Singing in Church

Well done, your Mum! I'd love to be able to sing with gusto but am too afraid of seeing the people in front of me sniggering at my awful voice. When we were young, my sister and I used to go to Chapel with our mother. There were several people in the congregation with loud, out-of-tune voices. We had to avoid catching each other's eyes or it would set us off, trying to suppress the giggling with hankies over our mouths and heads down behind the back of the pews.
I'm off on a 'Find your voice' course shortly to try to get over this inhibition.
None of my family are blessed with good voices but the ex-teachers all sing out loud because they had to in school and the kids didn't appear to notice.

I think I would have liked your mum NanaNancy

I remember the hymn singing in Chapel where I went three times a day on Sundays. We sang with gusto regardless of talent and I still remember the words to most of those hymns.
Your Mum sounds like she was a great character NanaNancy

My dad had an aunt who sang at his funeral, putting her heart and soul into it, drowning out everyone else with her wavery, high pitched voice.

I belong to a house church where the children often decide to sing their own versions of songs, often with great gusto and no small amount of dramatic delivery.
At the other end of the scale we go, once a month, to the local Nursing Home where we sing the same four traditional hymns every time. It is sometimes very moving to see people who often can't even remember their own children's names, but are able to sing the hymns that they know by heart.

My voice isn’t what it was I must say but I still give it a go, like most others do.Sometimes very older people do seem to be a few beats ahead ( or behind) but sing with gusto regardless. It’s the taking part isn’t it?
I like the sound of your Mother NanaN

I think that’s fantastic. I’d be warbling with her.

I love singing hymns. Our school had a 'musical' reputation and it was a point of honour to sing as loud as possible. A recent 'Old girls' service showed that nothing had changed. We raised the roof with 'Praise my soul the King of Heaven'. The young minister leading the service looked like he'd had the fright of his life! Lovely.

The Bible commands us to 'make a joyful noise unto the Lord'. Nowhere does it say we have to be in tune!

I go by the saying, "Dance like no one's watching, sing like no one's listening..." And if they are, they pretty soon wish they weren't!

Your mum sounds great! Wish more people would just 'let go' and praise the Lord.

God bless your Mum and all those who indulge in similar pleasures. I can rise above the ignorant sniggerers and I'm sure she can too. It's such a good feeling to sing communally. More happy hearts are needed in this current world.

My granny was stone deaf from the age of 26. She was a lifelong churchwoman and would sing at the top of her voice in whatever key she deemed fit, and loudly enunciate all the spoken parts of the service. The vicar, sensibly, followed her lead. He wrote a lovely poem about her when she died which mentioned her speeding along the runway of grace to take off into the holiest heights, with everyone else hanging onto her wings. I do not share her faith, but I did enjoy being in church with her, and yes, we used to laugh!

I've found that nowadays church congregations are so small that you don't have to sing all that loudly to sound as though you're singing over everyone else.

Is there an 'oops' emoticon?

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is snyone cheerful? Let him sing praise!

I don’t understand how people can go to church in good faith and yet laugh at others who are enthusiastic in their praise.

I to love to sing in Church. But, when I was a little girl I remember one hymn, which had the words and with grace we’ll persevere. I piped up afterwards very loudly ,so my Mum said, and asked who is Percy Vere do we know him!

Hildegard your comment made me think of my daughter who when she was about5 thought God was called Peter, and the only boy she knew called Peter was very naughty, so why was that God’s name? I asked why she thought Peter was God’s name and she said because at the end of the service everyone would say “Thanks Peter God” (thanks be to God)

Haven’t been to church recently. Haven’t sung in church since I was little.

When my son was three he sang Baa Baa Black Sheep very loudly while the choir was singing a hymn. His logic was he didn't know the words they were singing so he sang his favourite song.

Yes, those hymns we sang so many times at school never leave me. I always wonder why when singing in my head my voice is OK but out loud not so sure.

Well done grannyactivist bringing memories to the nursing home.

I was always puzzled, when very small,by the green hill that did not have a city wall, and our father in heaven, when I knew our father lived at home with us. Still love singing hymns, though no longer a churchgoer.

DH & I traditionally always accompany my parents every year on Mothering Sunday to the little village church where they live. Yesterday, DD & SIL came with us & the total congregation numbered 15. We had some real rousing hymns such as Lord of all Hopefullness and Dear Lord and Father of Mankind, accompanied initially by a CD player which then gave up the ghost and we found ourselves singing alone....what a great sound we made, all singing along with great gusto and complete lack of inhibition. It was a real treat!

If God had intended my hymn singing to be pleasant to the ear, I can only think he would have seen fit to give me a better singing voice.

He works in mysterious ways, perhaps I am useful keeping others awake during the Mass

We had hymn singing and singing practice in my primary school and the sound of the whole school singing together was joyous.