That’s the way the singing of Taize type songs are, too. We sing a couple now and then in our worship in Troy. Just a couple of simple lines, sung several times, first getting louder, then softer. It’s more meaningful than I’d have first thought.

Here’s an example (not us, obviously):
http://www.sacramentors.org/audio/bless.mp3

About the 19 verses… At the school where I learned Spanish, we’d have a devo each morning and we’d sing the same song over and over and over again. I think part of the reason was just to help us learn a song in a new language. But I loved the repetition. After a few times through, I felt like I was growing into the song. Weird, but fun.

That’s what you want to hear…

Good poetry though. Thanks James.

JH

Yep, there’s definitely a limit to how long a song can go, especially in congregational singing. It is a shame, though, that we often miss out on some eloquent and uplifting lyrics because of the habit of singing the same 1st, 2nd, & last stanza combos all the time.