New batch of songs

[mikbone]

 

Edited February 14 by mikbone

[SilentOne]

I just came across this About the Hymns section in the Books & Lessons section on the church site: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/sacred-music-gospel-study-resource-pilot?lang=eng

[mirkwood]

So far I am unimpressed with the new choices.

[The Folk Prophet]

I have a distinct memory of singing:

"Don't hide it under a basket...a basket...a basket...", while holding up a finger and cupping the other hand over said finger every time we sang "basket", in primary as a little kid.

Was some version of this song in an old-timey children's song book? Must have been. Or we had a rogue song leader.

I looked it up and the lyrics are typically showing as "Hide it under a bushel? No!" So apparently our song leader was rogue any way you cut it.

[Carborendum]

Jesus wants me for a sunnnn,,, BEAM!!!

I'm going to expose my inner-grandpa.  This is the beginning of the end.  Just like people of the 50s said TV would be the end.  It was, BTW.  It made people stupid.

I'm going to expose my inner-negro.  Those stif-a... white folks don't know how to dance, clap, and sway.  They look like they had a pool stick up their ... and were being waved around like a picket sign.

 

[mikbone]

So how does everyone feel about clapping during sacrament meeting?

I’m for it. 

[LDSGator]

1 hour ago, mikbone said:

So how does everyone feel about clapping during sacrament meeting?

I’m for it. 

I’ve heard it before, but I can count on one hand how many times I have heard it. 
 

I have no issue with it either. I like a lively, energetic and happy ward.  

Edited February 14 by LDSGator

[Backroads]

I'm all for "This Little Light of Mine". And I am so for the clapping.

[HaggisShuu]

On 2/14/2025 at 4:44 PM, mikbone said:

So how does everyone feel about clapping during sacrament meeting?

I’m for it. 

When I first joined the church I found it odd that people didn't clap after people had performed musical items, or at weddings after the couple kiss, I think people can be a bit too stiff in the name of reverence sometimes. 
 

Clapping in a song would be interesting (not sure how some of the reverance purists would react though, I know people who get annoyed with babies for crying during sacrament meeting.) I think the best hymns are the energetic ones. "Called to Serve" is my favourite as it sounds like a brass band march, something like this could be fun. 

[LDSGator]

50 minutes ago, HaggisShuu said:

When I first joined the church

Convert to convert-I can tell you that there is a ton of stuff that can be lost in translation when you join the church. Takes some time to adapt. You are almost guaranteed to commit a faux pas, mention a controversial book, or not get certain names right of famous LDS people. 
 

I met a relative of Bruce McKonkie and she seemed appalled and shocked that I didn’t know who he was. Looking back it was sort of funny. 

Edited February 16 by LDSGator

[HaggisShuu]

Just now, LDSGator said:

Convert to convert-I can tell you that there was a ton of stuff that can be lost in translation when you first join the church. Takes some time to adapt. You are almost guaranteed to commit a faux pas, mention a controversial book, or not get certain names right of famous LDS people. 
 

I met a relative of Bruce McKonkie and she seemed appalled and shocked that I didn’t know who he was. Looking back it was sort of funny. 

I'm nearly 3 years a member now, learn more and more every week. 

[LDSGator]

27 minutes ago, HaggisShuu said:

I'm nearly 3 years a member now, learn more and more every week. 

Enjoy the ride bro. It’s a great experience! 

[Vort]

5 hours ago, HaggisShuu said:

When I first joined the church I found it odd that people didn't clap after people had performed musical items, or at weddings after the couple kiss, I think people can be a bit too stiff in the name of reverence sometimes. 

Applause is a reaction to a performance. Worship services, including musical numbers, should not be a performance—that is, should not be for the purpose of demonstrating skill and garnering recognition. Worship services are about worshipping God, period. Applause would, in almost all cases, be out of place and inappropriate in a worship service. That other denominations applaud their performers during what they consider worship services is of no moment. We know better, or at least we should know better.

[Vort]

On 2/14/2025 at 8:44 AM, mikbone said:

So how does everyone feel about clapping during sacrament meeting?

I’m for it. 

To paraphrase Grumpy, I'm agin' 'em.

[HaggisShuu]

3 hours ago, Vort said:

Applause is a reaction to a performance. Worship services, including musical numbers, should not be a performance—that is, should not be for the purpose of demonstrating skill and garnering recognition. Worship services are about worshipping God, period. Applause would, in almost all cases, be out of place and inappropriate in a worship service. That other denominations applaud their performers during what they consider worship services is of no moment. We know better, or at least we should know better.

