For Three Octave Handbells - Level 3. The hymn tune, Melita, by John B. Dykes, was originally composed as a setting for William Whiting's "Eternal Father, Strong to Save." Published in Hymns Ancient and Modern with that text, Melita is often referred to as the "Navy Hymn." The tune is named after the island of Malta where Paul was shipwrecked. Melita is marked by go,Od use of melodic sequences and a harmony that features several dominant sevenths (both are Dykes's trademarks).