As a taster, so that you don't think it's only me who can moan and tear what's left of the hair out, here is the header to the blog: (the choice of highlight colour is of course completely accidental, honest, officer...)
Why, oh why, do the editors of hymns books think that it is a good idea to try to 'improve' on the poetry of the original hymn writers and poets? And why, oh why, do churches buy new hymn books that have ruined the old hymns and substituted garbage for fine words?
Catherine Osborne is Professor of Philosophy at the University of East Anglia.
Her books include Rethinking Early Greek Philosophy (Duckworth 1987), Eros Unveiled: Plato and the God of Love (OUP 1994), Presocratic Philosophy: A very short introduction (OUP 2004) and Dumb Beasts and Dead Philosophers (OUP 2007).
Use the index bar of Professor Osborne's blog to read her wise and informed comments on many popular hymns. I shall do so quite often from now on...
PS She couldn't track down Smyttan's original words, either, which makes me feel a bit better.
Ha, how good to discover someone else with the same issues at heart. But your hymn book— I mean, not yours but the Orange Brick you appear to have to sing from— sounds absolutely terrible!
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