I vote that the name of the tune is WOOD

oi vey.

How about MADERA?

or, better yet: GRACIOUS DWELLING ?

Noel... it's ANADAMWROTETHISHYMN... jees after our big discussion on what makes a hymn yet!

Salieri:

Adam and I bequeathed this to the world for all time years ago when we put it together. I put my copyright on it for the musical portion, but you are free to use it. Please send us a recording so we can hear it for real.

Very lovely, both words and music. Francis, please forgive me, I immediately came up with an alternative melody to these good words. edit .. which is now in a different post.

mrcopper:

Are you going to put an SATB accomp to that melody? Would like to see that too!

If a Wood and a Chuck could chuck wood, how much wood would Wood and Chuck chuck?

Francis, I'm pulling my contribution out of your thread, with apologies for hijacking and appreciation for your original music ... Jackson makes a good distinction about hymn types below, so I will proceed as for a processional, while yours seems more devotional. I'll make a different thread with Adam's text.

Chonak is quite right about the processional register of this tune, whatever it's called. The placement of hymn-tune within the liturgy has almost as much weight as text. An entrance hymn should always have a certain processional gait and aura, while its text introduces the day's theme. An offertory hymn (or anthem) should, likewise, have definite theological depth related to the day's theme, and should have a certain musical sobriety. For either of the above, one would countenance, say, Lauda anima or Abbot's Leigh, but definitely not Moscow or some such. Any hymns sung at commuions should be prayerful and foster devotion, while dismissal hymns should have a similar ecclesiastical aura to that of processionals, with perhaps a little less gravitas. (It is clear that our hymnal publishers do not have these matters in mind when providing hymns for most Sundays and solemnities.)

I am loving both text and tune as well! The first three notes called to mind "Wie schön leuchtet" -- was this intentional, Francis? Whether it was or not, I think it's brilliant.

"Wie schön leuchtet"....Epiphany...now I am calling to mind the Peter Cornelius "Three Kings."

Thanks, I called my new thread "O Gracious Subdivision" (two dwellings built, expecting more) which I thought was very funny but then perhaps it might be taken as disrespectful so I changed the title.

mrcopper:

I kept the tempo at a stately rate so that it is more like St. Anne's. Short, yes, but still works.

mrcopper

please feel free to post your version of the harmonies. in my mind, this one is exactly how i like it.

mrcopper:

lol... no, it's a sign of perfectionism, and i have the same infection. it's a good one to have as long as it doesn't stop you from getting your stuff out in the public. that happened to me for many years when i was young. could never finish anything cause i was too particular. i am still particular now, but old age and a bit of wisdom and reality helps me push the babies out of the nest before they get too attached to the nest.

William -
I like your tune. It does have a certain gravitas. However, I think it would be improved with a few rhythmic alterations and shortening of some of the long and tied notes. I'm comparing it mentally with a superb tune with tremendous gravitas which appears at no. 544 in The English Hymnal and is one of the grandest tunes ever. It is called Psalm 68, and is ultimately of German origin (compare to O Mensch bewein dein Sunde gross). You might find it exemplary in your own tune writing.

I think your tune has great potential and will try to put up some of my suggestions tomorrow.

I'm flattered at all the attention my text is getting.
And my Laissez-faire philosophy of copyright licensing permits the adaptation.

But I must state:

I really do not approve of the additional text.

I am somewhat ambivalent about the pronoun switching and re-ordering my my verses. It makes sense on a certain level, but then it requires a new ending - and I really dislike what you have come up with here.

I welcome discussion on the rearrangement, and other suggestions for improvement. And replacements for the mrcopper's additions.

Two other notes:

1. I think 5 stanzas of Long Meter is about the perfect length for a hymn. So instead of adding verses, two other musical options are:
- let one stanza be half the the tune
- compose a bridge for stanza 3, making the form ABCAB

2. The fact that the text has been changed should be noted on any scores. Something like-- Original Text by Adam Wood; alt. and additional text by William Copper (or whoever else comes up with a better four lines).

If anyone else has ideas or suggestions regarding the text, please bring them. I view hymn text writing as a collaborative, iterative process.

Come, one and all,

Yech! How 'bout this:

Come, all you men of humble heart,
On the our Lord's Epiphany,
To join the Sages' tuneful art
And hymn the glorious Trinity.

all you men

No.

I thought about "all and one" in place of "one and all" ... but mayhaps the following is more acceptable:

Then let all come, with humble heart,
On this our Lord's Epiphany,
To join the Sages' tuneful art
And hymn the glorious Trinity.

Chuck, I'm not fond of the possessives ... too many ssess esspecially on the final verse. But "Then let all come" is good!

I'm not sure a doxology works as a second half of a musical iteration.

A proposed first-half of v3, to add to Adam's four lines:

You hold this myst'ry in your heart,
a revelation long foretold;
so hold us there, to never part
from Him whose Word is more than gold.

Maybe the best "fix" for the problem is to subtract four lines from Adam's text (at random! :-) ), and be happy with a two-verse anthem.

Another version with the second half of the third verse blank, and taking into account Jackson's comment about the rhythm. A three-repeat organ mp3.

O gracious dwelling of our King, rise up, and let the Magi in,
Who come to honor, laud, and sing the Child who saves us from our sin.
They offer gold and rich perfume, and all the gifts they have to bring,
To praise the One who from your womb came forth to be our Lord and King.

You are the temple, you the star, the tabernacle full of grace,
A host for pilgrims near and far, on earth the purest Holy place.
From you, O Queen, O seat, O bride, the greatest King is born to earth.
To Him and you the wise shall ride to gift and praise the Holy birth.

Then let all come with (somethin rhymable ideally with an OR sound)
to (bring to mind the meaning of Epiphany and the sound of O)
And like the sage of old (rhyme more) and (wrap it up with another O)
Your offspring shall our Shepherd be, and our salvation, source and store;
You are our grace, our [hymnody,] our life, our hope for ever more.

Your offspring shall our Shepherd be, and our salvation, source and store;
You are our grace, our [hymnody,] our life, our hope for ever more.

I'm not sure what's wrong with the original version of these line.

Your offspring shall our shepherd be, and you our Mother, evermore.
You are our grace, our life, and He— our sure salvation, source and store.


As to the rest of the Mad Lib. This is sort of how I work anyway, but the devil is in finding those damn words. (It seems your proposed rhyme scheme is off, though hard to tell.)

"They offer" instead of "We offer" is starting to grow on me. Does anyone else have an opinion on this change?


And I hate "sage of old." It's almost as bad as "Mary mild."