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Holy Manna

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Holy Manna is the hymn tune originally written for "Brethren, We Have Met Together", which is one of the oldest published American folk hymns. Holy Manna is a pentatonic melody in Ionian mode. It was originally published by William Moore in Columbian Harmony, a four-note shape-note tunebook, in 1829, and is attributed to him.[1]

Like most shape-note songs from that century, it is usually written in three parts. The meter is 87.87D.

Popularity

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In addition to being used in a significant number of early American hymnals, including Southern Harmony (#103) and Baptist Harmony (#1), Holy Manna appears in a large number of modern hymnals.[1]

It is also used as a common tune for other songs, especially "God, Who Stretched the Spangled Heavens", "All Who Hunger, Gather Gladly", and "I will Arise and Go to Jesus".[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b Music, David W. (2005-10-30). A Selection of Shape-Note Folk Hymns: From Southern United States Tune Books, 1816-61. A-R Editions, Inc. pp. 32–33. ISBN 9780895795755. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  2. ^ "Songs set to Holy Manna". Hymnary.org. Retrieved 17 February 2013.