I always look at the date on the hymmns we are to sing. If the date is in the 70’s (and a LOT of them are) then I know it will have weird rhythm, poor melody, crunchy granola lyrics, and be absolutely unsingable.
Bad music crept into not only the Catholic church but almost all Protestant churches as well over the last 20 years or so. Even the Methodists, with a long tradition of grand hymns, succumbed to the idea of “relevant, contemporary music.”
I swear, the parish I’m currently attending refuses to sing anything that dates to farther back than the mid-seventies. Most should never have been allowed out of the seventies.
There are so many beautiful old hymns in our heritage, easy to sing with lovely harmonies and beautiful, meaningful lyrics. It’s a crime that they’re being ignored by so many parishes in favor of near-heretical pablum. Ugh.
And here I thought I was the only ones. Some of the ones from the 80's are ok.
Actually, I sing in the choir at a church with a pretty decent music program, although it’s a few towns over from mine and it is the only parish with half-way decent music in the area. They have just renovated the 100-year old organ, which is a delight. We sing from the red “Worship” hymnal, which has more decent, traditional hymns than is the usual fare. As a Protestant convert, I do appreciate traditional hymns. I wouldn’t mind a little more Latin, chant and Renaissance polyphony, at least once in a while, though.