From the Revd Jonathan Page SCP
Sir, - The Revd Dr Gordon Giles (Comment, 8 November)
advocates changing the words of "I vow to thee, my country" so that
it can be "sung with integrity"; thereby, he questions the
integrity of those who sing it as printed in their hymn-books.
While I acknowledge that the line referring to "the love that
asks no question" is difficult for some, when it is applied to the
armed services, where the questioning of orders would be absolutely
disastrous for both safety and discipline, it makes sense. It is
our duty, the duty of the civilian electorate, to ask
searching questions of our political leaders and to hold them to
account for their decisions.
The words, as Dr Giles points out, contain no [explicit] mention
of God. Nevertheless, the reference to "King" is surely not too
difficult to interpret. He goes on to say that the notion of
"vowing"to a country challenges sensibilities today. Whose
sensibilities? In my experience and for my congregations, it is one
of the most popular hymns we sing, up there with "And did those
feet . . ." and "Onward Christian soldiers".It is worth noting that
the hymn is also extremely popular among those who serve in the
armed forces.
JONATHAN PAGE
Christ Church Vicarage
Bridge Street, Belper
Derbyshire DE56 1BA
From the Revd David Hewlett
Sir, - The real problem is making subtle changes that are
acceptable to bereaved families and wedding parties and yet remove
some of the unwanted theology.
I concluded that simply changing line 3, removing the "love that
asks no question" sentiment, to "the love that's shown in
service, the love that stands the test," serves this
purpose.
I also found that preaching on this on Remembrance Sunday a
couple of years ago, saying that freedom and justice demands that
we ask questions, helped this transition.
DAVID HEWLETT
The Vicarage, Greencroft Avenue
Corbridge
Northumberland NE45 5DW
From Mr Brian Coomber
Sir, - The article by the Revd Dr Gordon Giles about this hymn
raises some interesting points. Has anyone, however, thought about
the Remembrance Sunday hymn "The Supreme Sacrifice"? To me this was
the ultimate Remembrance hymn, sung only once a year: inspiring
words and a moving tune. I am aware that revisionists would like to
remove it.
I first sang it as a chorister, aged nine, until I changed
parishes some 40 years later. The new parish did not use it, and
the priest explained that there was only one Supreme Sacrifice, and
that was that of Jesus. After a change of priest, it crept in last
year. Of course, at the Cenotaph, even this year, the tune to this
hymn was played, but the hymn was not sung.
The only objection I have to the "I vow" hymn is that the tune
was purloined from Holst's The Planets and is somewhat
throat-stretching.
BRIAN COOMBER
57 Buckingham Road
Shoreham-by-Sea BN43 5UB
From Mr Andrew Smith
Sir, - The Revd Dr Gordon Giles raises the question whether the
continued use of "I vow to thee, my country" is appropriate in the
form in which we have it today.
Similar questions can be asked about "O valiant hearts", a
favourite of Margaret Thatcher, now dropped from most commonly used
hymn books, but still resurrected in some churches on Remembrance
Sunday. "Proudly you gathered, rank on rank to war, As who had
heard God's message from afar," it declaims, drawing a parallel
with Jesus's self-sacrifice: "While in the frailty of our human
clay, Christ, our Redeemer, passed the self-same way."
As we approach the centenary of the outbreak of the First World
War, and reflect on the millions of lives lost in this most
pointless conflict of empires, is it not time that this hymn, which
seeks to equate lives sacrificed violently in the service of the
State with the non-violent sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, is
finally laid to rest?
ANDREW SMITH
4 The Weir
Whitchurch
Hampshire RG28 7JA