CHURCH HYMNS
"CLASSED AS SUGARY AND SENTIMENTAL." " CHRISTcIuRCH, 25th May. . "We need to have a very complete revision of our hymns," said the Rev. Gordon Bell, of Auckland, in an address on "Prayer Book Revision," at .to-day's session of the Church Congress. Many of the 1 hymns in "Hymns Ancient and Modern" were bad theology, he added, and failed to bring before the people the majesty and glory of God. As for the tunes, well, they were"" eminently suitable to the hymns. It was when they heard some of the tunes that the real bathos of hymn singing was revealed. The speaker referred to the composers Sir John Stainer, Dr. Sykes, and Sir Joseph Barnsby. These men were pioneers in modern church music, but their school of music was not a school which made for real virile expression in worship. The Church did not want so many chromatic harmonies based on • the tonic and dominant. Many of the tunes could only be classed as sugary and Bentimental. "The English Hymns" was a much better book, and contained some glorious folk songs and national melodies. ■■. . . •. . j
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Bibliographic details
Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 124, 26 May 1923, Page 5
Word Count
185CHURCH HYMNS Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 124, 26 May 1923, Page 5
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