To think all schools should teach children the old traditional hymns

[Staringintothevoid616]

Just switching between channels and Songs of Praise came on. It was a run down of the most popular school hymns.complete with recorders It brought back many memories and how important communal singing is. It doesn’t matter what your religion is, everyone should know the most popular hymns as a way of uniting society.

I would prefer faith separated from school the same as I like my state separated from faith as well.

Children should receive an agnostic education in my view, learning about all faiths academically and understanding differences in faith and learning respect for those of different faiths and the different practices and traditions.

But hymns are down to taste and religion too surely!!

I asked you politely on the first few posts on this thread if the 616 was related to the 616 used as the precursor to 666 in the bible. It seemed an interesting coincidence given the nature of your post and perhaps an indication that you might have some ulterior motive.

Not a gotcha, not a white rabbit. Just a question that has obvious got your goat.

I caught a few of the hymns before DH hit the delete button. When a knight won his spurs... Loved that. I miss hymm singing, it is separate to religion in my head, although obviously it isn't.

Come on @Staringintothevoid616

This is about your perception of UK culture being diluted. It's not about the benefits of communal singing.

Maybe we have lost a generation (and not knowing hymns is just one angle of one religion replaced with another kind of zealotry) we need to start this as soon as kids enter school

They can learn about that in RS lessons, can't they? Just like they learn about other religions.

It’s interesting that you think it’s an either or situation

The 'no room at the inn' is quite topical,

How does that chime in with traditional hymns?

I'm just saying what I think your main concern is - and I don't think it's singing.

Except that's not what the poster was saying at all.

Yes, it can be quite difficult getting a hotel room over the Christmas period.

I read it as that.

We used to use a song book at school in the 70's/80's that had songs like My Granfathers clock, Obladi oblada, to name a couple, wish I could remember what it was called ?

Then I suspect you deliberately read it wrong.

Tbh you can't really escape Christmas in the UK - it's not as if they will be unaware. In any case, singing hymns isn't actually a very effective way of teaching kids about Christianity. They learn about religions and religious festivals in their RS lessons.

And that wasn't the point being made.

We sang those too!!

That's because you can't see past your agenda.

Well, there's this thing called 'conversation' where people talk to each other at home. So no hymns required.

I wonder why you are so obsessed with hymns, which are inherently Christian, and why you seem to be completely unaware of the existence of folk songs, which would absolutely serve the same purpose? I agree with the benefits of communal singing, by the way - the research on it is pretty clear, and I was working in mental health research at the time the first studies into it kicked off.

But my DS, who has depression, is in a choir. It has benefited him. And they sing a couple of religious items as part of their repertoire, but they also sing ABBA classics (arguably a part of British cultural capital), folk tunes and old school protest songs.

So instead of obsessing about hymns, we could go with 'Blowing in the Wind', 'The Skye Boat Song', 'Scarborough Fair', 'Greensleeves', 'Drunken Sailor' and any one of hundreds more.

When it comes to the Remembrance season, schools intending to sing at memorial services could do this thing called 'learning a song, and rehearsing it, then performing it'.

Your idea that religion and religious songs could in any way be a uniting force is fully ridiculous. Religion is being used to divide right now and we should not fuel that fire.

We absolutely don’t.

If you want to sing hymns then go to church. They’re religious and it’s a choice. They should not be forced on people.

Did it have Lily the Pink in too? I think my dad still has it!

Interesting, you also seem to be seeing what you want to see

Did you? Honestly?

Now we get to it.