Welcome to the column about Real Hymns, and which you can help to write - not next month, but maybe the one after that. But first, what are they?
Within living memory, a moment of new-sounding music at church was a breath of fresh air. We were glad to change from the relentless foursquare plodding of some creaky old Victorian hymns, into lighter rhythms, plainer language and newer instruments to vary the musical diet. As a new millennium dawns (at least for most people), the scene has changed. It is not uncommon now, after an orgy of self-indulgent, self-centred and supremely self-satisfied songs, for someone to stumble on a Watts or a Wesley and exclaim: 'Wasn't it good to have a real hymn!'
Time for straight talking. I love good songs! I have even tried to write some, with no great success. There are also some rather bad hymns and, yes, I have written those too. But like the Psalms, songs are actually doing a different job in the service, and one genre cannot easily supply the lack of another.
What I, and an increasing number of others, have begun to call Real Hymns are a lot easier to recognise than to define. Someone suggested that you can tell a Real Hymn because it looks like one. I would add that you don't need to sing it twice, and you don't usually follow it with another of the same kind - except in some special 'Songs of Praise' event. Most Real Hymns can survive a change of tune, or enjoy more than one: 'O thou who camest from above', 'Glorious things of thee are spoken', 'Tell out, my soul, Christ triumphant'; even 'What a friend we have in Jesus'. The hymn is a text set to music, which is usually composed by someone other than the author. We talk about 'hymns and their tunes'.
Integral music
With songs, in contrast, the tune is usually integral to the whole piece ('they're playing our song!') and composed by the writer of the words. Sometimes we see a brilliant double gift at work, and hymns occasionally embody the same talents. But the music too often dictates the words; sometimes, in spite of their single source, they don't even fit too well. And hymn-writers do not normally say: 'Hey, wow! What a thrill to have top spot at the truly awesome Wembley gig in June, to meet such fantastically anointed worship leaders and launch my new 'Golden Worship Hits' album the same week. I'm so humbled it's not true.'
Desert Island hymns
Now here is where you come in. Looking back over the past 100 years, even though you may not personally remember them all, can you pick three 20th century hymns that you want to go on singing in this new millennium? One will do, but no more than three please. Jot them on a postcard and send them to me c/o Evangelicals Now. Now is the time, or you'll forget.
Not sure when the hymn was written? Full music editions usually provide authors' dates, which gives you a start. If in doubt, ask your minister or whoever plays the music on Sunday. To qualify, the hymn must have been written or first published in 19...something. Translations count.
I wanted you to know where we're coming from. I will not use this page to bash your favourite songs or songwriters. Real Hymns are our agenda; I hope we can sing from the same hymn-sheet, or even our own books. There's a thought.
