Re: Hymn tunes

>What about the composer who writes music for a hymn that already has a
>perfectly good tune?

I am in two minds on this one (and everything else! ;-) ).  We must recognise that the 
hymnody must
evolve if it is to continue to be relevant, both musically and textually.  Composers 
should also
have the opportunity to set words to music and exress existing texts in their own 
style.  In some
cases they can improve on the 'traditional' approach, or bring newer meanings to the 
words through a
different musical approach.

At the same time, we must also be aware that the hymns we sing speak to us from a rich 
cultural
history, and have a tonality and a specific cultural flavour.  As a child I was aware 
of the fact
that some hymns (O Jesus I have promised) were sung to modern tunes, while others (He 
who would
valiant be, When a knight won his spurs,  etc.) communicated at a deeper level of 
imagery and were
invariably sung to older, traditional tunes.  Sometimes,  the combination is such a 
strong synergy
(Wir plflügen (Dresden) by JAP Schültz is a striking example) that other combinations 
are
unthinkable.  Such synergy makes for a durability that contiues to give relevance to 
the message
hundreds of years later.

Some hymn texts can be regarded as poetry in their own right, and while the language 
may be
outmoded, there is a directness of thought that is sometimes lacking in contemporary 
lyrics (George
Herbert's Teach me my God and King for example).  Here in Denmark there is a wealth of 
lyrics from
the Lutheran tradition onwards, and it is intriguing to discover gems from Thomas 
Kingo and see how
these have influenced the development of the Danish church tradition through Grundtvig 
to this day.

To sum up, while I can see that each generation must revise the existing hymnody to 
meet changing
needs, there are some core features that are enduring and will continue for many years 
to come.  As
individuals we must take what we need and contribute what we can.

 best regards


Simon Drew