The Hymn Society posted a link to this article: I was reminded of the way Celebrating Grace was forced to drop one of the Getty hymns they had contracted for because they did a little revision, without permission, to make it a little less ... Calvinistic or bloody ... I forget which. At Fremont yesterday, saw our current Offertory Doxology (to OLD HUNDREDTH) was
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Whose constant love and grace we know.
Bless now, O Lord, these gifts we give
That others may in your peace live. Amen.
Would Thomas Ken object? The John Newton who wrote "Amazing Grace" didn't live long enough to see the "When we've been there ten thousand years" stanza tacked on the end of it, and several of his verses left out to make room for it.
I prefer "What Child is this?" with the "nails, spear" part intact, not dumbed down into a refrain.
I also tend to prefer more stanzas rather than fewer. "How firm a foundation" should be seven verses. Ditto "O come, O come, Emmanuel". "All creatures of our God and King" should have the death verse. Etc. And I don't insist on it for really long songs, for example I'm happy with five or six stanzas of "O for a thousand tongues to sing", no need to do the whole eighteen...