I recently wrote about how we approach Charlotte Mason hymn study in our home. One of the things that continues to bring us joy is incorporating a variety of singing styles as we learn new songs, including soulful renditions of our favorites.
In most cases the lyrics remain the same, but the way they are musically interpreted vary by person and often by culture. Hymns sung by Black choirs or singers in a predominantly Black environment are usually shared in a more soulful style than what is traditionally heard in broader environments. And since living in Georgia, I’ve found that a similar style of singing is occasionally found in predominantly White congregations with rural southern roots.
Sometimes it can be difficult to describe the differences, but people who have heard both styles of hymns – traditional and soulful – will understand what I mean. Sonya Shafer of Simply Charlotte Mason and I shared a laugh about that during our recent Books as Mirrors chat. It was pretty funny! The whole thing is worth listening to, but our hymn giggles can be found at timestamp 19:45.
I also spoke a little about my experiences with Black hymns in homeschool world while chatting with Art Middlekauff about Charlotte Mason and Your Heritage on the Charlotte Mason Poetry podcast. During that conversation, I told a story about a Facebook post I read one time where a mom was complaining that her homeschool curriculum included a link to a soulful version of that term’s hymn. She expressed how difficult it was to sing and how much she disliked that type of music. It struck me how little interest she had in learning to appreciate something new. I wondered then whether she ever stopped to consider that 99% of the hymn links provided across years of lesson plans are targeted into the bulls eye of her comfort zone and what she would say if I pointed out that what she basically just called ugly was one of my family’s highest forms of worship. I remained silent though.
Because music plays such a sweet and prominent role in our homeschool, I intentionally include various versions while learning new songs. The goal is for my children to develop an appreciation and love for beautiful lyrics expressed in a variety of ways and for them to intimately know and love the musicality of those who came before them.
If you’re interested in experiencing the beauty of different hymn styles or if you’re up for trying a few of the hymns that we have enjoyed, here are some links you may find helpful for getting started. Please note that each version is different. I usually try to find at least one that matches our lyrics, but some are just meant to listen to or go with the flow.
Blessed Assurance
- Lyrics & Background or Lyrics PDF
- Lyrics with sheet music
- Traditional
- Contemporary
- Bluegrass
- Instrumental
- Soulful (Version 1)
- Soulful (Version 2)
My Hope is Built on Nothing Less
- Background and Lyrics PDF
- Lyrics with sheet music
- Traditional
- Contemporary
- A capella
- Soulful (Version 1)
- Soulful (Version 2)
- Soulful (Version 3)
Jesus Paid It All
- Background and Lyrics PDF
- Lyrics with sheet music
- Traditional
- Contemporary (Version 1)
- Contemporary (Version 2)
- Celtic
- Soulful (Version 1)
- Soulful (Version 2)
Other hymns we have done the same thing with include The Old Rugged Cross, Something About the Name Jesus, The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power, Precious Lord Take My Hand, Evening Prayer, and so many more. Listening to a variety of versions across the weeks really is a wonderful gift to our children. It teaches them to appreciate the way others worship, even if it’s different than what they’re used to hearing, and it bonds believers through the words and their meaning rather than the notes.
Please share some of your family’s favorite hymns in the comments. I’d love some fresh ideas!
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Hi Amber , I was so happy to see this post because I meant to comment on a previous post of yours where you admitted to enjoying contemporary Christian music with your family. We do as well and it is so surprising to me that you are the first that I’ve seen mention it at all in the homeschool community! I hope you list more hymns in the future w/ a variety of styles. I do prefer when they are in keeping with the original text but musically I like some of the changes from the traditional. Personally we like the Celtic style much of the time. Our favorite is Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing that is sung in the movie Love Comes Softly . A girl named Sarah Noelle did a very pretty version of it on YouTube .
Yes, it has always struck me that contemporary Christian music is never mentioned. I’m not sure why that is because I know so many families that love it. Maybe it just doesn’t seem “school-ish” enough? Well, hopefully that will change because there is some beautiful music within the contemporary genre. I also appreciate when the lyrics remain the same. I definitely enjoy listening to updates, but it does make it much more difficult to sing along when the text changes. I just listened to Sarah Noelle’s version, and it is certainly lovely. My son is starting guitar lessons at the end of January, so I know he will especially enjoy seeing what he may be able to do in the future. Thank you for sharing!
Hi, I’ve been wanting to do the same thing with the Black National Anthem myself. There are just so many different versions, its overwhelming. So many children don’t here it anymore in daily life. Growing up we would sing it at church every Sunday. Happy Holidays. Thanks for such culturally rich content. You fill in so many gaps left by the traditional format.
