Bran Emrys at the blog Siris has a very interesting post on hymnic or syllabic meter—the reason that older hymns can often be sung to many different tunes.
I refer you to him to explain, but to play with this a bit: the modern hymn In Christ Alone has a syllabic meter of 8.8.8.8.8.8.8.8, also called Long Meter Double (L.M.D.) One old familiar hymn also has this meter: Sweet Hour of Prayer. However, I’m not too fond of the tune SWEET HOUR by William Bradbury. So, I can turn it around and sing Sweet Hour of Prayer to the tune that Stuart Townend wrote for In Christ Alone.
I like that a lot better.
The tune AMAZING GRACE is written in what is called Common Meter, 8.6.8.6. A lot of hymn tunes, and other tunes, are written with this meter, ergo “common.”
So, lots of hymns can be sung to the tune of Amazing Grace, and vice-versa. Here are just a few well-known hymns that fit the syllabic meter of Common Meter tunes:
O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing
Joy to the World!
Alas and Did My Saviour Bleed
All Hail the Power of Jesus Name
There Is a Fountain
God Moves in a Mysterious Way
Majestic Sweetness Sits Enthroned
O God Our Help in Ages Past
. . . and many more.
Try singing Amazing Grace to the tunes usually associated with those hymn lyrics, or try singing the above hymn lyrics to the tune AMAZING GRACE.
Oh, and the rather haunting minor key tune to House of the Rising Sun is written in common meter, so it accommodates the lyrics to Amazing Grace and all the others.
This is so interesting – I never knew!
Thanks for the tidbit about House of the Rising Sun and Amazing Grace – it was fun to sing it aloud to that tune!
That’s why many hymnals have a Metrical Index in the back. It is possible to switch tunes occasionally–though I would caution against doing this too often. Just be sure the tune you choose has the em-PHA-sis on the right syl-LA-ble.
One further caution. The tune should draw attention to the words and enhance the message of the words. It is rather like the frame of a picture. A gaudy frame that draws attention to itself misses the point. And just because a tune is loved, or fun to sing, does not make it a good fit for every set of lyrics.
With these basic cautions, go to it! Sometimes a change in tune gives folks a whole new awareness of the words they are singing. (A good thing!)
I’ve been swapping tunes this way for years! Currently looking at stringing together a medley of CM an CMD tunes as a kind of folksy choral setting for one of J G Whittier’s long poems.