Does anyone else despise the hymn Onward Christian soldiers marching as to war?

[hrmjustin]

It just seems too war like. It is in the Episcopal Hymnal but I have never heard it played at a mass in my church.
Thoughts?

[haikugal]

1. I've always hated that song...

was it written for the Crusades??

[hrmjustin]

3. here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onward,_Christian_Soldiers

[Phillip McCleod]

2. damn creepy?

but then with music it all depends. hymns are all cacophonous because of the untrained crowd singing them, but i find i can put up with the most atrocious lyrics as long as the music knocks me off my feet.

[hrmjustin]

4. I just found this version of it on youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=0Vua7LwiAQ0

[Phillip McCleod]

8. yeah that version's horrible..

..i looked around a bit and couldn't find anything better, either. a version with bagpipes was almost tolerable for a while. seems to be a fairly marginalized tune. all the links were a bit creepy, like the song.

[bmbmd]

10. Wow.

Beautiful and uplifting. Thanks for posting.

[hrmjustin]

12. try this one.

&feature=player_detailpage

[Agnosticsherbet]

5. War and Christianity have been married since Constantine the Great and

the battle of Milvian Brdge in 312 C.E.

They go together like Baseball, Hotdogs, Apple PIe, and Cheverolet.

The talk about the Price of Peace, but 1700 years as the God of war has left its mark.

[hrmjustin]

6. Unfortunately Christians have proved you right on that.

[bmbmd]

7. I believe the actual lyrics

are "as to war', not "unto war". Big difference. I love the old hymns.

[hrmjustin]

11. Yes as to war is correct. I will correct it.

I understand loving the hymn but to me it just seems to warlike but than again I could be wrong. I heard it once at St. Thomas on fifth ave. NYc and it sounded nice.

[bmbmd]

14. When I was a kid, many years ago,

at the First Methodist Church in Hometown, USA, we would have "Fifth Sunday SingSongs". In every month in which there was a fifth Sunday, the evening service would consist of a pot-luck (usually Methodist-fried chicken) followed by an hour of joyful singing from the old Cokesbury Hymnal. This tune, with many others, was a staple of those not-to-be-missed evening services. Very fond memories of a long ago, happy time.

[hrmjustin]

15. I wished we have hymn sings in my parish.

We did it once when the parish meeting to elect our officers went much faster than expected and the polls had to be opened for an hour, so the organist played for us. I am Episcopalian myself.

[Bad Thoughts]

16. I think the key is that it's British, not Christian

It's imagining Christians as an alternative to the imperial British army. In some ways, it's a similar type of service to empire. It might not save the hymn--make it less creepy--but it doesn't imagine Christians at war.

[struggle4progress]

9. The hymn calls for hope and charity

[hrmjustin]

13. The salvation Army uses it.

I am not a big fan of the SA, but they do good deeds for the most part.

[Freddie]

17. Gorgeous melody

Sir Arthur Sullivan, of Gilbert and Sullivan fame, so dated around the turn of the last century to the 1920s (way after the Crusades!) I too find the words a little too "warlike". I don't think the hymn is sung in the Lutheran church anymore but it was when I was a kid.

[hrmjustin]

18. I posted two versions of it here. Hope you enjoy them.

[Freddie]

19. Thank you!

A bit of trivia: one of John Philip Sousa's most famous marches was "March of the Mitten Men", later retitled "Power and Glory", based on "Onward Christian Soldiers" with a great countermelody. The Sousa band played for many summers at Willow Grove Park in suburban Philly and Thomas Mitten ran the old Phila. Transit Authority, which ran the trolleys that got city folks to the park. Sousa asked Mitten if he had a favorite song and Mitten replied he liked that new hymn by Sir Arthur Sullivan. As they didn't have good copyright laws in those days, Sousa borrowed the song for a march in Mitten's honor, dedicated to the men who ran the trolleys that got folks to the park ("Mitten men.&quot

[hrmjustin]

20. You know your trivia!

[goldent]

21. I know of this hymn but don't remember ever singing it at church

Probably not a "Catholic" hymn

[hrmjustin]

22. very protestant.

[okasha]

23. One which may actually be a Crusader hymn

is the very unwarlike «Fairest Lord Jesus.» It's documented securely as far back as 1607, but the language is that of the troubadour or minnesinger extolling his lady's beauty.

.....Fair are the meadows,
Fair are the woodlands,
Robed in the blooming garb of Spring.
Jesus is fairer, Jesus is purer,
Who makes the woeful heart to sing.

Substitute Blanchefleur or Helena for Jesus, and you have a medieval love song.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

24. I hate it too.

Sang it in church where I went to First Grade. Episcopal Day School.

I hate most of the Protestant dirges, especially Amazing Grace.

I hate AG because I am not a wretch, and I don't think anyone else is either. I think it's insulting to humanity. Original sin is insulting to everyone who's had to sit in church and listen to that giant lie.