Worst Christmas song ever.

[iiipopes]

"Mary, Did You Know?"
Just awful...

The problem with this song is the commercial crapping of it by those who, well, aren't, if you get my drift.

OTOH, I have a rendition from a church musical service on DVD of a friend who sang it from the heart. I think you would change your mind to hear someone who sang it sincerely rather than use it as a track with a contrived arrangement to fill up the back side of the Christmas album du jour.

No, I detest the whole song as modern claptrap troping. I hate that song and most churches where it is performed. It reeks of many of the things wrong with worship music today. "Happy Birthday, Jesus" is #2 on my list of detested church music. Sickening. "The Eye" would be #3. Lowering the Birth to some cheesy pop tune is in terrible taste. Praise Band is a horror that needs to be fully dispensed with. Also sickening. Yes, by all means let's put a little porno bass behind songs about Christ. Let's put a little booty swing or some equally irreverent crap up there, like the despicable act of flying some guy around on a wire dressed like Jesus. What the F is wrong with people? Disgusting.

Sorry, the thread asked an open question and I answered with all truthfulness.

Just remember that in the Vatican archives is a letter from the Archbishop of Canturbury to St. Gregory asking him to send someone to teach the choir at Canturbury to chant the mass in the *new* style.

[Radar]

Anyone else ever get tired of playing the bass line of Pachabel's canon?

I would say just about everyone that's every played it!! Don't think I've ever played it for Christmas, but I've done it for weddings plenty of times.

"Joy to The World" actually probably one of the better Christmas Hymns, but it's so overdone. I'm playing a Christmas tree lighting in about an hour, and we are doing three Christmas medleys and joy to the world is the only piece that's in all three of them.

[Dubby]

I agree with bloke and Elephant: “Mary did you know” is probably one of my least favorite Christmas songs if only because it shows a lack of understanding of her situation. She very clearly knew.

In terms of songs I just can’t stand, nothing comes to mind. As long as I can listen to Straight No Chase, the Tubadours, and the King’s Singers I am all good with any music.

[tclements]

Feliz Navidad, ANYbodys version. THE. WORST.

[marccromme]

Feliz Navidad, ANYbodys version. THE. WORST.

totally agree. Most stupid christms song ever!

[alfredr]

Well, I wanna wish you a merry Christmas from the bottom of my heart. Feliz Navidad to all of y'all and to all a good night.

Good night, Scrooge.

[opus37]

After considerable thought, I think "Mary Did You Know" is my lease favorite. "It's Christmas Time Again" in church does not seem right to me either. I generally really like Christmas songs of all types.

[sousaphone68]

All the pieces in the little book of Christmas Carols especially when the director takes them in 2 or tries to swing them.

I loathe up on the roof tops.

I am thankfully finished with this year's caroling performances.

[iiipopes]

Just remember that in the Vatican archives is a letter from the Archbishop of Canturbury to St. Gregory asking him to send someone to teach the choir at Canturbury to chant the mass in the *new* style.

So? That new style was not "praise band". Praise band uses tunes that are terribly basic, and lyrics that are like sanitized versions of Justin Bieber stuff.

Ohhhhhhhhh, baby, baby, I love the Lord. My God is awesome.
Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. Yeah, yeah. Whoooooo, baby Jesus, whooooooo, baby baby. BOOM CHUKA BOOM CHUKA BOOM. "Gonna gyrate my hips," said the virgin, "and gyrate them for God." Shake your money maker for the Lord.

Horrible, nasty, pathetic. There is so much BETTER stuff out there and it is basically FREE. Look within your hymnals for a clue...

And Gregorian chant had no harmony, fluid rhythms tied to the voice and not the meter as we now perceive it, and required a trained cantor and much rehearsal from the monks to execute the chants properly. If you look through old hymnals over the few hundred years from the beginning of hymnody, you will see Advent and Christmastide hymns that didn't make the cut to the "standard" repertoire of today, either. Yes, there are a lot of sub standard songs and carols from all traditions out there, ancient and modern, but even with "praise" music, occasionally there is an acorn, and sometimes even a truffle, even for the blind hogs.

A popular praise song is "My Redeemer Lives." One classical analog, of course, is out of Messiah, "I know that my Redeemer Liveth." OK. I also prefer the classical form. But the theological statement is the same. This begs the question: by expressing your disagreement with modern form, are you simply expressing an opinion as to your subjective value of the music, or are you condemning those who might find their way to church through the "praise" genre? If the former, fine. Everybody is entitled to their opinion. If the latter, then I would posit that goes over the line and is a disguised religious discrimination discussion not allowable by this forum.

