Discussions

This Tuesday I attended the Remembrance Day ceremony at Neelin High School. The ceremony was great, the colour guard participated this year, and Sgt. Perry's speech was very powerful. The choir (as always) provided the music for the ceremony. They were talented, but there was one thing that irked me, their song choice.  
 
Instead of singing familiar hymns, we received obscure songs with lyrics that, frankly, made me cringe at some points. One song mentions “O how they walk through the valley of the shadow of death," which was a tad grim for Remembrance Day. The next song was a mandolin tune about someone returning to the forest, a little esoteric. The lyrics in this song went to the extent to say, "They went to the land of the butchered and the damned," and that "they're fighting was in vain." Are these appropriate lyrics or songs for a truly solemn day? People watching the services were actually amused! I found the song choice inappropriate and albeit disrespectful. Whatever happened to “In Flanders Fields” or “I vow to thee my Country”? Those songs are more appropriate! I personally think the song choice was taking advantage of artistic freedoms many soldiers fought to maintain.  
 
I’d love to hear from military personnel on this one. Is anyone as offended as I am?