This article was written for the December 2017 issue of hte parish magazine. Composed by Paul Mealor, the text is taken from a 15th century anonymous German poem, translated into English by Catherine Winkworth in 1919. The poem was based on the prophecy of Isiah in 11.1: “And there shall come forth a rod out … More A Spotless Rose
This article was written for the November 2017 edition of the parish magazine. A long time favourite, I was reminded of this hymn in May 2017 when I attended an Open Day at Trinity Laban Conservatoire with Jennifer. The last item on the schedule for prospective vocal applicants was a master class with mezzo soprano … More I Vow to Thee My Country words: Sir Cecil Spring Rice (1859-1918), music: Gustav Holst (1874-1934)
This article was written for the October 2017 edition of the parish magazine. According to Wikipedia, this is one of the most often performed hymns in the U.K. It even features in a shortened form as “All Good Gifts” in “Godspell”. We plough the fields and scatter the good seed on the land, but it … More We Plough the Fields and Scatter
This article was written for the September 2017 edition of the parish magazine. Published in 1911, Vaughan Williams set the words of Herbert’s poem The Call to music as one of a larger work, set of Five Mystical Songs. This song collection used four of Herbert’s poems, published in 1633 as “The Temple: Sacred Poems”. … More The Call – George Herbert (1593-1633)/Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
Lockdown restrictions mean that at present we cannot sing together in church. We can however sing – loud and proud – in our own homes! And it’ll take way more than a pesky global pandemic to stop us … More Lockdown Songs of Praise
For many, lockdown has been an incredibly difficult time of worry, isolation, ill-health, boredom and captivity. It has been tough, and will continue to be so for many months to come … More Lockdown Blessings
Throughout lockdown Tom and Carol have been steadily recording seasonally appropriate copyright-free hymns to go with our worship … More Lockdown Hymns
This song is based on the solo “Gabriel’s Oboe”, music composed by Ennio Morricone for the 1986 film “The Mission”. A few years later Sarah Brightman begged Morricone to allow her to set lyrics to the music … More Nella Fantasia
I was first introduced to “I Am the Great Sun” at a Manchester Chorale rehearsal in Autumn 2016. We were preparing a mainly sacred program of music for a tour to Antwerp, where all our our performances would be in churches … More I am the Great Sun – Charles Causley/Jussi Chydenius
I met this piece during a Manchester Chorale rehearsal early in 2020. The words struck me as perfect to represent the temptations of Lent … More Daemon Irrepit Callidus – Gyorgy Orban (b.1947)
St Margaret's Church Prestwich 