Final thought: many of the Wesley and Luther hymns, though not "pub tunes," as the myth persists, were written in that form (4 bar phrases, easy melodies, etc.) so that they would be easy to sing, no different than today's praise music with repeating choruses, written so the congregation may participate.

[Three Valves]

Final thought: many of the Wesley and Luther hymns, though not "pub tunes," as the myth persists, were written in that form (4 bar phrases, easy melodies, etc.) so that they would be easy to sing, no different than today's praise music with repeating choruses, written so the congregation may participate.

"No different" only that one example is pious, thoughtful and acceptable and the other example stinks!!

[alfredr]

The small rural church I grew up in in the last century, once in the previous century had burned the new-fangled piano as a tool of the devil.

All music was once new.

[Three Valves]

All music was once new.

All once new, yes!!

All once good, NO!!

[iiipopes]

Final thought: many of the Wesley and Luther hymns, though not "pub tunes," as the myth persists, were written in that form (4 bar phrases, easy melodies, etc.) so that they would be easy to sing, no different than today's praise music with repeating choruses, written so the congregation may participate.

"No different" only that one example is pious, thoughtful and acceptable and the other example stinks!!

That is exactly what Isaac Watts was told when he started writing hymns to be used in the place of metrical psalms, especially the hymn, "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross."

https://www.renewingworshipnc.org/2011/ ... ship-wars/" target="_blank

And Watt's father said to Isaac, "That old hymnal was good enough for your grandfather, and your father, and so I reckon it will have to be good enough for you!"

Bottom line: there has always been controversy in church music. Going all the way back to the beginning, the music preferred by one group is abhorred by another, even in England during the Reformation.

https://books.google.com/books?id=d42Z- ... ic&f=false" target="_blank

And the above post about praise music being "obscene" has been held by one group or another about church music since at least the 4th century:

"n blowing on the tibia [pipes] they puff out their cheeks … they lead obscene songs … they raise a great din with the clapping of scabella [a type of foot percussion]; under the influence of which a multitude of other lascivious souls abandon themselves to bizarre movements of the body" (The Story of Christian Music, p. 28).

I have played pipe organs in the most solemn of churches. I have played my electric guitar in the most contemporary of contemporary services. I have played my various horns and other musical instruments, and have sung bass/baritone in all the above and everything in between. In whatever genre, much of what passes for "music" does not meet the criteria of "worthy" to many people. And I have my preferences also. But to wholesale discount an entire genre of music because it does not "speak" to a particular person, or in that person's opinion is not "real music," is to miss the point.

The point that is different about church music is that, in the final analysis, is not performance for performance' sake. Or it shouldn't be. The point of church music is to assist the worship of the congregation, whatever denomination and style of worship that may be. If the music does that whatever its genre or performance level, then it has done its job, and we are not to criticize.

[Heavy_Metal]

This.

[opus37]

This thread has morphed into a discussion of church music in general. Most "praise" music these days is, in my opinion, 7/11 music. The same 7 words sung 11 times. It's unappealing to me. With that said, it does bring people in. It changes the church experience from one of thought and contemplation to a hootnanny. I find it comforting to hear the hymns and carols of my youth and very entertaining to play. (Notice that I did not say the 7/11 was bad or wrong, it is just not my thing.)

I wonder and worry about the next generation that is growing up on 7/11 music. Will they find the same joy and comfort in their old age? I guess my generation survived the "Chicago Folk" era, maybe this will pass too. We just did a 2 hour Christmas Program. It had 3 performances with a packed house of close to a 1000 people each performance. Yes, the crowd was older, but not by any estimate all. The performance that brought down the house was a 4 tenors piece of the title "Lord Most Holy". Right out of Italian opera. Maybe there is hope.

[Three Valves]

Bottom line: there has always been controversy in church music.

Can we at least agree that some of the controversy was unfounded and much of the controversy was well founded??

That not all controversy is equal??

[Three Valves]

This thread has morphed into a discussion of church music in general. Most "praise" music these days is, in my opinion, 7/11 music. The same 7 words sung 11 times. It's unappealing to me. With that said, it does bring people in. It changes the church experience from one of thought and contemplation to a hootnanny.

[basslizard]

"Mary, Did You Know?"

Just awful...

I heard this one for the first time a few years ago when I took my girl scout troop to a nursing home to sing. One of their mothers insisted on singing this song because, "All the residents always beg me for it!" I tried to be open minded, but the further she got into the song, the worse it was. By the end, despite her ability to actually sing, I was horrified and never wanted to hear it again. Now I hear it everywhere. It's truly a terrible song.

[Three Valves]

Curses!!

I just heard it...

Happy Xmas (War Is Over) by John Lennon.

Peace = surrender to Commie invaders.

Nice!!