The Melody Web what each genre heard, and what it passed on

heard passed on Click or tap a node to recenter. Use a connecting line, or Influence, for the story.

Heard

Metrical psalmody practice · 1530–

Lining out is metrical psalmody performed line by line: the precentor gives each verse-line, the congregation follows.

Influence

Lining out

practice · 1640–

Also called lined hymn, lined-out hymnody, precenting

Protestant performance practice: a leader (precentor) chants or sings each line of a hymn, and the congregation follows, often slowly and with heavy ornament. It hears Metrical psalmody for the Genevan/English/Scottish psalm-tune job that parishes lined when books could not carry the verse. African American lined hymns are a living Southern continuation. This file is the practice, not a leftover “hymn” bin. The hop into Spirituals is the lined, heterophonic sacred song that praise houses share with Watts and Baptist lining. Gaelic psalmody leftover as a living dialect on this node. Watts leftover as a later hymn text, not a second parent. African vocal creolization stays in prose; a West African drumming hop is refused (no ring, no drum job).

Listen

  1. Amazing Grace (lined) Old Regular Baptist lining-out tradition (living) YouTube
  2. Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah (lined) African American lined-hymn tradition (living) YouTube
  3. What Wondrous Love Is This (lined) Old Regular Baptist tradition (living) YouTube

Passed on

Spirituals genre · 1750–

Folk spirituals take lining-out’s leader-then-congregation line as one sacred delivery, next to the ring-shout.

Influence

Metrical psalmody → Lining out

form and structureperformance practicefunction and contextstrength: highscholarly consensus1640–1750liturgyoralpedagogy

Mechanism

Lining out is metrical psalmody performed line by line: the precentor gives each verse-line, the congregation follows. Strength high. The psalter supplies the tunes and metres; lining is the parish delivery. Gaelic psalmody leftover as a living dialect on the lining node. Watts leftover as a later hymn text, not this hop.

Evidence

Seventeenth-century English and Scottish parish practice; Grove on lining as psalmody’s oral technology; Southern on that job in African American lined hymns.

Debate

Whether lining is simply psalmody itself. Psalmody is the repertory; lining is the leader-and-line performance practice that can also carry later hymns.

Mediators

community: English and Scottish parish congregations

Lining out → Spirituals

performance practiceform and structuremelodystrength: mediumscholarly consensus1750–1870oralliturgy

Mechanism

Folk spirituals take lining-out’s leader-then-congregation line as one sacred delivery, next to the Ring shout. Strength medium. Protestant hymn texts are the verbal book; lining-out is the named performance job. Concert jubilee arrangements drop the lining.

Evidence

Southern on lined hymns in praise houses; living Old Regular and African American lined-hymn schools as the documented practice spirituals sit beside; Floyd on leader-and-group sacred song.

Debate

Whether lining-out is a parent or a sibling delivery of the same spirituals. Kept as incoming: the hymn-lining job is older in Protestant practice and is one way folk spirituals were sung.

Mediators

community: Praise-house and camp-meeting congregations