As I was responding to one of Ray's posts yesterday, I came across a hymn at the Church's website and listened to it being played in tempo as written. The thought came to mind "That is way, way too slow." I stepped it up like 20 beats per measure, and it still didn't even sound as fast as I've heard the Tabernacle Choir sing it. So, I asked myself "Self, why is it that so many hymns are written at such slow a tempo? Is considered irreverent to play and sing them at anything faster than a funeral dirge pace?"
I personally want to press the chapel's fast forward button when these ultra slow songs are put on the program to sing... the result for me at least seems to end up being death by boredom (or feeling like I'm in Relief Society listening to a couple hymns I absolutely cringe at because of the slowness and resultant propensity for people to sing off key -- Because I Have Been Given Much and We Ever Pray For Thee) rather than feeling like it is inviting the Spirit in.
What hymns in your mind, should always be played and sung at a faster tempo than written?
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It seems to me the only thing you've learned is that Caesar is a "salad dressing dude."
For some years in our AZ ward the hymns were occasionally conducted by a convert from the Pentecostal Church. She always did her best to put some zip into most of the hymns. On a few occasions she stopped the opening hymn, chewed our the congregation for singing too slow, and started over again. On a few occasions when she played the organ, it was the same thing. Whoever was conducting and the congregation had to continually catch up with her.
I can't stand slow hymns. I like high tempo, upbeat ones. I've seen in our own ward times when an upbeat, hightempo hymn is turned into a funeral dirge due to a conductor that just wanted things slow. It's depressing. Hymns should make one feel better and upbeat, not like yer dog just died, your pickup broke down, and yer wife left you.
I've been thinking about this since Catherder posted it. I have such a love/hate thing going with secular music that I thought I'd have some definite opinions when it comes to hymns, but it turns out, I just don't. I like some hyms more than others, but for the most part I just sing 'em. Some have definite effects on my mood and spiritual in-tune-ness, but I just never thought of changing them. I guess that would be a reflection of the fact that I don't think I have much music talent.
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"The promptings of the Holy Ghost will always be sufficient for our needs if we keep to the covenant path. Our path is uphill most days, but the help we receive for the climb is literally divine." --Elaine S. Dalton
I keep a lively pace with hymns - it's sort of my reputation now in the ward. And if you're behind, the volume gets louder so you can be sure to know where we are.
Get alive, people!!
But, since I asked to be released, it'll probably get slower and closer to a cadaver choir. Please let us not sing, "Dear to the Heart of the Shepherd"! Anything but that!!
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Life is tough but it's tougher if you're stupid. -John Wayne
feeling like I'm in Relief Society Hey. What's that supposed to mean?
I think just about every song can and often should be done faster than written. However, my new annoyance is a director trying to speed up the song faster than the organist can play. Because then the organist really starts messing up, or just falls behind and we don't know who to follow--the director singing loudly or the organist.
Mainly songs with lots of verses or long verses should be faster. I Believe in Christ. I Know That My Redeemer Lives. How Firm a Foundation. You know the ones, I'm sure.
feeling like I'm in Relief Society Hey. What's that supposed to mean?
Ask my better half when she logs on... Let's just say at this point it is a joke between the two of us, comparing the way they sing in RS compared to the way we sing in Priesthood.
The men are used to singing like two, three, or four songs at a good clip in Priesthood from heart, because the young men who accompany and lead don't really want to be up there so they will play "Praise to the Man" or "Ye Elders of Israel" or "Saints, Behold How Great Jehovah" or "Israel, Israel God is Calling" as fast as they can. Sometimes they get going so fast the accompanist trips up...
If the director who is singing loudly is someone who shouldn't be singing loudly, then definitely, follow the organist, and do so louder...
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It seems to me the only thing you've learned is that Caesar is a "salad dressing dude."
My grandfather was a professor of music, so he generally knew what he was talking about when it came to music and he was VERY PICKY. So he had this ongoing battle with a ward sacrament chorister. She loved to direct things too slowly. So my grandfather, with his well-trained voice, would sing very loudly at the right tempo. So she would very adamantly direct more slowly. From what I understand, it was an interesting, though annoying, battle.
Dynie: My mom's a ward organist. She hates to see songs dragged to death behind a texas pickup truck... so she ignores the chorister if they insist on playing too slowly and she plows on through the song.
There are some songs that will kill you if you sing them slowly... ("I Believe in Christ" being the "Song that Never Ends" in that case).
Once my mom played a song that the whole congregation was trying to sing slowly, she could hear them all faltering, but she just plowed on at a speedy tempo (I think it was "I know that my redeemer lives") and the whole audience almost stopped singing... in order to catch up... She just put her head down and kept playing.
Then again... that's my mom... the most stubborn saint in the church... (even more stubborn than Coco!) Hee hee hee...
--Ray
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I'm not slow; I'm special. (Don't take it personally, everyone finds me offensive. Yet somehow I manage to live with myself.)
Ask my better half when she logs on... 
Let's just say at this point it is a joke between the two of us, comparing the way they sing in RS compared to the way we sing in Priesthood.
