A lovely essay that makes me want to find this song about Judas and Mary, which sounds delightful. Thank you.
As a lover of music of all kinds, including hymns and pop and folk songs: “Lord of the Dance” and “Morning has broken” are today thought of as pop-turned-hymns, but they were both originally hymns that became pop songs, and then went back. “Lord of the dance” is set to the tune of “Simple Gifts,” an early 19th century Shaker hymn, and “Morning has broken” is set to “Bunessan,” a Gaelic hymn first written down in the Scottish highlands around the same time. Over time, believers and nonbelievers alike have gotten joy out of singing these as hymns, and then as pop songs, and then as hymns again.
I too worry about what is lost when religious cultural artifacts are lost. On the other hand, a beautiful story is hard to kill, at least permanently. I am a believer, and I know you’re not, but I think we can share the hope that lovely songs and stories can find new life, whether by being resurrected as a pop ditty or remembered in a blog post.
Thank you! I think I knew about Morning Has Broken. I have the Lord of the Dance on the B-side of a single — Kara, Kara by New World from 1971! If I remember correctly there are accusations of heresy about the Lord of the Dance who was a bit too Shiva for some Christians.
I did not know that "Lord of the Dance" had that sort of controversy surrounding it! For what it's worth, both "Lord of the Dance" and "Morning Has Broken" are favorites at my tiny Caribbean Catholic church--as are the original "Simple Gifts" and other variants of "Bunessan."
I also feel compelled to add that the Caribbean has alternate lyrics for some other hymns you mentioned. For instance, our "All Things Bright and Beautiful" mentions guavas and sand rather than mountains and cold winters: https://hymnary.org/hymn/CPWI2010/707
I think I would like guavas and sand better than cold winters too. I'm a big Cat Stevens fan and I sing Morning Has Broken quite a lot (too much for my wife, anyway).
Well, isn’t this gorgeous! I’m going to work this up for mountain dulcimer (an American folk instrument I play) and try to get it incorporated into our church services here on our tiny Caribbean island. Perhaps this lovely song will get a life here, too.
I like the interpretation of Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar. They make him out to be a little-too-passionate good guy until that thing with the thirty pieces of silver that he deeply regrets.
I moved from the USA to Britain as a young boy and then went to a traditional C of E junior school, where we began every morning with hymns, the Lord's Prayer, etc. It was as strange and exotic to me as if we'd travelled to one of the distant lands in a story.
Looking back on my childhood, I think it was very different from what kids experience now and very different from what my kids experienced in California.
My school experience was the same as yours - assembly with a hymn and the Lord's Prayer and maybe a parable read out - some sort of moral story which stuck in the minds of us all, I'm sure.
Belief was irrelevant, it was impressed on us rather that we should take a moral or ethical path in life. I think we have lost so much now that schools can have 'alternative' assemblies, peddling the latest political fashion - so two-dimensional, rather than providing a moral framework for children for life.
A lovely essay that makes me want to find this song about Judas and Mary, which sounds delightful. Thank you.
As a lover of music of all kinds, including hymns and pop and folk songs: “Lord of the Dance” and “Morning has broken” are today thought of as pop-turned-hymns, but they were both originally hymns that became pop songs, and then went back. “Lord of the dance” is set to the tune of “Simple Gifts,” an early 19th century Shaker hymn, and “Morning has broken” is set to “Bunessan,” a Gaelic hymn first written down in the Scottish highlands around the same time. Over time, believers and nonbelievers alike have gotten joy out of singing these as hymns, and then as pop songs, and then as hymns again.
I too worry about what is lost when religious cultural artifacts are lost. On the other hand, a beautiful story is hard to kill, at least permanently. I am a believer, and I know you’re not, but I think we can share the hope that lovely songs and stories can find new life, whether by being resurrected as a pop ditty or remembered in a blog post.
Happy Easter, my friend.
Thank you! I think I knew about Morning Has Broken. I have the Lord of the Dance on the B-side of a single — Kara, Kara by New World from 1971! If I remember correctly there are accusations of heresy about the Lord of the Dance who was a bit too Shiva for some Christians.
I did not know that "Lord of the Dance" had that sort of controversy surrounding it! For what it's worth, both "Lord of the Dance" and "Morning Has Broken" are favorites at my tiny Caribbean Catholic church--as are the original "Simple Gifts" and other variants of "Bunessan."
I also feel compelled to add that the Caribbean has alternate lyrics for some other hymns you mentioned. For instance, our "All Things Bright and Beautiful" mentions guavas and sand rather than mountains and cold winters: https://hymnary.org/hymn/CPWI2010/707
I think I would like guavas and sand better than cold winters too. I'm a big Cat Stevens fan and I sing Morning Has Broken quite a lot (too much for my wife, anyway).
Here you go! I never heard this recording before. It's very good. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfEPLEMVXno
(I just added the video to the post)
Well, isn’t this gorgeous! I’m going to work this up for mountain dulcimer (an American folk instrument I play) and try to get it incorporated into our church services here on our tiny Caribbean island. Perhaps this lovely song will get a life here, too.
I can play it on a harmonica. Make sure you record it and send me a copy!
Judas is sounding a hell of a lot like an effective altruist in this story!
I like the interpretation of Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar. They make him out to be a little-too-passionate good guy until that thing with the thirty pieces of silver that he deeply regrets.
It’s only really St John who suggests otherwise.
I moved from the USA to Britain as a young boy and then went to a traditional C of E junior school, where we began every morning with hymns, the Lord's Prayer, etc. It was as strange and exotic to me as if we'd travelled to one of the distant lands in a story.
Looking back on my childhood, I think it was very different from what kids experience now and very different from what my kids experienced in California.
Very much. Things were changing even as I was going through school. My Californian parents moved our family from LA to Cumbria.
That's a bit of a change!
It was. Back in 1979 when we moved the differences were much bigger than now, I think.
My school experience was the same as yours - assembly with a hymn and the Lord's Prayer and maybe a parable read out - some sort of moral story which stuck in the minds of us all, I'm sure.
Belief was irrelevant, it was impressed on us rather that we should take a moral or ethical path in life. I think we have lost so much now that schools can have 'alternative' assemblies, peddling the latest political fashion - so two-dimensional, rather than providing a moral framework for children for life.
I think we are losing that aspect of English culture. So sad.
Don't forget that Church Of England accepts atheism as a valid form of worship. ;)
Haha!