New CoJCoLDS Hymnbook and Children's Songbook

[mtnbiker]

Lord, We Ask Thee Ere We Part - combined.jpg

Redeemer of Israel - combined.jpg

'Tis Sweet to Sing the Matchless Love - combined.jpg

We'll Sing All Hail to Jesus' Name - combined.jpg

[Copelius]

Here is one that I submitted. Not much of a chance but it was a fun exercise.

How Vast a Treasure.jpg

[BigFatMeanie]

Most of those hymns with changed bass lines have key changes as well. I wonder what the philosophy behind the key changes was? For some of the bass line changes it makes sense. Not many amateurs can reliably hit the F2

[beefytee]

Most of those hymns with changed bass lines have key changes as well. I wonder what the philosophy behind the key changes was? For some of the bass line changes it makes sense. Not many amateurs can reliably hit the F2

That's what I was going to say. It looks like most those changes were to lower the key and where the bass note is too low (for most) raise it an octave. Generally I agree with that philosophy, but I can also always hit that low F.

Copelius, your song's bass line looks great.

[Copelius]

Most of those hymns with changed bass lines have key changes as well. I wonder what the philosophy behind the key changes was? For some of the bass line changes it makes sense. Not many amateurs can reliably hit the F2

The key changes, as I understand were to help more pianists be able to play. The more flats or sharps, the more difficult or at least intimidating the song can be. It is interesting to note how different keys are more or less difficult to sing in. For example, in the key of D, my voice doesn't always want to finish when I go down to D2. But in the key of B flat I can sing the Bflat1 without excessive difficulty. It is written in Mahler's 8th and also in Mack's "The Prodigal," both of which were fun to sing. I know both Mack and Ron Staheli have transposed songs on the fly up or down a half step and it has helped intonation. The whole thing is quite fascinating.

[mtnbiker]

Maybe I should just take my own hymnbook to church, with the old bass line penciled in. I can hit the low F anytime, too, and maybe the E but not much lower than that. My dad used to sing an old song called 'When the Big Profundo Sang Low C' in ward talent shows.

Copelius, I'll have to get a musical friend play your hymn for me. While the bass line looks promising, I'm afraid my wife would boycott the high soprano notes in the refrain. She doesn't like to power up that high because she has to get loud to do it (although a couple of ladies who sit near us could easily get there).

[Bo Diddley]

I remember my dad talking about how they simplified the playing for pianists when the last hymn book came out. And I liked how they updated some of the choruses.

Sometimes when a bass line moves up and down, I'll simply sing the whole song on the lower octave.

[Katy Lied]

Song in the Samoan Hymnal that is so moving that congregations eagerly sing it and it makes you cry. I wish that one were in the new hymnal.

[Copelius]

Maybe I should just take my own hymnbook to church, with the old bass line penciled in. I can hit the low F anytime, too, and maybe the E but not much lower than that. My dad used to sing an old song called 'When the Big Profundo Sang Low C' in ward talent shows.

Copelius, I'll have to get a musical friend play your hymn for me. While the bass line looks promising, I'm afraid my wife would boycott the high soprano notes in the refrain. She doesn't like to power up that high because she has to get loud to do it (although a couple of ladies who sit near us could easily get there).

I didn't think it was that high. But then I can still get an A4 if I try hard, but it doesn't sound as good as it did 20 years ago. Of course 20 years ago I had a C5 full voice.

[creekster]

The key changes, as I understand were to help more pianists be able to play.

That was my understanding, too. But some of the changes really took a lot of color out of the songs. For example, I Need Thee Every Hour and Oh My Father were both better in Ab and both sound dull and less interesting in G, IMO.

[chrisrenrut]

Song in the Samoan Hymnal that is so moving that congregations eagerly sing it and it makes you cry. I wish that one were in the new hymnal.

A ward in Hawaii had Aloha Oe pasted in the back. We got to sing it since there was a missionary couple leaving that week. It as pretty hard not to tear up singing that under those circumstances.

[All-American]

That was my understanding, too. But some of the changes really took a lot of color out of the songs. For example, I Need Thee Every Hour and Oh My Father were both better in Ab and both sound dull and less interesting in G, IMO.

Oh my father is in G? Shoot, I’ve been playing it wrong for years.

[myboynoah]

Oh my father is in G? Shoot, I’ve been playing it wrong for years.

pfffftt. And they call you All-American.

[BigFatMeanie]

The key changes, as I understand were to help more pianists be able to play. The more flats or sharps, the more difficult or at least intimidating the song can be. It is interesting to note how different keys are more or less difficult to sing in. For example, in the key of D, my voice doesn't always want to finish when I go down to D2. But in the key of B flat I can sing the Bflat1 without excessive difficulty. It is written in Mahler's 8th and also in Mack's "The Prodigal," both of which were fun to sing. I know both Mack and Ron Staheli have transposed songs on the fly up or down a half step and it has helped intonation. The whole thing is quite fascinating.

I could hit a D2 when I was a teenager. But a Bflat1? No way.