Hymn Mechanics II:
Musical Aspects of a Hymn

Musical considerations in hymns include:

Melody
Melodic range
Interval relationships
Pitch/text relationship (syllabic/melismatic)
Rhythm
Form
Text/tune relationship

I. MELODY. The most important musical aspect of a hymn is the MELODY because it is through the TUNE that the words are conveyed, internalized and proclaimed. Any melody consists of individual pitches organized according to some traditional SCALE or MODE. Here are examples of tunes which demonstrate a variety of scales and modes:

Major Scales: ANTIOCH (MH 246) -- Joy to the world

Minor Scales come in three forms:

Harmonic: EBENEZER (MH 108) -- Once to Every Man and Nation
Melodic: STEADFAST (H40 283) -- Our God, to whom.]
Natural: SALVATION (BH75 320) -- O God of every time] Modal Scales:

MODAL SCALES are those scales which correspond to the 8 CHURCH MODES:

Dorian: WONDROUS LOVE (MH 292) -- What wondrous love
Dorian: DEO GRACIAS (MH 267) -- O Love, How Deep (Goes to natural minor in phrase 3)

Phrgyian: AUS TIEFER NOT (MH 515) -- From deepest woe.

Aeolian corresponds to NATURAL MINOR (see above)

Pentatonic Scales (sometimes called "gapped scales"). There are two pentatonic scales which roughly correspond to MAJOR and MINOR:

Major: NEW BRITAIN (MH 378) [AMAZING GRACE (BH75 1650 ]
Major: FOUNDATION (MH 529) -- How firm a foundation
Minor: PRAISE TO THEE (TAI 9)

Chromatic Scale (uses all 12 tones): SHILLINGFORD (MH 260) -- Christ upon the mountain peak

Alleatoric (rare -- actually I only know ONE, LOL): HYMN (EP 15) -- And there will be signs B. Melodic Range.

II. Melodic Range. By melodic range one means the intervalic distance from the lowest to the highest note(s) in the tune. Generally speaking, the best and most usable tunes have a limited range (an octave to an octave and a third). However, some of the finest and most long lasting tunes have ranges that are far outside this limitation. For example:

HAMBURG (MH 298) -- When I Survey the Wondrous Cross. Range = diminished 5th
NATIONAL ANTHEM (BH 635) -- Range = octave and perfect 5th

III. Interval Relationships. Interval relationships are the intervals that are used between individual melody notes. Some of the most successful tunes (i.e., those with the longest continual usage) are those whose interval construction consists entirely or almost entirely of steps.

HAMBURG (MH 298) -- When I survey

The skips which are used, are generally small (3rs, 4th, some 5ths) and not awkward but contribute to the forward momentum of the melody.

DIVINUM MYSTERIUM (MH 184) -- Of the Father's love begotten
HYMN TO JOY (MH 89) -- Joyful joyful, we adore Thee

Some successful tunes contain many skips -- some large and unwieldy, but nevertheless contributing to the uniqueness (and no doubt success) of the tune:

ST. DENIO (MH 103) -- Immortal, invisible, God only wise
SAGINA (MH 363) -- And can it be that I should gain

On the other hand, some otherwise good tunes remain unused because of the awkward intervals.

ELTHAM (WP 46) -- Nature with open volume stands

IV. Pitch/Text Relationship. Pitch to text relationship applies to syllabic or melismatic organization. Syllabic means one pitch (note) per syllable of text. Melismatic means more than one pitch (note) per syllable of text. Generally, most hymnals include slurs in the music to indicate melismatic sections.

MH 238 -- Angels we have heard on high
MH 302 -- Christ the Lord is risen today

Although modern tunes have come to be more and more syllabic, some of the most successful tunes of the past (particularly those from the Middle Ages) sometimes have long melismatic passages.

VENI EMMANUEL (MH 211) -- O come, O come, Emmanuel

V. Rhythm. The rhythm of any hymn tune is not necessarily dependent upon the meter per se (meter in this context refers to the poetic meter -- how many syllables of text per poetic line). Tunes with the same poetic meter can have any number of variations in melodic rhythm. Consider the following tunes, all in Common Meter (8.6.8.6):

AMAZING GRACE (MH 378)
ST. ANNE (MH 117)
WINCHESTER OLD (MH 603) -- Is this a good text/tune match?
LAND OF REST (MH 269)

No particular combinations of rhythmic values can be said to be more or less effective in the success of a given hymn tune. However, certain rhythmic combinations can have a definite effect on the ability of a tune to be remembered and consequently contribute to its continued use. Consider the rhythm of the following tunes:

SHOWALTER (MH 133) -- Leaning on the everlasting arms
O MARY (MH 134) -- O Mary, don't you weep

VI. Form. The concept of form in music has to do with way an individual piece can be conceptually organized into specific sections. For example, the tune HYMN TO JOY (MH 89), can be divided into four distinct sections: A A' B A'. What is the sectional organization of the following tunes:

MH 103 ST. DENIO
MH 102 NUN DANKET
MH 697 AMERICA

For the most part, the individual "sections" of a tune which correspond to the letters as described above (i.e., AABA), are synonymous with the individual poetic verses (lines). These can also be called musical PHRASES. A phrase in music is "the shortest passage demonstrating a complete musical thought and having a point relative repose (i.e., cadence)." [From Green, Form in Tonal Music]

Without having discussed the harmonic structure of a hymn, one can still talk about a feeling of cadence. The phrase (i.e., sectional) organization of hymn tunes have many patterns. Here are some:

I. two phrase tunes:

a. two phrases (MH 163)
b. parallel period (MH 554)
c. contrasting period (MH 378)

II. three phrase tunes:

a. three phrases
b. phrase plus a period or a period plus a phrase (MH 198 MORNING SONG)
c. three phrase period (MH 92 DIX); 9 MH 132 Michael)

III. four phrase tunes:

a. double period (MH 96 AMSTERDAM); (MH 88 DIADEMATA)
b. two periods
c. two phrases and a period
d. four phrases

The overall form might be one of the following:

a. Simple Binary form (MH 314 IN THE GARDEN)
b. Ternary From (three-part form) ABA (MH 89 HYMN TO JOY)
c. Bar form (MH 286 PASSION CHORALE)

VII. Matching Text and Tune (from Sydnor). Here are some general guidelines regarding matching TEXT with TUNE:

1. The metrical pattern of text and tune must be the same (duh!) Try singing "Stand up, stand up for Jesus" (MH 514) to ST. KEVIN (MH 315): "Come ye faithful, raise the strain"

2. The accents of the tune must match the natural speech accents of the text.

3. The text and tune should match in emotion. Try singing "Let all mortal flesh keep silence" (MH 626) to CWM RHONDDA
Try singing "Stand up, stand up for Jesus" (MH 514) to AURELIA

4. Text painting is important. For example, “Rise up, O men of God” should be sung to a tune which begins with an ascending melodic line, such as FESTAL SONG (MH 576). A tune such as DENNIS (MH 553) would not be appropriate for this text.