English Motets, Op 135

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No 1: Ye holy angels bright

author of text

Richard Baxter (1615-1691)

Worcester Cathedral Choir, Donald Hunt (conductor)

Track 10 on CDA66030 [9'58] Archive Service

No 2: Eternal Father

author of text

Robert Bridges (1844-1930)

Sonnet No 69 from The Growth of Love

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

Track 6 on CDA67398 [6'58]

Eternal Father, Who didst all create,
In Whom we live and to Whose bosom move,
To all men be Thy name known which is Love,
Till its loud praises sound at heaven’s high gate.

Perfect Thy kingdom in our passing state,
That here on earth Thou mayst as well approve
Our service as Thou ownest theirs above
Whose joy we echo and in pain await.

Grant body and soul each day their daily bread:
And should in spite of grace fresh woe begin,
Even as our anger soon is past and dead,
Be Thy remembrance mortal of our sin:

By Thee in paths of peace Thy sheep be led,
And in the vale of terror comforted.

Robert Bridges (1844-1930)

Trinity College Choir Cambridge, Stephen Layton (conductor)

Track 13 on CDA68174 [6'29]

Eternal Father, Who didst all create,
In Whom we live and to Whose bosom move,
To all men be Thy name known which is Love,
Till its loud praises sound at heaven’s high gate.
Perfect Thy kingdom in our passing state,
That here on earth Thou mayst as well approve
Our service as Thou ownest theirs above
Whose joy we echo and in pain await.
Grant body and soul each day their daily bread:
And should in spite of grace fresh woe begin,
Even as our anger soon is past and dead,
Be Thy remembrance mortal of our sin:
By Thee in paths of peace Thy sheep be led,
And in the vale of terror comforted.

Robert Bridges (1844-1930)

Eternal Father, one of Stanford’s three Op 135 English Motets, was composed in March 1913. A setting of Robert Bridges’ final sonnet (No 69) from the collection The Growth of Love (published in 1876 and enlarged in 1890), it attempts to paraphrase and elide the pastoral ideals of the Lord’s Prayer and Psalm 23. The sentiment of the poem, one of spiritual conviction, warmth and ardour, is reflected in the rich, yearning diatonicism of Stanford’s constantly building phrases and by the composer’s consummate handling of rich six-part textures. Conceived in three sections, the first is a rich paean, the second a more urgent reminder of man’s mortality (‘Grant body and soul’), while the third, a becalmed evocation of our redemption (‘By Thee in paths of peace Thy sheep be led’), recalls the opening material, now transformed into a message of reassurance.

Winchester Cathedral Choir, David Hill (conductor)

Track 7 on CDS44311/3 CD3 [6'12] 3CDs Boxed set (at a special price)

Eternal Father, who didst all create,
In whom we live and to whose bosom move,
To all men be thy name known which is love,
Till its loud praises sound at heaven’s high gate.
Perfect thy kingdom in our passing state,
That here on earth thou mayst as well approve
Our service as thou ownest theirs above
Whose joy we echo and in pain await.
Grant body and soul each day their daily bread:
And should in spite of grace fresh woe begin,
Even as our anger soon is past and dead,
Be thy remembrance mortal of our sin:
By thee in paths of peace thy sheep be led,
And in the vale of terror comforted.

Robert Bridges (1844-1930)
Sonnet No 69 from The Growth of Love

Stanford’s three English Motets, Op 135, were composed in February and March 1913. Eternal Father is a setting of Robert Bridges’ final sonnet (No 69) from the collection The Growth of Love, published in 1876 (and enlarged in 1890), which attempts to paraphrase and combine the pastoral ideals of the Lord’s Prayer and Psalm 23. The sentiment of the poem, one of spiritual conviction, warmth and ardour, is reflected in the rich, yearning diatonicism of Stanford’s constantly building phrases, a trend which culminates in the line ‘By thee in paths of peace thy sheep be led’ and where comfort from the pain and anguish of earthly life is poignantly depicted in the serene closing bars.

No 3: Glorious and powerful God

author of text

Anonymous - traditional

Worcester Cathedral Choir, Donald Hunt (conductor)

Track 8 on CDA66030 [4'30] Archive Service

Winchester Cathedral Choir, David Hill (conductor)

Track 6 on CDS44311/3 CD3 [3'51] 3CDs Boxed set (at a special price)

Glorious and powerful God, we understand
Thy dwelling is on high
Above the starry sky.
Thou dwell’st not in stone temples made with hand;
But in the flesh hearts of the sons of men
To dwell is thy delight,
Near hand, tho’ out of sight.

We give of thine own hand, thy acceptation
Is very life and blood,
To all actions good.
Whenever here or hence our supplication,
From pure and with unfeigned hearts, to thee ascends,
Be present with thy grace,
Shew us thy loving face.

Oh! down on us full show’rs of mercy send,
Let thy love’s burning beams
Dry up all our sin’s streams.
Arise, O Lord, and come into thy rest,
Both now and evermore thy name be blest,
Founder and foundation
Of endless habitation.

Completed on Easter Day (23 March) 1913, Glorious and powerful God uses the same text as that set by Orlando Gibbons for his verse anthem (of the same name) and indeed may have been Stanford’s source. Scored for four voices, and simpler in texture and scale, this motet explores a contrasting style of a cappella composition in which polyphony is rejected in favour of a more homophonic, declamatory manner akin to partsong.

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