Happy New Year! Yes, we really enjoyed learning that song. Thank you for the encouragement! I love sharing 🙂
Thank you for the extra links to show how lovely each of these hymns are. We love music in our home. I love so many kinds of music that I often look silly to my family as I interpret my favorites with that moment’s emotion.
I completely understand! I feel the same way. It’s such a delightful time of our day.
I’ve been thinking about how we can incorporate hymn study into our homeschool (I’m just starting my first year of homeschool preschool with my son), and these are such great ideas! I can’t believe I hadn’t found your website sooner. Thanks for being an amazing resource!
Welcome! I’m so glad you found my little slice of the web! I hope you and your children enjoy your hymn studies.
Simply amazing. Love what your about Amber! I just learned about you through Simply Charlotte Mason, during your Books as Mirrors chat. This is just what my family needed. I’m excited to go through more of your resources and begin applying it to our homeschooling. Blessings to you!
I’m so glad that you found me here! I really do hope that you’re able to use many of the things that you find here with your children.
I love this post, and thank you for some fresh hymn links! We love hymns as well, and I also love adding different genres to feature different cultures. This soulful version of Come Ye Disconsolate is one of my all-time favorites. I love playing it at home and meditating on the lyrics: https://youtu.be/VmnnMHGvVJc
Oh, what a beautiful version of that hymn! The choir in my childhood church used to sing that song sometimes, and I’ve always loved it. Thank you for sharing it with us all.
We followed a CM approach for the first 4 years of schooling until my second child’s learning style necessitated an alternative. Now that I’m returning to CM for the youngest 1 or 2 of the five, and I read this post, I’m struck with how our hymn study influenced so much.
The oldest son became a prolific percussionist. The second one sings and plays multiple instruments. At age 9, he finally got me to say yes to his 1-year insistence to apply to be on worship team at our small church. The requirement was anyone under 14 had to join with a parent, even if all the parent did was play triangle. My husband voted himself Not It. So I joined worship team.
They are both now adults and the 9 years I spent on worship team with my sons are some of my most precious memories.
Each worship set included a hymn. The second son knew the lyrics (multiple verses) to all but one of them. When the pastor would share the history of the composition, my children would talk with him after service about other details about the composer… Details that came during hymn study that I had long forgotten.
When more contemporary hymns started showcasing fusion of 2 songs, they were able to help teach the key changes and rhythm shifts…because the songs were known to them (trust me, music theory is not their dream topic… They feel it and could articulate what was needed).
I’m grateful for the hymn studies time investment. I’m grateful we got hymnals to 4 different local denominations. I’m grateful it didn’t seem “embarrassing” to sing with mom publicly… I think the hymn study normalized it. I’m grateful they hear hymns on the radio or spotify shuffle and don’t skip to the next song. Instead, they get a warm fuzzy, discuss it, or even laugh about a key change that was missed once upon a time. I’m grateful that the second son is now composing with another homeschooling peer who came into our community a few years later whose parent emphasized hymn study. They speak the same language.
I’m thoroughly looking forward to the fruit that will come from the seeds we’re about to plant with a fresh go-round with the younger 2. Those two spent their early years watching their siblings sing and play at church. How does that feed them already?
Thanks for this post and opportunity to stop and appreciate the hymn study.
I LOVED reading this! Thank you for sharing such a sweet progression with your children. That motivates me to continue on because we never know which seeds are being planted in our children, do we?
Oh my goodness! Thank you for this. I totally wondered what hymn it was you referred to in that interview with Art, and I am so glad I found this post. I had so far focused on helping my kids hear the words well so either I will sing it to/with them or use a video that was one person singing and it was very simply articulated. I hadn’t thought about having the kids listen to varieties of the song until recently. We are doing a hymn in Recitation right now – His Eye is on the Sparrow – and I realized how different the two versions I know are (the one my mother sang for my kids when they asked the tune and the version my sister and I know and love from Sister Act 2). I am personally a bit eclectic in my tastes anyway, so I love the idea of mixing it up and doing multiple versions. And I also just have to tell you that the “soulful 2″ version of My Hope is Built…” … wow and I totally looked at my husband after listening to it and said “I just went to church!” Each version of all of those hymns you mentioned are so beautiful in their own way. Thanks again for this post! 🙂
I really love that you see the beauty in all of them! I admit that it is nice to be able to learn the song with a simple straightforward version, but then it’s nice to meander through while listening to other people’s renditions. So much richness. And you made me lol about My Hope is Built and going to CHURCH. Yesssss!