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Database Files for the Hymn Tune Indexes

XML Downloads

XML File Format

This, the primary form of the data, is not yet available.

The databases used to generate the HTML Hymn Tune Indexes are also available for download as dBase-compatible text files. This format may be suitable for other programmatic work, including specialized searches.

In these files, each line (delimited by newline) represents a record composed of several alphabetic fields, separated by commas and enclosed in double quotation marks. In all the databases, each hymn tune has a unique identifier, a six-digit "number" (with leading zeros included.) For convenient processing, each table includes the "primary" hymn name, which should nearly always be unique. For names associated with multiple tunes, I've generally adopted McCutchan's suggestion of adding the composer or source in parentheses. In a few cases, I've had to add a number also: e.g., several tunes taken from Michael Haydn's music are named after his hometown; so they are named "Halle (Haydn, 1)", etc.

Hymn Tune Names

This information is included in two files, each containing two records, Hymn tune name and number. The "Names" file is sorted by name and may include several names for a tune. The "Number" file is sorted by number, and only includes the "primary" name.

Composers and Sources

These files consist of three records: the first field is the author (Last name first) or source (possibly with HTML tags included). The second and third fields are hymn tune number and name as usual.

Hymn Tune Incipits

This file consists of three records: incipit in numeric (Oxford Hymn Tune Index format) or alphabetic (do-re-me) form; and tune tune number and name.

Hymn Tune Meters

This file consists of three records: meter (with number of syllables in each line separated by commas and the refrain set off by a plus sign); hymn tune number and name.

Hymnal Indexes

This data is not yet available in dBase format. It needs to be proofread before release in raw form.