Hosanna to the Son of David by Thomas Weelkes (1576–1623) is a composite paraphrase setting of the text from the Gospels according to Matthew (Chapter 21) and Luke (Chapter 19) where Jesus makes his triumphant entry into Jerusalem. The words form part of the Gospel reading for Advent Sunday. This is another dramatic anthem which might be used at St Paul’s as the building is illuminated. The pauses in the music allow the sound of the choir to resound in the cathedral’s vast acoustic.

Recent scholarship has pointed out that this music does not survive in any liturgical sources which may indicate that the anthem was intended for secular use. Furthermore, the text is corrupted to read ‘Hosanna in excelsis Deo’ which also may suggest that it was not intended for liturgical use—although there are many other examples of this in music of this period. These points, together with the unusual scoring for two means, two basses, together with alto and tenor, suggest an origin to the work which, as yet, remains a mystery.

from notes by William McVicker © 1997