Hi! Last week, Trinity Sunday, one of the hymns at church was "Firmly I believe and truly". We had a fairly poor response from the congregation. Some people were singing but a lot of them seem to be quite bemused. I played the tune which I have always played, and in fact the only tune which I know, "Omni Die". This morning I had an email from the vicar, as I will be playing there tomorrow, and he wants the same hymn again but to the "other tune that everyone knows". That is what he wrote. Could anyone please tell me what the "other" tune could possibly be so that I can be prepared. I don't know any other tunes to that hymn and all my hymnals have "Omni Die" as the tune.

I suspect it will be 'Holton Holgate'. Which hymnal are you using?

I've never heard of that one before. I normally use Laudate but sometimes Complete Mission Praise.

Working from memory (will double check) ... Eisenach or Halton Holgate.

My old EH has Shipston.

(ed) no, sorry - Eisenach is totally the wrong metre. Must have been thinking of something else).

You can also use Stuttgart (Bethlehem of noblest cities).

The two most likely suspects are "Holton Holgate" and "Shipston". The former is the one set in Hymns A & M; the latter is the one in English Hymnal. I must admit that in 50-odd years I had never encountered "Holton Holgate" until I went to my present church, but that may just be me. I have also heard it sung to "Sussex", which fits well and will probably be known to all and sundry.

Years ago (back in the 60s), when the 'modern' tune for At the name of Jesus came out (Camberwell by Brierley) in that pinkesh book of 20th century tunes, there was a good tune for Firmly I believe, but as my copy is at school I cannot look it up.

The tune Bourdon 16 refers to is 'Alton', on page 11 of the pink book.

It is a nice little fox-trot by Patrick Appleford. However, the tune detracts from the import of the poetry. In this case the poem is rather fine and noble. Neither term could be used of 'Alton', though as a stand-alone tune is it quite pleasing. Its failure is as an hymn tune, not as a melody in itself.

Barry Williams

Thanks Barry.

I tend to agree, but don't suppose I was much bothered when I was taught it 45 years ago!

The one I like least in the volume is "God of mercy God of grace".

Hope you got the correct tune in time for the service! Sometimes clergy find it hard to understand that the tune normally used for a given hymn is not the one on the same page in the church hymnal.

Well I got there early to check tunes with the vicar. Played "my tune", Omni Die, to the vicar and he said "no, no, no, not that one". Looked in hymnal and found 2 tunes, Shipston and Holton Holgate. Started to play Shipston and he said "yes, that's the one". OK, I can sight-read that, no problem. Played it during the Service and apart from the vicar absolutely nobody sang and I saw many blank looks on peoples' faces. Afterwards he said to me "that didn't go very well, did it?". Holding back my impulse to say "I told you so", I replied "not really, but perhaps next time we could use my tune which I've been playing for the last 32 years".

I've only ever heard Halton Holgate and Alton. Which is indeed a fine and noble town ;-)

I've used both Shipston (from English Hymnal) and Halton Holgate from A&M. The latter is by far the best tune. The majestic theme of the words is diminished by Shipston (sorry, RVW) but Halton Holgate suits them perfectly. I remember an organist's workshop led by Lionel Dakers when he compared HH to Alton

Nigel

All of which rather proves that the vicar hadn't a clue about what the congregation really knew. Same old story, repeated time and again throughout the land. Why do so many clergy always think they know best? Why don't they seek and take advice from those who know? It's really quite refreshing on the rare occasions one comes across someone who thinks ahead and plans properly. But most are perfectly content with a simple, bumbling amateurism - and then wonder why their churches are emptying while cathedrals congregations grow. It makes me so angry. You can tell, can't you?

My church currently uses Hymns Old and New - New Anglican, which gives three tunes for this hymn: Alton, Shipston and Halton Holgate (in that order). I'm not particularly fond of any of 'em and I don't care much for Newman's words either, so to make the best of a bad job we had FIBAT as the recessional on Trinity Sunday, with tune Alton to make a quick exit.

P4

Really? No Omni Die then? Surely I'm not the only person who knows Omni Die.

Is that the one that starts (in key F) f f G F / a c Bb A

with upper case minims and lower case crotchets?

Yes, that's the one. That's the only tune I know and have known it since Sunday School as a child. Glad I'm not the one who knows it.

The principal issue with this tune is surely the temptation to sing "have a peanut" between the repeats of the last line "Father, Son and Holy Ghost"...

Regrettably, many of the tunes promulged by the Twentieth Century Church Light Music Group provoke, rightly, exactly that kind of comment. All of the tunes are weak as hymn tunes, though many are quite pleasing melodies in the 'Salad Days' style.

Barry Williams

I think the last time I played it was for our choir remnant to sing during the signing of the register at a wedding, and it was the tune in the dreaded pink book.

Came across this book recently when tidying the shelves; if I had any moral fibre I would throw it away but you never know....
I could always redact Hatherop Castle, also contained therein.