Immortal Invisible and When A Knight Won His Spurs

[TheTecknician]

Fun fact, just in case you didn't know. The words to these hymns can be transposed to each other's tune. Both are in 3/4 time.

Similarly with Amazing Grace and I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing, although these two have different time signatures.

That's all!

I have a little giggle when people choose 'Dear Lord and Father of Mankind as a wedding hymn.

"Dear Lord and Father of mankind
Forgive our foolish ways " always seems such an odd line to start a wedding ceremony with.

‘…reclothe us in our rightful minds…’😂

I think people choose wedding hymns for the tunes and not the lyrics. I love dear Lord and Farher of Mankind, but agree it’s not really suitable for a wedding. Mind you, Amazing Grace isn’t either, and loads of people have that.

That reminds me of one of DMs anecdotes. She and DF once attended some event at a different church where lunch was provided but it was very small pieces of pie. During the service after one of the hymns had this verse:

We thank Thee Lord that thou hast kept the best in store
We have enough, yet not too much to long for more
a yearning for a deeper peace (piece!) not known before.

https://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/hymn-lyrics/my_god_i_thank_thee_who_hast_made.htm

she said they caught each others eyes and had a hard time suppressing giggles.

I love dear Lord and Father of Mankind, but agree it’s not really suitable for a wedding. Mind you, Amazing Grace isn’t either, and loads of people have that.

Amazing Grace isn't the liveliest tune. It must be quite difficult for a congregation which isn't accustomed to singing and many of whom might not even know it.

I went to a funeral a while ago where we had Eternal Father Strong to Save because the gentleman had been in the Merchant Navy. But they played a backing tape with music and voices, so it wasn't all left to the congregation and actually didn't sound too bad. And most of those present were of an age to know it anyway, unlike a wedding where the congregation would probably tend to be younger.

(My favourite version of Eternal Father... Is the one sung at Prince Philip's funeral. Four voices in the empty chapel.)

Was it O Brother man, hold to thy heart thy brother? That’s the one I remember singing to O Danny Boy

We did There Is A Green Hill to House of the Rising Sun too. Had a large crush on a boy who could play it on guitar (I gather it's a really easy piece too!)

Oh, we picked it quite deliberately for that line!

Ah, this thread is making me miss hymn singing...some great ones mentioned! Not hymns, but i remember being told at school that "Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag" and "Its a long way to Tipperary" harmonise together. Apparently in the First World War, one carriage of soldiers on a train would sing one and the next carriage would sing the other. No idea if that bit is true!!

We also had The King of Love My Shepherd is (I mentioned that already upthread) and the clergyman suggested I skip the verse "Perverse and foolish oft I strayed but yet in love he sought me" but I actually chose the hymn specially for that verse which always makes me well up. I felt like a wedding is a good time to admit your faults before making your vows.

https://open.substack.com/pub/counselofperfection/p/when-a-knight-won-his-spurs?r=7wxlo&utm_medium=ios

You can sing "Swing low, sweet chariot" at the same time as "He'll be coming round the mountain when he comes" and "I’m gonna sing, sing, sing", and they all harmonise. I have a feeling there's a fourth that we used to sing along with them that fitted as well

I chose When a Knight Won his Spurs for my dad's funeral. I'm not even sure now why (was 15 years ago), but I'm sure I remember it being one of his favourites.

I too can still sing all the words,despite having had no interest in church or religion throughout my entire life!

I am going to book a ticket to the ‘primary school bangers’ tour off the back of this thread 😀.

Oh, wouldn't that be amazing! Bags I a ticket!

@TheTecknician - have you come across the ‘One song to the tune of another’ round on I’m Sorry, I Haven’t A Clue?

https://jamesbpartridge.com/pages/tour

I haven't. Not much of a radio listener.

No, that’s not familiar.

Re Danny Boy - was it "I cannot tell how he whom angels worshipped"?

Anyone else remember "Autumn days and the grass is jewelled"? I lived under the Heathrow flightpath and never ever once saw "jet planes meeting in the air to be refueled" which was deeply disappointing when I was at junior school

JamieFraserskneewarmer

Anyone else remember "Autumn days and the grass is jewelled"?

My DDs loved that and were very unimpressed with me for pointing out that "jet planes meeting in the air to be refueled" was a terrible line.
I remember the "and a win for my home team" line being followed by an enthusiastic "Yay!" too.

Military aircraft can and do refuel midair, I believe.

Military aircraft can and do refuel midair, I believe.

They did as far back as the Falklands conflict. But it's a horrible rhyme for jewelled and not really in keeping with the preceding image of autumn days and dew soaked grass.

True!

What could we rhyme it with instead? Gruelled, tooled, unspooled?