What Characterizes an Excellent Hymn Tune?

More and more, my answer is: if it was written by Orlando Gibbons, it's great. Full stop.

Now here is where ecumenism really gets interesting. Gibbons was born in 1583, a little less than 50 years after the Church of England began. He built up its repertoire in a fantastic way--what Cranmer was for words, Gibbons was for music.

So, where does this leave a Catholic like me?

• Grateful, in the present tense, for the music.
• Somewhat envious of the Anglican Communion, although we did keep William Byrd for ourselves, so we're pretty much even-steven on that score.
• Sad. Mostly a little melancholy, that the heritage that might be common to us all seems to always have this little twist of separation in it.

Hymnals are like Thanksgiving dinner for kids whose parents got divorced a long time ago.

Oh, never mind. Enjoy the music!

From WIMA

...the Early Music Map, here and here

...and the cyberhymnal (follow links at the bottom of the page.)