Dan Kimball writes on his blog, how he found a couple sermon transcripts by Nicky Gumbel. In those he found two letters written from individuals
in churches, who were complaining about the song selection and music.
One letter said:
“I am no music scholar, but I feel I know appropriate church music when I hear it. Last Sunday’s new hymn – if you can call it that – sounded like a sentimental love ballad one would expect to hear crooned in a saloon. If you insist on exposing us to rubbish like this – in God’s house! – don’t be surprised if many of the faithful look for a new place to worship. The hymns we grew up
with are all we need.”
This letter was written in 1863 and the song they were concerned about was the hymn “Just As I Am“.
Another letter said:
“What is wrong with the inspiring hymns with which we grew up? When I go to church, it is to worship God, not to be distracted with learning a new hymn. Last Sunday’s was particularly unnerving. The tune was un-singable and the new harmonies were quite distorting.”
This letter was written in 1890 and about the hymn “What A Friend We Have In Jesus”.
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