Foundation Hymn - American style!

[DavebytheSea]

I have today come across this site:

http://conjubilant.blogspot.com/

I notice that John Hopgood has already commented on it.

[Angela Woodford]

The school's become a stately home! I wonder what they imagine an old-world habit to be?

I protest at this gruesome version!

[midget]

That makes two of us!
Maggie

[Katharine]

I see DBTS has written an erudite reply - though he has the date of the merger wrong. The hymn is far too good to be kept just to us, but it should be treated properly and not vandalised!

[DavebytheSea]

I agree with that Katharine - and I'm sorry about my mistake. I should have checked but, as always, I was in too much of a hurry.

I was very cautious about producing the St Mylor version. Like you, I love the strong tune and the stirring sentiments which have a resonance far beyond the school. The problem is, how to translate them elsewhere. I agree that the American version seems rather unsubtle as poetry, but that equally might be said of my version, though I did struggle to preserve Upcott's style and dignity. Verse 3 (in the Mylor version) is a restatement of our church's mission statement which is:

To worship God,
To know Christ better
And to make Him better known

What I think we should remember is that, however awful we may think the American version is, it clearly gives a meaning and depth to a congregation - different to ourselves - on their patronal festival. If this is so, we should rejoice that our Housey export has enriched others in another country and far beyond the bounds of what we may think of as the Cordon Bleu. I also think it is fascinating that someone, somewhere has decided to do what I did at St Mylor. I wonder where else this has happened; how many parish churches are there that enjoy Middleton and the "Lord of Spirits Seven"

[DavebytheSea]

I seem to have overused the word "version". Perhaps I should substitute "virgin" for they, by definition, cannot be overused.

[Katharine]

David, I have just read your version, the American one and our very own (though of course I am not so familiar with verse 3!). I feel yours was done with love of both the language and the sentiment but I don't feel that with the American one. They have stuck too closely to the original with silly changes in my opinioin. Wht have Praise God in each verse rather than Praise him? It doesn't surprise me that the first word of the last vedrse has been changed, when we had our 2000 gathering in Hertford the officiating priest (OB female) said that some of us might not be happy singing that nowadays - so we could sing Sisters if we preferred! (I didn't).

[DavebytheSea]

Thank you Katharine

I must say I have often wondered what the girls at CH think of singing "Brothers, best with righteous living" - Upcott was, after all, writing for a boys' school. I must ask Chloe - ex schola cantorum - about this. I see she is online so I will ask her now. Perhaps she may reply on here ..... ??

[ma_hunny]

Hello,

Well personally I've never had much of a problem with singing 'Brothers', I love the tradition of the school and I think the Foundation Hymn is such an embodiement of the school spirit that changing anything about it would somehow seem quite wrong and unnatural. Females at CH are hardly supressed or demure beings and I think if they felt that it was in any way unfair then they would make it known!

On a practical note I don't believe it would ever stick if people tried to change it, its ingrained in peoples minds as 'brothers' and I think Bruce Grindlay would have a hernia if he had to start allowing alternate lyrics at the discretion of the females tolerance to old fashioned views! Could also run the risk of straying towards the 'whole political correctness gone crazy' scene which CH seems to thus far have avoided as far a possible...maybe things will change now there are equal numbers of males/females though.

[Katharine]

I must say I have often wondered what the girls at CH think of singing "Brothers, best with righteous living" - Upcott was, after all, writing for a boys' school. I must ask Chloe - ex schola cantorum - about this. I see she is online so I will ask her now. Perhaps she may reply on here ..... ??

Yes, sadly it is obvious that Upcott was writing for a boys' school. I am glad that some enlightened soul did bring the hymn north to us in Hertford. (we had it stuck inside the back covers of the hymn books in chapel - did you?) I am also very glad that the days of ignoring the girls of the Foundation are well and truly over!

I was very tired when I wrote my last entry last night - it occurs to me now that the Americans probably changed the Praise him of each verse to Praise God for those who dispute the masculinity of God and want to be inclusive.

[Angela Woodford]

I wonder where CWS found the Foundation Hymn? I might ask her.

I fully agree with Katharine about the American changes! I'm quite surprised at myself - feeling a bit
Blue Chauvinistic? I'm happy to scream with laughter over any parody ever dreamed up when it's Blue!

Munch

[Mid A 15]

I seem to have overused the word "version". Perhaps I should substitute "virgin" for they, by definition, cannot be overused.

Very good David

[sejintenej]

Wht have Praise God in each verse rather than Praise him?

As DBTS has suggested about the word "Brothers" we are discussing the home of PC where God has to be male, female, neuter, hermaphrodite and everythingelse. They simply are not allowed to refer to God as "he" or "him".

I suspect that there is some merkin somewhere preaching that Jesus was a woman in drag.

[midget]

Father Andrew Greely writes novels in which he frequently refers to God as She. My theory is that he does it to annoy the overly feminist and ultra-PC nuns of his country.
Who said "When God created man She was only kidding"?

Maggie