John Weeks Moore

“ What one age considers perfect, or looks upon with complacency, another may view in a very different light. This fact is exemplified in all our experience, and perhaps in nothing more strikingly than in music and metrical psalmody. Stern-hold and Hopkins's version of the Psalms, in England, was satisfactory for a long time ”

“ The melody of "Old Hundred" is common property, and any qualified composer has both a legal and a moral right, as we think, to add to it such harmony as he believes will be an improvement : if he succeeds, it is well ; if he fails, he will have his trouble and the expense as his re-ward ”

“ Metrical psalmody had its rise in Germany, and there is no doubt but German musicians were authors of some of the old melodies ; and tradition, in Germany, accords to Luther the author-ship of several. Schamelus and Walther assert that one John Galliculus had a share in them. Many persons have entertained the belief that "Old Hundred" was at least Lutheran, while others have been disposed to grant it still higher antiquity. Its origin is very uncertain, and enveloped in great obscurity, although it is generally ascribed to Luther in the American singing books. ”

“ The melody, says Ravenscroft, was originally a Northern tune. The melody of "St. David's," which was harmonized by Ravenscroft, was of Welsh origin ; those of "Dundee" [Dundy] and "Martyrs" were Scotch.
The feelings of our nature require a constant succession of new tunes, (we do not mean to the exclusion of all former ones,) and neither choir nor congregational singing can long be sustained without them. Dr. Busby says, "In general, without variety, pleasure ceases, and nothing more urgently requires relief than an old song." ”

“ That "Old Hundred" came from one or the other of these sources, we apprehend there will be little difficulty in believing - precisely which, will probably forever remain a matter of conjecture.
We subjoin a transcript of several early arrangements of this tune ; and also of the oldest copy of the simple melody that has been pre-served ; together with others of nearly the same age : the latter, while they gratify curiosity, show that alterations were made long ago, even in the very outset, in this part. ”

“ But history supports a much stronger claim for a musician by the name of William Franc as its author. Yet it may have been one of those very "secular tunes, such as were easy to learn and play on the viol and other instruments ; " or one of the "most favorite songs of the times ; " 5 or one of those "ballad airs as would best suit its metre ; " or an "opera song ; " [?] all which were sung to the psalms early in the reformation, not only by Lutherans and Calvinists, but Roman Catholics : the latter, however, soon became alarmed, and pronounced psalm singing heretical, and forbade its practice. ”