to insist that it is 'I love THEE' in Away in a Manger

[Balfe]

I have turned into one of those ancient teachers grouching in a corner but really, they're singing 'I love you Lord Jesus'.... It's got to be proper!

Totally agree with thee, op!!

As for Dominic the Donkey- is Lou Monte an ecclesiastical now?

I hate it when they sing "Round young virgin" when it is 'roun', a contracting of the word around. Drives me nuts! Love everything else about Christmas though

"some people believe this stuff, and they should not be constrained to use language from 150 years ago, to explore or express ideas which for them are part of their everyday 21st century lives"

I do believe this stuff and I agree with the OP that it is lovely to have the old hymns in their traditional forms. We so incredibly rarely use thee and thou in church that I don't think the occasional hymn will hinder my expression of faith.

I do however think that singing the older words is more beneficial to those who might wander into my church, thinking about what they believe, that they find it more familiar to be able to sing the words that they learnt at school and so would feel less awkward and more welcome in a place that might be less familiar for them.

I love it when I can sing the whole carol, 2 or 3 verses, from when I first learned them, 40+ years ago - word perfect!

Kids these days don't learn anything ty rote anymore.

(I can also do a few verses of Hiawatha but never need that these day!)

Scribblegirl I love hearing the descants so I wouldn't moan about you.
I was caught out at my youngest daughter's last carol service at primary school - it was a carol I knew well so I didn't bother looking at the sheet & found the words to one of the verses had been changed (not an added verse), I wasn't the only one confused by this!

I'm shocked.

I'm in my 50s and have only just learned that it's Kin not King.

How did I miss that?

It is Round yon virgin in the original English translation of Silent Night.

Same here @MumGoneWild !
I feel like my 32 years have been a lie!
KIN!
Who knew!

—everybody else apparently—

Kids these days don't learn anything ty rote anymore.

Mine do!

We are so lucky that we are quite a musical staff and we do lots of singing. Every school in the country used to have a piano and at least one member of staff able to bash out a couple of songs.

I feel like a proper teacher during singing assemblies with children cross legged facing the piano.

My dd is singing Good King Wenceslas, it's harder than it sounds to be able to sound like you are singing Wenceslas rather than Wenceslas last. There's a click you have to avoid.

I was at a church event last night (and the place still stands!) and an adult man behind me sang "King" instead of kin. Dh placed a steadying hand on my arm and mouthed "no" at me. 😄

It’s “thee”, it’s “kin” and it’s “my bedside”. Those are the words to the song! Also hate the modern Lord’s Prayer. If the kids don’t understand it teach them what it means!

i thought it was 'yon virgin' as in that virgin over there?

I'm on the fence with this one.

I do like traditional songs, but dd1 sings a version of Away in a Manger which has 'you' and it doesn't bother me so much.

I do get annoyed by kin/king, though, and Good King Wenceslas having his name abbreviated.

Dd1 is also convinced that when the choir sing a song in 'Mary's boy child', the music seemed to come from a farm, which makes me so I haven't corrected her - mind you, ds is still convinced it's 'Farmer Christmas', so maybe that's where she got that one from!

However, I did decide not to join in with Tannenbaum, as I know it would segue into the Red Flag.

i thought it was 'yon virgin' as in that virgin over there?

I don't know why, but this is the funniest thing I've read today. I must have nativity fever

My (music teacher) sister sings the descants at every carol service, it’s fabulous to hear. I love the reactions of those around us!

Is it 'no crib for a bed' or 'no CRISPS for a bed'? as my nephew used to sing?!

Argh, I know. Either sing the original version, or write your own brand new carol if you know better!

'no CRISPS for a bed'? as my nephew used to sing?!

That's a good one

campervan I wouldn't be so sure of that, my range is not what it was as a teenager 😂

"Lo, he abhors not the Virgin's womb" is possibly the worst line ever written, let alone in a carol. You have to admire the self-confidence of whoever it was who wrote it and thought, "Yeah, that'll do."

Ooh while I'm at it, can I enter a vote for those who muck up "Very God, be/gotten not created"?

Pretty certain it is "Round yon virgin." However I spent years singing the We Three Kings verse about myrrh - Locked in the stone-cold tomb.....Apparently it is Sealed in the stone-cold tomb.

Well I really get annoyed at people who slur notes in "Oh Come All Ye Faithful!" ..."born the King of Angels" (Two notes, not three.)

And I agree on lovely old words. Keep 'em!