I'm not a big fan of the new songs, I like the book that came before because I grew up with them. Most of the time, the same songs are repeated over and over again at the Kingdom Hall, it gets boring. And some of the songs aren't very lively or as beautifully written as others.
why did they have to butcher the kingdom melodies?
by purrpurr 63 Replies latest watchtower bible
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RichardHaley
In retrospect, that was one of the first changes to the new JW.org and the killing of the religion as we knew it.
agreed!
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factfinder
compound complex,-
you got to work in the bindery back then? I was always fascinated watching the books get made when I got to visit Bethel. I have not been to Brooklyn since 03 and Wallkill since 97 and it looks like I won't get the chance to go again.
I'd like to see the new automated book bindery at Wallkill, but, no way to get there.
You did a good job putting those songbooks together compound complex!
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bemused
As a never-in I can only comment on the songs at a couple of weddings I've been to. All I can say is that if those dirges are the choices for a joyous occasion, I'd hate to hear the sombre ones. They were truly awful (though admittedly not helped by a tinny sound system and a poor singing effort from the mainly JW congregation).
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dropoffyourkeylee
The pink songbook is the earliest I remember. The songs were similar in many ways to the hymns in the Protestant US churches, which was the heartland from which the JWs came. The songs were good ones, piano accompaniment was well suited to leading a congregation of amateur singers, and the songs written in four part harmony made harmonizing easy for more advanced singers.
The last two songbooks haved moved away from the church- sound, probably intentionally. The WT is not alone in this, as contemporary Christian music has done the same.
The WT has also changed many of the songs to be more palatable to other cultures (less marching, militaristic wording, suggestive wording ( ie Shulamite maiden), KJ- isms (Calvary), and definitely no more molesting.!
Overall, I really dislike the new book ,except one song (he will call) .
my two cents,
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joe134cd
God I just wish they would put a modern beat to the songs and put a bit of life into them.
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Stormcrow
Does anyone remember the green songbook before the pink one? 1950s + 60s. It had music which, even to a child, sounded holy. The reason given for chucking the green one in favour of the new pink one, was because the songs sounded too much like hymns. Definition of the word hymn : Song of praise to a deity.
I never liked the brown one when it came out. Calling the newer songs pianistic is ever so polite. I thought those ones sounded as if they were written by Beethoven \ Chopin wannabees, and I have read more meaningful lyrics in Rupert the Bear. My favourite song was " The heavens declare god's glory." Did that one make it through the filter?
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SuperBoy
Some of the changes are so minor -on the surface- I wonder why they bothered.
Song 53
They removed a line about peace or unity or something being 'refreshing, it is like the dew'.Song 54
Spark gone, simply be rewriting the chorus.I can't listen to anymore.
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dog is god
The old green song book had some nice tunes and was written in four part harmony. There used to be choir volunteers at assemblies. as time has gone on every musical note sung in pleasure has been choked out. When the brown kingdom melodies came out my ex husband and I were excited for the tapes they published. we were slack jawed in disbelief when we heard how bad they were. both of us were trained musicians and could not believe the arrangements sounded like a 3 rd grade (as in grade school) orchestra. It was embarrassing. I have no idea what the new songbook sounds like. My theory is that they keep dehumanizing everything to a drone level of life. Pretty stark existence.
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dog is god
Ours is the God of true propheseeeeeeeeeeeee.