Bagpipe Hymn a Day

[OC Richard]

Hello Richard -

I've sent you a PM regarding two hymnals I have and am happy to send your way.

Best,
Joel

And I got them, thank you so much!

I'm particularly fascinated with the 1933 Baptist Hymnal, because it has no tunes, giving just the Hymn-texts.

So it's pure old-school! It gives the meter for each Hymn, for example

386. Oh, it is hard to work for God. C.M.

Now what does that mean? C.M. is "common meter" 86.86

I pull out my handy United Methodist Hymnal and go to the Metrical Index and see that there are around 30 Hymn-tunes in that Hymnal in C.M.

So on a given Sunday the choir director has a large variety of tunes from which to choose, if the choir is to sing #386 or any other Hymn in common meter.

It makes me wonder how common such Hymnals were, where there's no suggested tune for each Hymn, which modern Hymnals have.

Thanks again!