17. Hymn Meters.
Meter (English, Metre) refers to the rhythmic element in poetry:
a. the number of lines in a stanza. b. the number of syllables in a line. c. the arrangement of accented and unaccented syllables.
The figures attached to the tune names in the Hymnary indicate the number of lines in a stanza and the number of syllables in a line, e. g., 8.7.8.7. means that the hymn has four lines in each stanza, the first line being made up of 8 syllables, the second of 7 syllables, the third of 8 syllables, and the last of 7 syllables. The figures are placed there to facilitate the fitting of tunes to hymns, a responsibility which is left now-a-days largely to hymnbook editors.
A given tune may be used with any variety of hymns provided the latter have the same meter as the tune. Likewise a given hymn may be sung to any tune that fits its meter, e.g., “Come, Thou Almighty King,” set to the tune, “Italian Hymn,” as both have the meter pattern 6.6.4.6.6.6.4. This is also the meter of “My country ’tis of thee” set to “America.” Hence the words and tunes of these hymns may be interchanged. As a matter of fact, “Come Thou Almighty King” was originally used with the tune “America.” The practice of using alternate tunes is less common now than formerly and must be done with care for while the meters may be suited, the words and tune may be incompatible otherwise.
Meter Names
A few meters have specific names. These, with their abbreviations are as follows:
Short Meter (S.M.) 6.6.8.6, e.g.
| Blest be the tie that binds | (6) |
| Our hearts in Christian love: | (6) |
| The fellowship of kindred minds | (8) |
| Is like to that above. | (6) |
Short Meter Double (S.M.D.) is used for a tune in which the quatrain is repeated, e.g. “Terra Beata” ([48]), set to the words “This is my Father’s world.”
Common Meter (C.M.), also called Ballad Meter, consists of four lines of 8.6.8.6. syllables, e.g.
| In Christ there is no East or West | (8) |
| In Him no South or North; | (6) |
| But one great fellowship of love | (8) |
| Throughout the whole wide earth. | (6) |
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.