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Featured Censoring Choir Music

Discussion in 'Music Ministry' started by FR7 Baptist, Apr 29, 2012.

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  1. FR7 Baptist

    FR7 Baptist Active Member

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    My church used to make the choir sing censored versions of some songs. For example, if a song had the H-word, D-word, or W-word, we had to change it or we couldn't sing it. Here are some examples:

    Dirty version: "Let the people dance/ let the people sing/ 'Worthy is the mighty King.'"
    Clean version: "Let the people shout/ let the people sing/ 'Worthy is the mighty King.'"

    Dirty version: "I lift my hands in total praise to You."
    Clean version: "I lift my voice in total praise to You."

    Dirty version: "Love has come to walk on water/ turn the water into wine/ touch the leper, bless the children/ love both human and Divine."
    There is no clean version of this song. We weren't allowed to sing it at all.

    A few years ago they stopped doing this and we've performed all of these songs in their uncensored versions.
     
    #1 FR7 Baptist, Apr 29, 2012
  2. Scarlett O.

    Scarlett O. Moderator
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    We still do the censored versions. Drives me slam up the wall! :BangHead:

     
    #2 Scarlett O., Apr 29, 2012
  3. FR7 Baptist

    FR7 Baptist Active Member

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    What types of stuff do they make you censor?
     
    #3 FR7 Baptist, Apr 29, 2012
  4. Scarlett O.

    Scarlett O. Moderator
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    Total Praise, the one that you mentioned. We have all the "I lift my hands in total praise" - marked on our choir music to "I life my voice in total praise."

    Anything in choir specials that refer to lifting hands are altered. And our congregational songs are sometimes altered if we use the screen for the words.

    One such change is in the song "He is Here". The phrase, "you can touch Him" is altered to "you can trust Him".
     
    #4 Scarlett O., Apr 29, 2012
  5. Tom Butler

    Tom Butler New Member

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    The Baptist Hymnal (1991) changed a word in the hymn "Alas and Did My Savior Bleed" (At the Cross)

    The original line was "would He devote that sacred head for such a worm as I"?

    The revise line was "for sinners such as I."

    My wife refuses to sing the revision.
     
    #5 Tom Butler, Apr 29, 2012
  6. Tom Butler

    Tom Butler New Member

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    I'll have to confess that I'm a stickler for doctrinally correct hymn texts. In fact, I have refused to use hymns that I thought were of line.

    I'm thinking of a Southern Gospel song (whose title has left my mind) which contains the line, "if anybody makes it, surely I will."

    I wouldn't mind revising it, but I can't think of anything that will fit, so our men's quartet doesn't sing it.
     
    #6 Tom Butler, Apr 29, 2012
  7. Jerome

    Jerome Well-Known Member
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    Found this gem in the CCLI manual [Christian Copyright Licensing International, royalties-capturing mechanism for "off the wall" songs]:

    "The following activities are prohibited under the terms of the license agreement: altering or changing the lyrics"
     
    #7 Jerome, Apr 30, 2012
  8. Arbo

    Arbo Active Member
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    Hand is verboten?

    I need to watch my language!:smilewinkgrin:
     
    #8 Arbo, Apr 30, 2012
  9. annsni

    annsni Well-Known Member
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    Why do you say that CCLI is for off the wall songs?
     
    #9 annsni, Apr 30, 2012
  10. mandym

    mandym New Member

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    I do not understand the use of the word "dirty".
     
    #10 mandym, Apr 30, 2012
  11. jaigner

    jaigner Active Member

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    That version has been in effect long before the 1991 hymnal.
     
    #11 jaigner, Apr 30, 2012
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 30, 2012
  12. menageriekeeper

    menageriekeeper Active Member

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    Honestly if my church pulled something like this, they would no longer BE my church. If I want to raise my hands in worship then that is between my and my Lord, not the pastor, the deacons or the congregation.

    I lost my patience for such shenanegins years ago!
     
    #12 menageriekeeper, Apr 30, 2012
  13. Jerome

    Jerome Well-Known Member
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    Annsni, the non-hymnal ditties—you look up on the wall/big screen for the words.
     
    #13 Jerome, Apr 30, 2012
  14. Doubting Thomas

    Doubting Thomas Active Member

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    What's just as bad as the kinds of examples described in the OP, are examples of PC revised lyrics as found in mainline Prot denoms. For instance, I have noticed at some Christmas Eve services these changes:

    "Good Christian FRIENDS Rejoice" rather than "Good Christian MEN Rejoice"
    and
    "Mild He lays His glory by; born that WE no more may die" instead of "...born that MAN no more may die" (in 'Hark the Herald Angel Sing)

    There were a few others, but there are the two I recall off the top of my head.
     
    #14 Doubting Thomas, Apr 30, 2012
  15. annsni

    annsni Well-Known Member
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    Ahhh - I thought you were saying that they were nutty songs or something.

    Doing the stuff to put "on the wall" is my job so I don't mind them. :) I actually prefer the projector over the hymnals because we have more songs and can put up scripture during the instrumental parts.
     
    #15 annsni, Apr 30, 2012
  16. Jerome

    Jerome Well-Known Member
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    Here are a couple of censorship howlers from 'Reformed' hymnals:


    Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

    . . .Light and life to all He brings. . .

    Psalter Hymnal alters to "Light and life to us He brings"


    To God Be the Glory

    . . .And opened the life gate that all may go in. . .

    Trinity Hymnal alters to: "And opened the life gate that we may go in"
     
    #16 Jerome, Apr 30, 2012
  17. annsni

    annsni Well-Known Member
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    Oh brother! LOL
     
    #17 annsni, Apr 30, 2012
  18. Doubting Thomas

    Doubting Thomas Active Member

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    Ha, Ha :laugh:
     
    #18 Doubting Thomas, Apr 30, 2012
  19. Tom Butler

    Tom Butler New Member

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    I'm sure you're right. I remember as a child singing "such a worm as I" our of the old Broadman Hymnal. I didn't have later Baptist Hymnal editions to compare when I wrote my earlier post.
     
    #19 Tom Butler, Apr 30, 2012
  20. matt wade

    matt wade Well-Known Member

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    It's interesting that Paul3144 and Scarlett O. are both Southern Baptist. I thought it was only IFB that pulled stunts like that? For the record, none of the IFB churches I have been in, nor the one that I am currently in, have any problem singing the words mentioned.
     
    #20 matt wade, Apr 30, 2012
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