Born of personal bias and experience, my taste runs to hymns. I like the general melodic lilt and majesty of hymns, but I especially like sung harmonies like that of the hymns of my Anglican upbringing. Many newer hymns appeal to me too, but generally those which have arrangements for up to four parts. I like a descant, fauxbourdon, alternate tunes, alternate verses, and other variables at times, so I don't see hymns as being static.

(I have a guitar student who had me help him with a piece of praise music which repeated the word awesome so often it almost made me renounce my faith...okay, I exagerate...but the lyric was so unimaginative, banal and uncrafted that I can't imagine a congregation of anyone but halfwits enjoying it. It was so simple as to be insulting, but God forgives, right? Anyway, I prefer a bit more intellect in my worship.)

Good organists (someone above mentioned pipe organs) are hard to find these days for parishes with limited budgets. My small town church happens to have one of the finest pipe organs anywhere, and a wonderful man behind it who knows how to lead a congregation and direct the choir. We are lucky and blessed, but given that he's quite beyond normal retirement age, we will someday have to ponder his replacement. Because he's so good however, there's no real movement to get "happy clappy" with the churchfolkguitarstrummersmelodyonlysingers. Maybe someday, but not now.

Lest one wonders, I really like hymns based on old folk tunes (and vice versa) and regularly play mandolin and fingerstyle guitar arrangements of them for my own amusement. As solo performances they are very nice, but one couldn't lead a congregation with them like an organ.

There are hymn naysayers around who haven't heard enough hymns to make an informed decision. For those I recommend some research (I have a small collection of hymn books and like to peruse the web for hymns). There is such a wide variety sung at the churches of one faith alone to give a good idea, but if one is tired of the same old hymns, try attending something other than the same old church (maybe in addition to your regular one).

Every so often I try to experience "praise music" by surfing the net or the cable TV Sunday broadcasts, but so far I'm underwhelmed. I do like to think that "praise music" is in a very early period of evolution and will mature someday, though I doubt it will in my lifetime. We live in hope.

Just some thoughts from a hymn snob. Thanks for listening.

Peace, Mooh.