reworked was "Move Ahead." Move Ahead stayed the same in the brown songbook.
The current version is an outright abortion.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oq3lPUhn94A
Splane - you are NOT a composer - you absolutely suck.
In the 1950s and 60s it seemed that everyone's favorite Kingdom song was "Take Sides with Jehovah." In my Kingdom Hall, everyone would sing that - even the little kids. It was easy to remember, had a positive message and a very pleasant tune.
When at the larger assemblies that had orchestras, that song would always get played, often as a beginning or end selection. Everyone would be on their feet and singing along and it would always get huge applause afterwards.
In the 1980s and 1990s when I attended my parents funerals, they played the Kingdom Songs on a tape recorder and through the speakers. I was not impressed at all. The songs seemed jumbled and hard to follow - and most of the JWs who had songbooks with them would try to follow along but had difficulty with the tunes.
The ones I've heard played for recent conventions are very difficult to understand and most everyone just mumbles along. But even after all the years I've been out, I can still remember the tune to "Take Sides..."
Chorus:
"Take sides with Jehovah;
Make him your delight;
He'll never forsake you;
Walk e're in his light;
Tell, tell the glad tidings of freedom and peace;
His rule by Christ Jesus will ever in - crease."
Many of the songs in that old book used well-known tunes from existing church hymns and national songs, so they were quite easy to follow and sing along to. I sure don't see that with the newer song books.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jy7nuXmAMXA (... a later version, but close to the older version)
JV
Just had a funny thought.....change the words in "from house to house" to "from cart to cart, From bench to bench, Jehovah's trolley is here"
As mentioned above, I think the answer is "Jehovah Is My Shepherd", used continuously since the late 20's.
Honorable mention goes to "Let Your Light Shine" which has been virtually unchanged since the 1944 red songbook. I think it was called "Fidelity" in the 1944 and 1950 books, but the lyrics & melody are nearly identical.
Of course, "continuous" is a bit relative, since Booze Rutherford cancelled all songs and singing at the meetings in 1938, because it took too much time away from the preaching, in his opinion. Knorr had his numerous faults, but at least he did re-institute music at the meetings in 1944.
Give us your money!
Obliette, isn't that one of the rather newer mantras?
Of course, "continuous" is a bit relative, since Booze Rutherford cancelled all songs and singing at the meetings in 1938, because it took too much time away from the preaching, in his opinion. Knorr had his numerous faults, but at least he did re-institute music at the meetings in 1944.
Notblind, would you please provide documentation for this? I'm not doubting but I'd really love to have the source so that I can share it with others.
Thanks!
Thanks Pete..... no way am I clicking on that link my friend!
Notblind, would you please provide documentation for this? I'm not doubting but I'd really love to have the source so that I can share it with others.
Sure:
Proclaimers book page 241:
Although singing in local congregations was largely dispensed with in about 1938, it was revived again in 1944 and continues to be a significant feature of the congregation meetings and convention programs of Jehovah's Witnesses.
