Ever since I read this interesting post from a fellow hymn-blogger last week, I have been pondering the whole subject of sentimentality in carols. There is no doubt in my mind that the Christmas season is one which stirs up a great variety of feelings in all of us - and for many different reasons. Some feelings have positive connections, some negative.
On Sunday, Dec. 20th we sang as our closing hymn Long ago, prophets knew (words by Fred Pratt Green). The last line of the final verse is: "unborn son of Mary, Saviour do not tarry!" Tears welled up in my eyes as I played. It seems with each year that passes, my prayer grows in intensity that Christ will come again. So - is this sentiment or emotion? Or something else altogether?
Definitions from the Oxford dictionary: emotion - a strong mental or instinctive feeling such as love or fear; sentiment - [I'm abbreviating here] a mental feeling; tendency to be swayed by feeling rather than by reason.
Merriam-Webster is less wordy: emotion - a usually intense feeling; sentiment - thought and judgment influenced by feeling.
Now really, I'm not sure these definitions make things any clearer. And maybe I'm just trying to justify my own feelings! What do you think? Is there a difference between being emotional about a certain carol and being sentimental? Are these differences simply one of implication?
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