As a pastor I just had to jump in on this one. The question for me is the definition of an "old hymn". When a parishioner wants to sing the "old hymns" in my congregation, they invariably mean gospel songs from about a 40-year period in the late 19th century (Old Rugged Cross, In the Garden, etc.) Anything outside of that, even if it be from the 6th century, is a "new song" to them. Apparently 3 or 4 generations ago, at least in this part of Kentucky, these were the gospel songs (at the time probably 'radical') that were embraced, adopted and taught to children as the "traditional" music of the church. If you go back further historically, in the Reformed churches the hymns themselves were considered suspect - any human poetry set to music was inferior to the Psalter, i.e. singing God's word. For a couple hundred years the Psalter alone was used in worship (and to my mind they were on to something). I find some of the old Psalms (of which the "Old Hudredth" is perhaps the best known today) to be very moving and even timely.

Unfortunately American culture is so overwhelmingly individualistic it has affected the radical communitarian nature of the church, and this comes out in discussions of worship music, as we tend to "I'm OK you're OK" and "whatever makes you feel good is right" kind of thinking rather than really grappling with how to worship God as a community of faith and what part music plays in that. Striving to be "non-judgmental" sometimes boils down to an attitude of "keep the customer satisfied" rather than challenging people to new levels of faith and understanding.

That being said, I have introduced my congregation to "canting" the Psalms (as was done 500 years ago or so - radically new!!) and the worship style of the Taize community, in which the music is often guitar-based and repetitive, but in a way that is almost chant-like and conducive to contemplation. I also find some of the old monastic plainsongs to be incredibly haunting when played on the bowed psaltery. But my community would probably be just as happy singing Fanny Crosby hymns every Sunday!