Speaking of Hymns
Sunday, May 17, 2009 at 5:27PM This is such a good idea that it makes me with I’d thought of it.
Sherry of Semicolon is doing a hymn project she’s calling The Top 100 Hymns Poll. Here’s how it works:
1. Make a list of your top ten hymns of all time. Hymn (according to Webster): a song of praise to God a metrical composition adapted for singing in a religious service. For the purposes of this poll, I’m limiting the choices to Christian hymns, but the form of the song doesn’t matter. In other words, the songs on your list should be suitable for congregational singing and should be Christian. Handel’s Messiah is Christian but probably not suitable for congregational hymn singing. Anything you sing in worship service, even what are normally called choruses, is fine. (Oh, English, please, or at least translated into English. Sorry, but it’s all I really speak.)
2.List these hymns in your order of preference. So your #1 hymn would be the one you feel is the best, and so on. I will be giving your first choice 10 points, your second choice 9 points, and so on.
3. Submit your list to me at sherryDOTearlyATgmailDOTcom. Write “Hymn Survey” in the subject line. I’d rather you didn’t leave your votes in my comments here because it’ll be easier to tabulate all the votes if they’re all in my email (plus I want everyone’s votes to be a surprise). Deadline for votes to be sent to me is May 31, 2009.
4. If you like, you can submit a justification for each hymn. Or you can send me a link to an audio or video version online. Include the name of the hymn’s author or lyricist and the composer of the melody you prefer if at all possible, especially if you think I might be unfamiliar with your particular hymn.
Sherry says she will tally everything and
pull from the submitted pieces why one reader or another liked a particular hymn (naming the reader, of course). That way we’ll be able to hear from a whole bunch of people why they love one hymn or another. I will then count down from 100 to 1 over the course of the summer the top choices of what folks feel the best hymns of all time are.
I know a lot of you readers are hymn fans and I hope you’ll take the time to participate in Sherry’s poll. If you have a blog, I hope you’ll grab the details from Sherry’s post and publicize her hymn project on your blog, too. Let’s help her reach her goal of at least 100 lists of top 10 hymns.
And while you’re at it, why not publish your list of top ten hymns on your blog? Because I really do want to see it, you know.
Reader Comments (2)
Thanks Rebecca. I've enjoyed your hymn posts in the past, and I'm looking forward to seeing how this project unfolds.
Hello Rebecca,
I don't have a computer at home and am unable to send my list thru work computer, but, do want to list my favorite hymns. Hope you don't mind me including them here.
PEACE IN THE VALLEY
HOW GREAT THOU ART
AVE MARIA
LET THERE BE PEACE ON EARTH (MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE)
AMAZING GRACE
Thas's it :)
Karen, Monrovia, CA