D Sources of Tunes
An examination of the origin of church tunes shows a variety of sources. Many tunes were especially written for the words to which they are set; others are adaptations from early medieval chants; still others, as for example, the “Passion Chorale” and “Londonderry Air”, were folk tunes originally used with secular words. Some of our best tunes are adaptations of melodies from larger musical works, as for example, “Hymn to Joy” (10) from Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony; “Finlandia” (54), from a tone poem by Sibelius; and “Seymour” (36), from Weber’s opera, Oberon.