Nearly all the metrical psalms appeared in this meter. _Common Meter Double_ (C.M.D.) is employed when two Common Meter quatrains are used to form one stanza, e.g., “It came upon a midnight clear.” (75) _Long Meter_ (L.M.) consists of a four line stanza in which each line is of eight syllables, e.g., Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; (8) Praise Him, all creatures here below; (8) Praise Him above, ye heavenly host; (8) Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. (8) _Long Meter Double_ (L.M.D.), not often used, consists of a stanza of eight lines, each line of eight syllables, e.g., “The spacious firmament on high.” (50) Accentuation In setting a hymn to music it is important that the accented syllables of the poetry fall on the accented beats of the musical bars. Try singing “Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling” (456) to the tune “Ich weiss einen Strom” (232). The meter is the same in each case—11.7.11.7.—with refrain—but the words and tune are obviously not suited to each other because of differences in accentuation. 18. Hymn Tunes. a. What is a good tune? b. Importance of tunes. c. Composers of tunes. d. Sources of tunes. e. Tune names. a. What is a good tune? The quality of a tune must be judged by its definite and restricted use. It is to be sung by a congregation of people, the majority of whom have had only limited musical training, and without benefit of rehearsal. The tune must therefore be judged by such questions as these: Is it singable? Are the parts within easy pitch range of the voices? Is it free from difficult intervals or modulations into other keys? Is it interesting? Does it create a worshipful atmosphere? Does the mood of the tune fit the mood and thought of the words? b. The importance of tunes. The tune is of great importance to the success of the hymn. Our “best hymns” owe their popularity in many instances, to the tune with which they are associated. On the other hand many excellent hymns remain unused because the tunes given them are too difficult or too uninteresting. It is the tune that creates the mood of worship and charges the words with emotion so that their message is carried forth with feeling and power. c. Composers of tunes. The story of the development of the hymn tune begins with the worship song in the Temple at Jerusalem where the psalms were sung antiphonally by priests and people accompanied by harps and trumpets. Little is known of these tunes or their composers. This early Christian music would doubtless sound strange to modern ears. The important names in the roll of church musicians, from the early centuries to the present time, include the following: