I did a frequency analysis of the tunes led as either the opening, or the closing, tune during the 222 singings reported in the 2004 minutes book.
Here are the songs most frequently led as an opening song (five or more times):
| Frequency | Tune | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 28 | 59 | Holy Manna |
| 14 | 32t | Corinth |
| 10 | 82t | Bound For Canaan |
| 10 | 31b | Webster |
| 9 | 30t | Love Divine |
| 8 | 49t | Old Hundred |
| 8 | 48t | Devotion |
| 8 | 34b | St. Thomas |
| 6 | 75 | I Would See Jesus |
| 6 | 37b | Liverpool |
| 5 | 52t | Albion |
| 5 | 31t | Ninety-Third Psalm |
| 5 | 171 | Exhoration |
Here are the songs most frequently led as a closing song (five or more times):
| Frequency | Tune | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 66 | 62 | Parting Hand |
| 32 | 46 | Let Us Sing |
| 18 | 347 | Christian's Farewell |
| 10 | 146 | Hallelujah |
| 5 | 45t | New Britain |
The following songs, not in the Denson book, etc., were sung once each as closing songs: "I Cannot Find My Way Alone," "Not Made with Hands," "Sweet Beulah Land," "The Christian's Love."
There were 82 different songs led as opening songs, and 81 songs led as closing songs. Both show a 'long-tail' frequency distribution (a few songs chosen a lot; many songs chosen a few times), with the closing song distribution dropping off more sharply than the opening songs--the frequency almost perfect halves each time in the numbers given above. My analysis of song selections overall from the Denson book in 2002 also manifests this long-tail distribution. (I hope to report on overall song selections for 2004 soon).
The 'traditional' opening and closing songs--Holy Manna and Parting Hand--are, in fact, the most commonly selected. Still, it's interesting that other songs are chosen over 70% of the time. Eight singings led with Holy Manna and closed with Parting Hand--less than 4% of the singings.
Will Fitzgerald (still learning the words to Parting Hand...)
Following are the counts for all opening tunes:
Freq Tune ---- ---- 28 59 14 32t 10 82t 10 31b 9 30t 8 49t 8 48t 8 34b 6 75 6 37b 5 52t 5 31t 5 171 4 63 4 47t 4 40 3 72b 3 61 3 46 3 36b 3 33b 3 101t 2 81t 2 73b 2 68b 2 60 2 58 2 45t 2 335 2 276 2 27 2 135 2 129 1 99 1 84 1 78 1 77 1 68t 1 68b (CB) 1 65 1 59 (WB) 1 56t 1 565 1 55b (EH) 1 53 1 511t 1 500 1 492 1 479 1 461 1 452 1 451 1 448b 1 40t 1 39t 1 39b 1 354t 1 35 1 34 1 331t 1 327 1 317 1 312b 1 30b 1 303 1 277 1 274t 1 24 1 22 (SoH) 1 210t (CH) 1 178 1 155 1 150 1 146 1 145b 1 131b 1 127 1 120 1 119 1 110 1 108t
Here are the data for closings:
Freq Tune ---- ---- 66 62 32 46 18 347 10 146 5 45t 4 323t 3 521 3 45b 3 111b 2 63 2 59 2 56t 2 566 2 527 2 48t 2 225t 1 The Christian's Love 1 Sweet Beulah Land 1 Not Made with Hands 1 I Cannot Find My Way Alone 1 99 1 97 1 82 1 78 1 77t 1 76b 1 75 1 73t 1 69 1 68b 1 61 1 574 1 551 1 549 1 532 1 527 (CB) 1 515 1 511b 1 505 1 499 1 494 1 492 (WB) 1 490 1 488b 1 475 1 452 1 448t 1 414 1 397 1 387 1 371 1 36b 1 35 (OH) 1 347 1 343 1 342 1 340 1 323 1 321 1 318 1 298 1 294 1 28b 1 288 1 284 1 276 1 267 1 260 1 26 (WB) 1 235 1 200b 1 197 1 176t (CB) 1 166 1 159 1 157 1 145t 1 127 1 123t 1 100