dunstan wrote: I'm not arguing that there's particular merit in using archaic language per se, but nor does our devotion have to be expressed in a range of subcultural vernaculars, be they "child friendly language", folksiness or rapper speak.
I totally agree.
I originally trained as a musician and taught the subject for several years. I retrained as a journalist and worked for the Times and the BBC and now find myself lecturing in media.
In both cases – music and journalism – we educate our young people in theory and practice. In neither case do we suggest that they imitate past styles although we expect them to learn them and to learn from them. Language moves – any reporter who now writes in the style of the Times in the 19th century will find little work. Musical language changes more slowly – pivotal points being the Renaissance, the Classical era and the 20th century. All eras produced wonderful – but stylistically different – music.
The melodies of contemporary pop music (may or) may not be suitable for worship but the basic harmonic structure is little removed from the 17th century – hence, the Mindbenders were able to construct "Groovy Kind of Love" from a Clementi Sonatina and the Toys created "Lovers Concerto" from a piece in Bach's Little Notebook for Anna Magdalena. Don't knock Status Quo for being "three chord wonders" – many classical composers were there centuries earlier.
We recognise musical shapes – there are norms – a wise man (I think it might have been Prof Tamblyn but I'm not sure) once said the Beatles were successful because they wrote music which people already had in their heads. In many ways we have not progressed from the 1960s (or do I mean the 1660s?). Why do we still love Pachelbel's Canon? Why do we find Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra difficult to take on board?
Give children a melody line from Pachelbel and they'll sing along far more easily than they might to several modern stomps I could mention. But at that same time what does the language of the Victorian era mean to them? In fact, what does it mean to any of use apart from warm nostalgia? I absolutely love "O Godhead hid" (textually and musically) but understand very little of it. Similarly, I can't quite grasp the refrain of "Moses I know you're the man".
We should think carefully about what we feed our children – and our adults too.
This is a subject about which I feel really strongly. If we do not teach children songs we love, they will be gone for ever! I was once told by a teacher that "There is a green hill" was too much for children to stand! I pointed out that it was written for children and children can stand a lot more than we adults can plus the crucifixion is at the centre of our faith so why not sing about it!