That’s a good one from John Beag O’Flatharta.

Geoff

“What a Friend” wasn’t even meant to be a country song: it was a poem, written in the 1800s by an Irishman in Canada for his mother back home. But it has been rather fitted into that genre.

Some of the YouTube videos of Southern Baptist ministers leading their congregations in song are quite, ahh, interesting.

And Ireland has produced this country-classic: https://www.godsongs.net/2020/03/the-home-of-the-nazarene-song.html

Sometimes I forget how gentle Catholics are and we got the softer end of the 60s and 70s. Guitars and pianos leave me shaken. I don’t know how I’ll go with the theatre organs St. Pius X speaks about.

I’m still getting over the fact that my local parish has a rock drum kit in the choir loft that is regularly used. The lad who plays it never really gets to unleash his potential, due to the soft and gentle nature of As One Voice.

I have been listening to the recording of Rock Mass For Love from our Anglican Cathedral, and it’s a vibe. Would keep it well away from Jesus, though.

Gio
I grew up in the Presbyterian church singing “What a Friend We Have In Jesus” frequently to the doleful sounds of our ancient and venerable organist. Her son turned up one day with an electric guitar of all things and rocketed through an uptempo country version of “What a Friend” with a revamped tune. I don’t think the congregation ever recovered.

Geoff

But more interestingly, The Cyber Hymnal has many more songs that sound almost exactly like this. And Behold! Good old Billy Kirkpatrick wrote the tune for my favourite hymn on there – ‘Let Me Die’
http://hymntime.com/tch/htm/l/e/t/m/letmedie.htm
The depressing songs with cheery tunes just hit the vibe. #genz

(My favourite section on that website is about cowboys)