Blessed be the God and Father

composer

Samuel Sebastian Wesley (1810-1876)

for Easter Day, 1853, at Hereford Cathedral

author of text

Bible

1 Peter: 3-5, 15-17, 22-25

Recordings

Service high & anthems clear

Ely Cathedral Choir, Arthur Wills (conductor)

Buy by post £13.99 (ARCHIVE SERVICE) CDH88006 Helios (Hyperion's budget label) — Archive Service Only Download currently discounted

The English Anthem, Vol. 1

St Paul's Cathedral Choir, John Scott (conductor)

Buy by post £13.99 (ARCHIVE SERVICE) CDA66374 Archive Service Only

Wesley: Anthems, Vol. 1

Worcester Cathedral Choir, Donald Hunt (conductor), Adrian Partington (organ)

Buy by post £13.99 (ARCHIVE SERVICE) CDA66446 Archive Service Only

Details

Ely Cathedral Choir, Arthur Wills (conductor), Stephen le Provost (organ)

Track 2 on CDH88006 [8'40] Helios (Hyperion's budget label) — Archive Service Only

English

St Paul's Cathedral Choir, John Scott (conductor), Andrew Lucas (organ)

Track 5 on CDA66374 [8'13] Archive Service Only

English

Worcester Cathedral Choir, Donald Hunt (conductor), Adrian Partington (organ), Thomas Blunt (treble)

Track 1 on CDA66446 [7'42] Archive Service Only

English

Blessed be the God and Father

Blessed be the God and Father was written for a service on Easter Day at Hereford Cathedral, when 'only Trebles and a single Bass voice' were available, the bass singer being the Dean's butler. The central portion of the work, a dialogue between a treble soloist and the treble chorus, is flanked by passages for tenors and basses alone. The final fughetta after the words 'But the word of the Lord endureth forever' is heralded by a dramatic dominant seventh chord of E flat on full organ.

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Hyperion Records