Friday, May 18, 2012

If you take the view that all human culture is 'fallen'...

...then who's to say that this tune is any worse (or better) than the original? This is the old hymn 'In Tenderness He Sought Me' written in 1894, reworked by the Seattle indie rock band Citizens, who are part of the Mars Hill network of churches. All four songs from their new EP 'Already / Not Yet' are available here. In 1894 it was written to suit a tune which was typical of the popular musical style of the time; and as the Archibald McIlroy posting below showed (and also the William McEwan series from November 2011) we can often get 'hung up' on our own ideas of what tradition is, not realising that what we regard as traditional was once very contemporary.



But if you're hankering for the original, and for the words, here it is.

(PS - It would definitely sound better with two male harmony vocals, guitar and mandolin!)

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