Jerusalem

I like it and they used to sing it a lot at my grammar school. It is poetic and I really like Blake but it is not a biblical hymn and not something they would ever have in the church I attend. Too ‘English’- I go to a Presbyterian church .

It's an interesting mixture of metaphor and reality.

Summerfly

Bidach, I stand corrected. Of course it is. I must be getting rather muddled in my advancing years 🥹

You and me both!😁

Bidach, I stand corrected. Of course it is. I must be getting rather muddled in my advancing years 🥹

The most rousing version was this one when used for the England football team.

youtu.be/QF7llhC7MLM?si=BXmVKsT-pTGsyKVY

WI's still sing it. Beautiful hymn.

Glorianny

Just brings memories of the Deputy Head- a rather eccentric figure who strode around the school in his black gown-peering at us over his glasses and announcing. "If you knew the real meaning of those words perhaps you wouldn't sing with such enthusiasm." None of us knew anything about Blake of course.

i was very startled by this image, until i read it again, and realised that there was an 'r' in the word that follows gown.
(now that really would be eccentric).

Now you're misinterpreting my words, paddyann! 😃

I didn't say anyone who disliked the words was promoting evil, rather that the words in the hymn can be interpreted as a fight against evil.
I'm sure you abs others who dislike the words know the dark Satanic mills does not mean actual mills, the Industrial Revolution. Jerusalem is not the actual city either.

It's about the fight of good over evil, which we all have to strive to do.

Summerfly

I love the beginning of Jerusalem.
Last night as I lay sleeping, there came a dream so rare, I stood in old Jerusalem beside the temple there, Alone a boy was singing and ever as he sang, me thought the voice of angels from heaven in answer rang.
Me thought the voice of angels from heaven in answer rang…….

That's a different hymn, called 'The Holy City'.
The refrain goes:
" Jerusalem, Jerusalem, lift up your gates and sing
Hosanna in the highest, Hosanna to the King".
To which, as children, we sang:
"You're losing 'em, you're losing 'em; lift up your trousers, do.
Whose are they, whose are they? They don't belong to you."

I like to listen to all the "Anthems". Praise the Lord the King of Heaven, I vow to thee my Country. along with Jerusalem. To be honest I find most English hymns rather wishy washy, I'm Welsh and attended a Welsh Chapel. So many of the Welsh hymns have far more "hwyl".
I only wish that the rest of the world found another Welsh Hymn-tune to sing to. I'm getting quite fed up with listening to "Bread of Heaven" all the time.

Grandmabatty

I'm a big fan of Jerusalem. I love Blake's use of language and it fits the music perfectly in my opinion. The forcefulness of 'Bring me my bow of burning gold', not to mention the use of alliteration and metaphor throughout. Lovely.

That’s more like it. The words, of course, came well before the tune. The composer, Hubert Parry, wrote orchestral music, even symphonies, but he is largely remembered for “Jerusalem” and the marvellous “I Was Glad”.

It’s a great stirring hymn isn’t it? Many schools use it as the school song and my Mum says she can warble all the words as she used to go to WI.

My late father always said the Nazis had the best tunes during WW11 especially marches.He wasn't in any way promoting evil ....Nor am I, I just find the lyrics cringey and odd for a Hymn,please dont put words into my mouth that were never intended .I get more than enough of that on this site !!

Aveline

I hated loathed and despised 'Jerusalem'. What a foolish song. When we had to sing it at school after the line, 'and did those feet etc..?' I always shouted, 'No. Don't be ridiculous!'

Oh dear. Have you no poetry in your soul?

This was a favourite in my school in the 60's also.
Emerson, Lake and Palmer did a great version of it.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbMJN35q1BQ

Those who dislike it don't agree with the fight against evil, then?

Oh dear Aveline twice in one week we've agreed on something !Find the lyrics of this "hymn" ridiculous ,not that it was sung in our schools in the 60's.

Aveline

I hated loathed and despised 'Jerusalem'. What a foolish song. When we had to sing it at school after the line, 'and did those feet etc..?' I always shouted, 'No. Don't be ridiculous!'

I don't hate it - but have always found it completely ridiculous.

It was the hymn we picked for my dad's funeral many years ago. He wasn't religious, but he was a keen Labour supporter, and at the time Jerusalem was sung at the Labour Party conferences. It was so uplifting that day.

I'm a big fan of Jerusalem. I love Blake's use of language and it fits the music perfectly in my opinion. The forcefulness of 'Bring me my bow of burning gold', not to mention the use of alliteration and metaphor throughout. Lovely.

An interesting take on it here:
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/culture/39697/almost-everything-you-know-about-the-hymn-jerusalem-is-wrong#:~:text=Misunderstandings%20of%20the%20poem%20have,who%20grinds%20down%20human%20souls.

What a great hymn.
It was sung at our wedding - in Church - many years ago
Would it be allowed now??

I certainly don't need to be 'taught complicated symbolism' and deeply resent that anyone would think I did.
Signed Dr Aveline.

I always enjoyed singing Jerusalem at school and church and Last Night of the Proms.
Many years later I also enjoyed singing Richard Stilgoe's version incorporated in the Calendar Girls 'Hi, we're the W.I.'

Just brings memories of the Deputy Head- a rather eccentric figure who strode around the school in his black gown-peering at us over his glasses and announcing. "If you knew the real meaning of those words perhaps you wouldn't sing with such enthusiasm." None of us knew anything about Blake of course.