JohnV
Puritan Board Post-Graduate
David:
For Away In A Manger that was definitely it. But I was thinking about which words to Hark! The Herald Angels Sing. I think it was the entire refrain, but I still can't recall the exact objection. Very likely it was that the song states that the angels sang, when the text avers they said.
I still think that "said" could be included in the notion of singing, and that the text would not necessarily have to state that they sang. That would not really be pertinent to the text, especially if it is understood that such expression would be done in singing. The text refers to the content, not the tune or harmony of voice. But the harmony would clearly be inferred in the fact that it was a host speaking in unison. That, even in our day, is considered song, even if it is only a chant.
But I'm not going to make a federal case over it. Christmas season will soon be done, and we'll be discussing other important matters again. We could, though, spend the year discussing whether it was a Silent Night, or whether the sheep were scattered on the ground, or whether the angels sang in Latin, i.e. "Dona Nobis Pacem, Gloria in Excelsis", and many other things. Or we could just restart the discussion on Exclusive Psalmody. For now, I'm going to fine-tune my guitar, and practice Silent Night for our family Christmas gathering. I've sent my brother my arrangement, and we'll try it when he and his family come down for the gathering.
For Away In A Manger that was definitely it. But I was thinking about which words to Hark! The Herald Angels Sing. I think it was the entire refrain, but I still can't recall the exact objection. Very likely it was that the song states that the angels sang, when the text avers they said.
I still think that "said" could be included in the notion of singing, and that the text would not necessarily have to state that they sang. That would not really be pertinent to the text, especially if it is understood that such expression would be done in singing. The text refers to the content, not the tune or harmony of voice. But the harmony would clearly be inferred in the fact that it was a host speaking in unison. That, even in our day, is considered song, even if it is only a chant.
But I'm not going to make a federal case over it. Christmas season will soon be done, and we'll be discussing other important matters again. We could, though, spend the year discussing whether it was a Silent Night, or whether the sheep were scattered on the ground, or whether the angels sang in Latin, i.e. "Dona Nobis Pacem, Gloria in Excelsis", and many other things. Or we could just restart the discussion on Exclusive Psalmody. For now, I'm going to fine-tune my guitar, and practice Silent Night for our family Christmas gathering. I've sent my brother my arrangement, and we'll try it when he and his family come down for the gathering.