I get it now, at the time it just felt atypical. 
I prefer hymns to musical items anyway, they make me cringe a little. 

[NeuroTypical]

I'm thinking @mikbone was referring to this sort of clapping:

 

Interestingly enough, I can find this song sung at the tabernacle in 3 different YouTube videos, and the other two don't have clapping.  Also interesting is during the entire almost 3 minute song, clapping only happens for 12 seconds.  (I believe the front row right balcony people are doing sign language.) 

Clearly we LDS are going to be a hard sell for such things.  Most of us in the US are probably uncomfortable using historically appropriate terms like "negro spiritual".  All the public schooled among us have experienced heavy doses of indoctrination and peer pressure against things like 'cultural appropriation', and although nobody knows what it is, nobody wants to be seen as doing it.

Edited February 17 by NeuroTypical

[Vort]

3 hours ago, NeuroTypical said:

I'm thinking @mikbone was referring to this sort of clapping:

Still agin' it. Such exuberance has its place, but not during our most sacred and solemn worship service.

[NeuroTypical]

Honestly, I don't disagree.  That said, I can find endless bounties of spirituality in music that does not follow the "sacred and solemn" ambiance that's been my sacrament meeting experience since birth. 

I wonder about the vibe found in sacrament meetings in other areas of the world, like Argentina or South Africa or Japan.  Or even a majority black ward in the South somewhere?  Do we have those?

Edited February 17 by NeuroTypical

[Vort]

1 hour ago, NeuroTypical said:

Honestly, I don't disagree.  That said, I can find endless bounties of spirituality in music that does not follow the "sacred and solemn" ambiance that's been my sacrament meeting experience since birth. 

I wonder about the vibe found in sacrament meetings in other areas of the world, like Argentina or South Africa or Japan.  Or even a majority black ward in the South somewhere?  Do we have those?

I believe I understand what you're driving at. But I'm uncomfortable with the seeming underlying connotation that only white people understand the importance of worshipping in solemnity at appropriate times, such as during a sacrament meeting. To be clear, I don't believe that is your suggestion, but I have heard such things all but stated out loud, usually but not always by white people. I can't figure out what might be wrong with teaching new members, regardless of race or cultural background, that certain sacred things are to be done in solemnity of spirit and not with shouting, whooping, and raucous applause.

[NeuroTypical]

Again honestly, I'm driving at nothing.   I have no underlying connotation to convey.   Just stream of consciousness here.   I'm as surprised as you to see an African American spiritual appear in our book of correlated, approved hymns, and I'm reacting to it with various thoughts.

I really do want to travel the world and see the similarities and differences in how different cultures worship as Latter-day Saints, having been converted to the same gospel to which I've been converted.

[LDSGator]

56 minutes ago, NeuroTypical said:

really do want to travel the world and see the similarities and differences in how different cultures worship as Latter-day Saints,

Just travel the nation and you’ll see them. Go from the northeast to the deep south to the west. 

[SilentOne]

1 hour ago, NeuroTypical said:

I'm as surprised as you to see an African American spiritual appear in our book of correlated, approved hymns, and I'm reacting to it with various thoughts.

I was half expecting it. There was language somewhere in the early announcements and information that I thought indicated that adding diverse musical styles was one of the goals of the project, to better represent the greater diversity of cultures in the church since the 1980s.

[Emmanuel Goldstein]

On 2/13/2025 at 9:21 PM, mirkwood said:

So far I am unimpressed with the new choices.

Amen and Amen.

[SilentOne]

I like the ones that I already knew, some a lot.

Of the new ones, I don't think I've listened to them all even somewhat closely yet. Of the ones I have, nothing has inspired particularly strong feelings. But I'm guessing that at least one will at least once over the next few decades.

[NeuroTypical]

On 2/17/2025 at 9:46 AM, NeuroTypical said:

I wonder about the vibe found in sacrament meetings in other areas of the world, like Argentina or South Africa or Japan.  Or even a majority black ward in the South somewhere?  Do we have those?

So, today was ward conference.   The Stake President told us about an experience he had with Elder Stevenson.  The Apostle had called him in for a friendly meeting about how to best forward the work of the kingdom, and how important the youth are to our ability to do that.  At one point, Elder Stevenson said something like this: 

"You North American leaders are TOO STUFFY!  You need to have more joyfulness and energy like the leaders in Africa."  (Yes, our SP used the word 'stuffy'.)

I immediately thought about this thread and the awkwardness about "This Little Light of Mine", and the comments on the importance of reverent solemnity and all that.   Makes me wonder.