Do you have a favourite hymn or hymns ?

[WildRosie]

I'm not remotely religious so asking this question probably makes me a hypocrite but anyway. Most of us were exposed to the rite-of-passage primary school dirges such as When A Knight Won His Spurs (I'm not sure that's even a hymn) and The Golden Cockerel but I'd be surprised if the likes of these featured in a Christian Church service. But, to answer my own question, I think Abide With Me is my favourite, followed closely by Morning Has Broken. I concede these might be popular choices but I don't know that many hymns to begin with .

Guide Me Oh Thou Great Redeemer.
There is a Green Hill Far Away.

Also love

Colours of day- sung this at my Catholic primary school. Very joyous hymn

Forgot
As I kneel before you- beautiful
Great idea for a thread

Tell out my soul
To be a pilgrim (but with the old verses about hobgoblins and foul fiends - wonderfully fire and brimstone!)
Jerusalem

Had all three at my wedding

@MostIneptThatEverStepped that Neil Hannon was lovely-brought a year to my eye and reminded me of Drink to me only with thine eyes. The Duke special & Neil Hannon version wasn't what I went up the ailse to at my wedding 😍

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pGfPvyU3280

Great thread! My favourites are Jerusalem and Lord of the Dance. Also love Here I am, Lord.

I just watched Ruby Turner and Jools Holland perform Abide With Me from Westminster Abbey. It wasn't half bad but it's better done by a choir.

@YellowPostItPad
I love Rend Collective too!! So many good songs, but I love that video when at the end there's the little goldfish in his bowl floating on the water
I also love Phil Wickham This is Amazing Grace

At this Westminster Abbey service, the difference in height of the choirboys is quite marked - I guess there's some variation in age. Some of them don't appear to know the words either😉.

I'm Welsh so used to hymns not just in chapel and school but for communal singalongs.
This is American 'shape note' music, but singing along really helps for stress:

I love the Chris Tomlin version of Amazing Grace with the "my chains are gone, I've been set free" bit in the middle. I grew up listening to a different last verse though - rather than "the earth shall soon dissolve like snow..." we sung the version "when we've been here ten thousand years..." which I much prefer.

A couple of these are not hymns, but there's a few good Welsh hymns here:
www.walesonline.co.uk/lifestyle/fun-stuff/8-welsh-songs-achingly-beautiful-11693991

And this recording from a few decades ago has all the old Welsh favourites:

[quote Madhairday]Here is love vast as the ocean is so beautiful.

[/quote] Welsh version here:

@WildRosie

Are any or all of these hymns particular to certain branches of Christianity or are they inter-denominational ?

What sort of music, if any, is performed in synagogues and mosques ?

Depends I think. Some are inter-denominational, some not so much. Apparently there are Catholic hymns with the same kinds of tunes, but whenever I've been to a Catholic mass, I seem to have missed out on them and only hear the soloists signing a psalm.

"I think that what makes a hymn a hymn is it's timeless quality - some have been sung in churches for over a hundred years and will probably still be being sung in the next century, whereas modern worship songs, whilst having great music and lyrics don't have that lasting quality, they are replaced with newer songs every few years."

Hymns follow some rules about the types of chords they can have. I can't remember exactly now, but we had to 'compose' some in music class and it was quite structured.

@Chimchar

I'm welsh. Predictably maybe, I just love Calon Lan. Makes me weepy when sung by an old fashioned male voice choir.

Gwahoddiad is lovely. Myfanwy (it's sung at the end of Twin Town).
And also Bread of heaven.

I agree (although Myfanwy is a folk song of course). I love Gwahoddiad / Mi Glywaf Dyner Lais I hear thy gentle voice - an American hymn originally I believe.

Also Mae'd eisiau di bob awr / I need thee every hour

I miss congregational singing so much.

It's so depressing not being able to sing together.

Let us build a house where love can dwell

I love the lyrics of this hymn and am proud of the fact that in our church congregation all are truly welcome. I know that's not the case everywhere, I am lucky. I miss it so much.

Let us build a house where all are named
Their songs and visions heard
And loved and treasured, taught and claimed
As words within the word.

Built of tears and cries and laughter
prayers of faith and songs of grace
Let this house proclaim from floor to rafter

All are welcome, All are welcome
All are welcome in this place

The first time we get to stand together in church and sing a hymn, no matter which one it is, I will cry my eyes out. Even if it's my least favourite.

music.youtube.com/watch?v=3z7Beqm-QvI&feature=share

For those with hymn playlists, this is one of my favourites. And it's a virtual hymn.

@NannyR

I love the Chris Tomlin version of Amazing Grace with the "my chains are gone, I've been set free" bit in the middle. I grew up listening to a different last verse though - rather than "the earth shall soon dissolve like snow..." we sung the version "when we've been here ten thousand years..." which I much prefer.

Pentatonix have just released an acapella version of this which I really like.

(Quoting and posting a link all in one post, either I'm levelling up or this will all go horribly wrong!)

@Wildswim as much as I love the words of a mighty fortress... sung like that feels a wee bit odd to my ear. Have you heard Christy Nockles version?

@sunniest
Pentatonix Hallelujah and Mary did you know are favourites of mine 😊

@cravingthelook , I hadn't heard the Christy Knockles, it's a completely different tune, but could grow on me.

Funny, I normally don't like the type of accompaniment used in that virtual version, I'm not especially a fan of trombones, but for some reason it works and I find it very moving.

Oh God Our Help In Ages Past. Has anyone mentioned this yet, apart from me just now ?