Songs worth very little praise

HOW right was Martyn Scargill (Yorkshire Post, October 21) to criticise the way in which traditional hymns are being altered or sidelined. There does seem to be an obsession by too many to mainly choose new hymns as part of “modern” worship, whatever that may mean.

The new Methodist Hymn Book, Singing the Faith (a disaster in my view), encapsulates so much of this, with wording “updated” unnecessarily, and with a preponderance of these latest hymns/songs.

While this is supposedly being done to encourage younger worshippers into our churches, how on earth will all these people ever be able to know and love the older, traditional hymns when they are now so rarely chosen?

There is no doubt that this is alienating many long-standing church members, and it is surely vital that a proper mix of both is continually provided.

Care solution

From: Richard Johnson, South Parade, Northallerton.

AT last someone has provided the answer to the problem of care for the aged (Yorkshire Post, October 16). The letter from Mr Dales exhibits more sense than our pathetic Parliament.

And if they do transfer the service from the 152 councils to the NHS, as that organisation is badly funded, those councils should pay the NHS what the service costs, by annual contributions.

Not only would this relieve local authorities of the actual work and professional staff, close contact between carers, district nurses and GPs would result in prompt attention to deteriorating cases, so reducing the burden on the GPs and the hospitals.