Well here is the review of the hymn section of the new LCMS hymnal (LSB) This is coming from a average church member and tin whistle player. This part of my review of the new hymnal is where I will be the most kind to the new hymnal
First they did change some of the tunes for some of the hymns. There are 2 hymns that I like that they changed the key to so I can not play them from out of the new LSB, But there was one I saw that I like the hymn but could not play before, but they changed the tune to it and I can now play it (I just need a lot of practice) That hymn is “Stricken, Smitten and Afflicted”. One problem i have is there are a few (very few to be honest) of the hymns that don’t have any music with them, I am not sure as why, and what one should do with them.
Here is some bad about the hymnal section, some of the new tunes are very complicated, I am now sure how an average church goer that has never had any voice lessons (about 99.9% of most churches)
I will give the hymnal this one thing, while going though it and messing around the tunes that were in the key of F and D I played one from the hymnal and while playing it I recognized the tune as the tune for Ode to Joy. That for me is very exciting that I got to play Ode to Joy, I need a lot of practice but I got to play it, and if I practice it more. I can not believe that I played Ode to Joy!!!! (maybe at the end of the week after I get more practice I will unleash my rendition of Ode to Joy on the internet in MP3 format)
My finally option about the new hymnal, the liturgical section of the new hymnal is just horrible, I would never want to use it in a real service, nor will I be using it for vespers here at my home, for vespers here at my home I will continue to use TLH. The hymn section is good, but a hymnal is more then just the hymn section and the problems with the liturgical section of the new LSB far out weigh the nice stuff in the hymn section.
