Favorite Hymns/Religious Songs

[Guest Anonymous]

I love music and I have a lot of fondness for (some of) the hymns and spiritual songs that I heard and sang while growing up. For instance, a good version of "Down in the River to Pray" never fails to give me chills.

This is one of my favorites:

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On the other hand, if I never hear "Trust and Obey" again, that's fine with me.

Do other FJers have favorites? I'm curious to know what music sticks with people and what makes them recoil.

[anniebgood]

http://youtu.be/8uZ8eRnfxu8

This song. This choir. The simplicity of the melody gets me every time.

[NurseNell]

I grew up with Latin hymns. My favorite is Panis Angelicus:

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If I never hear Tantum Ergo again that is just fine.

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[celestial]

As far as Christmas hymns go, I really like this one:

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It's not one that's popular in the US, so I didn't grow up hearing or singing it, but I think it's really pretty.

[kthomp38+]

I like "Come Thou Long Expected Jesus", "Onward Christian Soldiers", "Count Your Many Blessings" and "Lord of the dance" (http://www.lyrics-house.com/the-dubline ... -18-lyrics)

[NurseNell]

I like "Come Thou Long Expected Jesus", "Onward Christian Soldiers", "Count Your Many Blessings" and "Lord of the dance" (http://www.lyrics-house.com/the-dubline ... -18-lyrics)

I love Lord of the Dance, we've even sung it in Spanish in my church.

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[anniebgood]

As far as Christmas hymns go, I really like this one:

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It's not one that's popular in the US, so I didn't grow up hearing or singing it, but I think it's really pretty.

We sing this the 4th Sunday of every Advent. I love this hymn. the visuals just make it so much more special to me.

[StacyW]

Beth Nielsen Chapman's version of O Sanctissima: http://youtu.be/6Hruh4wcjoo. It always gives me a sense of peace.

[ilovetchotchkes]

Handel's Messiah and Mozart's requiem. Esp the dies irae!

[NurseNell]

Beth Nielsen Chapman's version of O Sanctissima: http://youtu.be/6Hruh4wcjoo. It always gives me a sense of peace.

Another favorite.

[LadyBBR]

My favorites are old fashioned hymns, I guess: Abide with Me and Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.

[latraviata]

Handel's Messiah and Mozart's requiem. Esp the dies irae!

I love Mozart's requiem in particular 'the benedictus'

And I love this one:

[misslady]

Life-long choral singer here, with FAR too many favorites, but I'll try.

For big works, it's the Brahms Requiem.

For hymns, this time of year one of my favorites is "People, Look East", and I am so mad I missed my chance to sing it for the year by staying home from church the other week. I also love the chant-derived ones, like "Of the Father's Love Begotten". And in ordinary time, "A Mighty Fortress" and "Come, thou Fount of Every Blessing." Which I guess makes me pretty old-school.

[LilMissMetaphor]

@Lissar: that's an awesome version, thx.

I really like When Peace Like A River (It is well with my soul)

And Ginny Owens' Be Thou My Vision

Not fond of anything too bloody and gloomy and sonorous.

[ThisOlGirl]

"Ave Maria" is beautiful, and was one of my grandfather's favorite songs. I can't listen to that song without bawling my eyes out.

*And lately I've been loving "God's gonna cut you down" by Johnny Cash (though I don't think he sang it originally). Not really a hymn, but I thought I'd throw that out there.

[ADoyle90815]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPvAQxZsgpQ

Ave Maria

It's not actually a Christmas hymn, but it's one of my favorites. It was sung at my grandpa's funeral as well as at my brother's wedding since he got married in a Catholic church.

[terranova]

Ave Maria, Handel's Messiah, I like Christian Christmas songs too.

[latraviata]

I love Lord of the Dance, we've even sung it in Spanish in my church.

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We played 'the lark' at my sons funeral, it was one of his favorites.

[celestial]

"Ave Maria" is beautiful, and was one of my grandfather's favorite songs. I can't listen to that song without bawling my eyes out.

I recently discovered that I love this song, too! This particular version is lovely:

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[Guest Anonymous]

LilMissMetaphor - glad you enjoyed it. I like "It is well with my soul" too. I agree with you about the blood and gore hymns - we sang about stuff in church that I wouldn't have been allowed to watch on television.

Lots of high church songs represented here! I have listened to and enjoyed many of them as an adult, but I grew up Southern Baptist so they aren't part of my childhood memory jukebox.

Any other former (or current) Baptists or evangelicals hiding their love of gospel under a bushel?

[yetanothermeg]

Ode to Joy, Ave Maria, Be Not Afraid http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/j/john ... fraid.html

For Christmas, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Good King Wenceslas, and my all time favorite, makes me tear up every time, O Holy Night.

[Witsec7]

Waiting for the light to shine is one of my all time favorites. Fred Rose wrote a lot of classic 'church' music, there is a good version of this by the Stanley Brothers.

edited to add link

[1004srs]

I am a cradle Catholic. But, for a few years I went to Lutheran and then a Fundie church. I discovered a love of pretty, church music.

I love "Here I am to Worship" and many of the other songs from Hillsong CHurch.

THat is what I listen to in the car.

[Kishiria]

"Hail To the Hammer" by Tyr is about looking to Thor to defend people through the dark, cold, and often hungry winter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTJi5ImbB7g

[LIzzieB]

While I'm not religious at all, I will quite happily sit through a service if there's good music. In fact, I believe that one of the greatest things that the Christian church has ever done is inspire people to create some incredible music!

I am a handbell musician, so end up playing a lot of this religious music. We play in a Lutheran Lessons & Carols service every year, and their choirmaster and pastor craft a beautiful service where the music matches the liturgy exactly, and the music comes from a different region or country every year. In the order of service, the choirmaster writes a small paragraph about the history of each hymn. He selects unusual, lesser known and very beautiful hymns. This year, all the music came from Germany, which is always the favourite given that most members have German ancestry. We had Silent Night accompanied with just guitar, The Angel Gabriel, In Dulci Jubilo and O Sleep Thou Heaven Born Treasure.

The church is decorated with a 9 foot Christmas tree with handmade and traditional German , a creche and candles at every pew. It's absolutely stunning, atmospheric and for me, is the start of the Christmas season.

We also played in a community Christmas concert a couple of days ago, and they had a few audience sing-alongs. Of course, being the music nerds that we are, my whole handbell group joined in, singing all the harmonies and descants for Hark The Herald Angels Sing, O Come All Ye Faithful etc. We sang at the top of our (quite good!) voices, smiling and laughing at each other the whole time. A great night.