I love to sing. I've got quite a good voice (not trained, nothing special, but I'm loud and I can hold a tune) and so I really like this time of year when I can belt out all the favourite Christmas Carols which I learned at school (back then, *peer through swirling mists of time,* Christmas was still called Christmas, and state Primary Schools put on Nativity Plays, and everyone sang Carols whether they believed in God or not!)Epiphany is a particularly good time to sing Carols... we get all the references to the Magi as well as the earlier shepherds and angels stuff...
Well, not any more. I went to Mass this evening as tomorrow morning I'm off to see my sister and brother-in-law (well, truth be told, I'm actually more interested in my new nephew!) and although I intend to leave in plenty of time to attend evening Mass, given what happened last Monday, I'm taking no chances...
We only sang four carols, but every one had been mucked about with by the politically-correct brigade. At other times of the year it's not so noticeable (partly because I don't know the hymns so well... I've only been singing them since my return to the fold, as it were!) but this really has got me steamed up. "Humankind" is just downright clumsy as well as needing an extra syllable. But when whole sentences are ploughed up for the sake of not offending "wimmin," I get pretty offended. The alternatives offered are clunky, change the meanings, muck around with the rhymes and generally grate on the nerves...
I fought back... I sang what I remembered... Loudly!
I'm surprised at Fr Finigan. Does he really allow this sort of thing? (ps Joking!:-))
ReplyDeleteMaybe he's hoping that we'll get so fed up that we'll give in and stick to the Latin!!
ReplyDeleteWhen we sang "I'll sing a Hymn to Mary", my children were embarrassed at me for bellowing out (loudly, though, I trust, tunefully) "When wicked men blaspheme Thee" instead of "when wicked folk blaspheme thee" which was what was written in the book.
ReplyDeleteI had decided to vote against PC hymns. Sing the original words (loudly) if the words have been changed. Sit down and refuse to sing if it's by Estelle White or one of her kind.
The PP told me that throwing things at musicians who played "Colours of Day" during Mass would be discourteous and therefore sinful. He suggested that it would be at the least venial end of veniality, however.
One Faith Summer Session was notable: several priests had been having a pop at hymns such as Colours of Day during the week.
ReplyDeleteOn the last day, at the final Mass, the priest giving the homily really laid into it, saying how awful stuff like that was.
Chris, the organist chappie, had a wicked sense of humour. For the final hymn, he just launched into the introduction for Colours of Day... and then smoothly changed gear and slid into Faith of our Fathers! But for about 30 seconds, the expression on twenty or so priestly countenances was a joy to behold!
Estelle White, I need hardly add, is rhyming slang....
ReplyDelete