Prior to the middle to late 19th Century many hymns existed only as lyrics that could be sung to any number of tunes that were metrically compatible. It was pretty much a switch and swap at will affair until congregations settled in on their favorite combinations and they started getting published that way. Even then lyric lines printed under the score were considered to be suggestions and they weren't welded together for quite some time.
Many of the tunes were simply titled after the city in which they were written or some other short identifier like "Grace" or "Zion".
The Preacher would call out the number of the poem in the book (most people knew them by heart back in the day) and the tune it was to be sung to... "#427 to the air of Claremont" for instance.
Even in some later Hymn books you will see a notation on the top of the page that reads something like "6s & 7s" or 'CM" (Common Meter) - that's what that is all about.
For some examples check these scannings of a small part of this collection of 19th Century Gospel music:
http://smg.photobucket.com/user/UncleJaque/library/MUSIC/GOSPEL?page=1&postlogin=true
I commonly revert to this antique custom when interpreting songs of the Civil War era.
"Mother's Lament" - a real old tear jerker, for example - sounds better to me when sung to the tune of "Sweet Afton" than the written score I find with it. It would not have been unheard of to do it that way back then, as it was common practice.
Death and mourning were common themes back then; here's a typical old tear jerker:
http://smg.photobucket.com/user/UncleJaque/media/MUSIC/19th%20Century%20Popular/Untitled3.gif.html
Feel free to play with it; it's public domain. Play it as is to a bunch of Mothers and keep the kleenex handy.
Just FYI they used a melodic finger picking style back then, on small gut strung parlor guitars.
Steve Vaus is probably one of my favorite CW Artists and does this kind of thing sometimes. Unfortunately he seems to have been blackballed by the music industry for his politically incorrect ideology and we don't hear much from him. I love his version of the National Anthem.
Would love to have you paw through this collection (which I have access to) and see what you can come up with - a lot of it has been forgotten for over a century and there is some beautiful material collecting dust in there. If you wanted to, you could probably up date it a little like Elvis did with a popular Civil War love song, "Aura Lee". It became "Love Me Tender" and was a hit again a century later.
Just bear in mind; I'm not sure just what the cut off is, but really old songs are usually "Public domain", while if you "borrow" later music you are apt to get into copyright issues.
Don't be surprised if your YuTube gets pulled over allegations of copyright infringement. I wouldn't go putting it on a CD and try selling it without consulting a good Lawyer first.
I made a feeble attempt at an album some years ago, but I was very careful to only use public domain or my own compositions.
Yep I know, it’s okay though, I do not want to make any money on it. I am with BMI and if I wanted to record it I would have to pay royalty on the music.
“Many of the tunes were simply titled after the city in which they were written or some other short identifier like “Grace” or “Zion”.”
Lots of good information! Did you know I am a music director at a Church and did not know some of this? So thanks! Of course I got a pretty late start.
Still, it is good to learn stuff and to learn that you still can. I like the links, good stuff. I think before 1922 you are pretty safe with public domain but not always. Sound recordings are protected in America till well after 2050.
Maybe you should try a CD again! This time bolder! ;-)