Hymn meter
8.7.8.7.4.7
A hymn's meter counts the syllables in each line of a stanza. 8.7.8.7.4.7 means each stanza has 6 lines of 8, 7, 8, 7, 4 and 7 syllables — 41 in all. Hymnals print the meter beside each text so that a congregation can sing the words to any tune with the same pattern.
Hymns in less common meters usually have one or two tunes written for them, so they are matched to a tune more strictly. Two texts with the same numbers can still differ in rhythm — some lines stress the first syllable, others the second — so a pairing should always be sung through before it is used in worship.
Below are the hymns in our library written in this meter and the public-domain tunes that fit them. Any text can be sung to any tune listed here; press play to hear a pairing.
11 hymns in 8.7.8.7.4.7
- Guide Me — Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah,
- Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us — Savior, like a shepherd lead us,
- On the Mountain's Top Appearing — On the mountain's top appearing,
- Finished Redemption — Hark, the voice of love and mercy
- The Acceptable Year — O're the gloomy hills of darkness,
- In Thy Name, O Lord, Assembling — In Thy name, O Lord, assembling,
- Yes, We Trust The Day Is Breaking — Yes, we trust the day is breaking;
- Yes, My Native Land — Yes, my native land, I love thee;
- Cast Down, Yet Hoping in God — O my soul, what means this sadness?
- For the Spirit's Influences — Come, thou soul-transforming Spirit,
- In the Vineyard of Our Father — In the vineyard of our Father,