Tasteless Request - "The
Battle Hymn of Love"
Joneen and I were married on May 24, 1975 at Richfield United Methodist Church. The very dignified and competent Senior Pastor, the late Dr. George Chant, offered a very short list of "acceptable music selections." We even had a bit of a challenge to get his OK on a beautiful piece entitled, "The Gift of Love," based entirely on 1st Corinthians 13! It wasn't the words so much as the fact that it was, for that time, considered a "contemporary selection!" Having been a Lutheran Pastor for nearly 25 years, I have presided at over several hundred weddings and often enjoyed exchanging wedding music stories (and battles) with other clergy and musicians. While a lot more flexible in these days than the venerable Dr. Chant, I do say no to some truly awful requests that even by their title should suggest poor taste or lack of committment (e.g. "Take a Chance on Me" by Abba). But my favorite of tasteless requests actually was one fielded by one of our organists at Bethlehem Lutheran in Marysvile, Washington, Linda Hammer. Obviously into hard-core country & western, the bride and groom wanted Linda to accompany a semi-talented duet in a really bad arrangment of "The Battle Hymn of Love." Linda is a very tactful person and gently guided them to something that was still "country" but better suited for the lighting of the unity candle! PS: Call 100 music directors, organists, wedding coordinators, and clergy around the country and you will no doubt have a real crazy quilt of sublime and the ridiculous—and the real stinkeroos! It would be real interesting to see which part of our nation leads in the tackiest department. I do find that the West Coast seems to lack a certain sense of decorum and restraint that my Minnesota and North Dakota (Lake Wobegon) settings possessed, believe it or not! Pastor Jack Richards |
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