An amusing moment in church (yes, in church)

Redwolf · Post by **Redwolf** » Tue May 15, 2007 9:28 pm

So I'm processing with the choir on Sunday morning, and going crazy because I know the tune for the hymn I'm singing is really familiar...and not in a liturgical context. Just as we enter the chancel, it hits me...it's "The Star of the County Down"! I started to giggle, and didn't get my breath back until after the first reading (I'd start to sing and my mind kept supplying "From Bantry Bay to Derry's quay, from Galway to Dublin town; no maid I've seen like the fair colleen that I met in the County Down"

Have a listen here and tell me I'm not crazy (the tune name, by the way, for anyone who has ECUSA Hymnal 1982, is Kingsfold):

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/o/j/ojcrownd.htm

Redwolf

cowtime · Post by **cowtime** » Tue May 15, 2007 9:41 pm

well.... yes you could hear Star of County Down, but you could also hear, as I do at the end of the verse- "Upon the Gallows Tree"...from some old folk tune I use to know and have now forgotten. I've told my priest that every time I play this tune that's what I hear in my head, so I know exactly what you mean. (that's one of the reason's I love Ralph Vaughn Williams tunes in our hymnal)

missy · Post by **missy** » Wed May 16, 2007 3:31 am

we've got one that uses Star of County Down, too - but I can't think of the title of it right now..............

I'll post when I do.

Innocent Bystander · Post by **Innocent Bystander** » Wed May 16, 2007 4:08 am

The Presbyterian Hymnbook has Thomas Moore's "The Minstrel Boy to the War has gone."
Not just the tune, but the words too.

brewerpaul · Post by **brewerpaul** » Wed May 16, 2007 5:05 am

I keep looking, but I can't think of any Jewish prayers with Irish tunes....

Innocent Bystander · Post by **Innocent Bystander** » Wed May 16, 2007 6:17 am

brewerpaul wrote:I keep looking, but I can't think of any Jewish prayers with Irish tunes....

Bris na Fuinneogi!

rh · Post by rh » Wed May 16, 2007 6:23 am

or maybe the bris of tulliemet...

emmline · Post by **emmline** » Wed May 16, 2007 6:49 am

Oh geesh...now my brain is stuck in that mode, trying to dredge up the hymn words while the tune plays, dirge-like, in my mental background.

Caroluna · Post by **Caroluna** » Wed May 16, 2007 7:27 am

We sing two to Kingsfold--
"Come Join the Dance of Trinity" and
"My Soul Proclaims Your Greatness Lord" (based on the Magnificat).
Talking about Mary, or the Trinity, seems very Irish, so I enjoy those two.

But we also sing one called "O Christ the Same", to Londonderry Air

gonzo914 · Post by **gonzo914** » Wed May 16, 2007 7:33 am

emmline wrote:Oh geesh...now my brain is stuck in that mode, trying to dredge up the hymn words while the tune plays, dirge-like, in my mental background.

Play the tune and think of Sam McGee.

hathair_bláth · Post by **hathair_bláth** » Wed May 16, 2007 7:58 am

I don't blame you for laughing. I would have too!

You've got me curious now. Sunday I'm going to have to look at the tune index in the hymnal to see what I recognise!

izzarina · Post by **izzarina** » Wed May 16, 2007 8:26 am

Caroluna wrote:But we also sing one called "O Christ the Same", to Londonderry Air

I think I'd die laughing right there...I wouldn't be able to sing at all!

Redwolf · Post by **Redwolf** » Wed May 16, 2007 9:01 am

Our former rector (otherwise known as "she who must not be named") wrote her own hymn to "The Air from County Derry" and insisted that we sing it. I can forgive the choice of tunes, as the woman was (and presumably still is) utterly tone deaf (she also insisted on chanting the mass, and we used to take bets on how many times she'd change keys during the Sursum Corda), but her lyrics uafásach ar fad!

BTW, if you ever want to have a really good laugh, try singing any Emily Dickinson poem to The Yellow Rose of Texas.

Redwolf

emmline · Post by **emmline** » Wed May 16, 2007 10:18 am

gonzo914 wrote:
emmline wrote:Oh geesh...now my brain is stuck in that mode, trying to dredge up the hymn words while the tune plays, dirge-like, in my mental background.
Play the tune and think of Sam McGee.

I will. Thank you.

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Wed May 16, 2007 11:18 am

Despite the fact that my Meetinghouse has silent worship, we have a large stack of hymnbooks, I think for the many ex-Mennonites who sometimes attend.

Anyway, I've flipped through the books and I've seen quite a few tunes I recognize as Irish or Irish-ish at the very least. The Lord of the Dance is in our hymnbook. I know it's not Irish, but to me it sounds like it could be.

http://www.users.on.net/~arachne/lotd.html