Month: April 2017

Please turn your hymnals to number 114 (First Tune) and join with the clarinets in, “Look, Ye Saints, The Sight is Glorious”.

Number: 114 (First Tune)
First Line: Look, Ye Saints, The Sight is Glorious
Name: TRIUMPH.
Meter: 8 7, 8 7, 4 4 7.
Tempo: Majestically
Music: Henry James Gauntlett, 1805-76
Text: Thomas Kelly, 1769-1854

Clarinet Arrangement: 114a-LookYeSaintsTheSightIsGlorious

This isn’t even a very common tune for this hymn.

The use of unison parts for the first line and harmony for the response is fairly dramatic, at least for hymn writing.

Some interesting tidbits regarding the author of the text.

Kelly, Thomas, B.A., son of Thomas Kelly, a Judge of the Irish Court of Common Pleas, was born in Dublin, July 13, 1769, and educated at Trinity College, Dublin. He was designed for the Bar, and entered the Temple, London, with that intention; but having undergone a very marked spiritual change he took Holy Orders in 1792. His earnest evangelical preaching in Dublin led Archbishop Fowler to inhibit him and his companion preacher, Rowland Hill, from preaching in the city. For some time he preached in two unconsecrated buildings in Dublin, Plunket Street, and the Bethesda, and then, having seceded from the Established Church, he erected places of worship at Athy, Portarlington, Wexford, &c, in which he conducted divine worship and preached. He died May 14, 1854. Miller, in his Singers & Songs of the Church, 1869, p. 338 (from which some of the foregoing details are taken), says:—

“Mr. Kelly was a man of great and varied learning, skilled in the Oriental tongues, and an excellent Bible critic. He was possessed also of musical talent, and composed and published a work that was received witli favour, consisting of music adapted to every form of metre in his hymn-book. Naturally of an amiable disposition and thorough in his Christian piety, Mr. Kelly became the friend of good men, and the advocate of every worthy, benevolent, and religious cause. He was admired alike for his zeal and his humility; and his liberality found ample scope in Ireland, especially during the year of famine.”

As a hymn-writer Kelly was most successful. As a rule his strength appears in hymns of Praise and in metres not generally adopted by the older hymn writers. His “Come, see the place where Jesus lay” (from “He’s gone, see where His body lay”),”From Egypt lately come”; “Look, ye saints, the sight is glorious”; “On the mountain’s top appearing”; “The Head that once was crowned with thorns”; “Through the day Thy love has spared us”; and “We sing the praise of Him Who died,” rank with the first hymns in the English language. Several of his hymns of great merit still remain unknown through so many modern editors being apparently adverse to original investigation.

Please turn to number 113 and join with the clarinets in “Let All the Multitudes of Light”.

Number: 113
First Line: Let All the Multitudes of Light
Name: NUN FREUT EUCH.
Meter: 8 7, 8 7, 8 8 7.
Tempo: With dignity
Music: Geistliche Lieder, Wittenberg, 1535
Text: Frederick Brodie Macnutt, 1873-1949
By permission of Mrs. F. B. Macnutt

Clarinet Arrangement: 113-LetAllTheMultitudesOfLight

Such a promising first line!

Unfortunately, the rest of the hymn, and the rest of the verses, are just not that interesting, at least if you are a humanist, like myself.

Let all the multitudes of light,
Their songs in concert raising,
With earth’s triumphal hymns unite,
The risen Saviour praising..
Ye heavens, his festival proclaim!
Our King returneth whence he came,
With victory amazing.

For us he bore the bitter Tree,
To death’s dark realm descending;
Our foe he slew, and set us free,
Man’s ancient bondage ending.
No more the tyrant’s chains oppress;
O conquering Love, thy name we bless,
With thee to heaven ascending.

Jesus, to thee be endless praise,
For this thy great salvation;
O holy Father, thine always
Be thanks and adoration;
Spirit of life and light, to thee
Eternal praise and glory be:
One God of all creation!

Some information regarding Mr MacNutt from wikipedia.

Frederick Brodie MacNutt (26 September 1873 – 17 July 1949^[1]) was an Anglicanpriest and author in the first half of the 20th century.

Born in Brighton to Irish parents, MacNutt was educated at St Paul’s School, London, and Trinity College, Cambridge.^[2]He was ordained in 1898 and was a curate at Holy Trinity, Beckenham (1898-1901), and St James’s Church, Piccadilly (1901-1902).^[3] After this he was curate-in-charge of Christ Church, Wimbledon (1902-1903), then vicar of St John’s, Cheltenham (1903-1907), and St Matthew’s, Surbiton (1907-1918).^[4] From 1909 to 1918 he was a Canon of Southwark Cathedral. Between 1915 and 1918 he served in France and Flanders as a senior chaplain to the armed forces.

In 1918 he became the Vicar of St Martin’s, Leicester, and was appointed archdeacon of Leicester in 1920. He oversaw major works to the interior of the church. When St Martin’s Church became a cathedral in 1927 he became its first provost, resigning in 1938. He was chaplain to the King from 1931 until his death. From 1938 until his retirement in 1946 he was a residentiary canon^[5] of Canterbury Cathedral^[6]

Macnutt married twice, firstly to Hettie Sina Bullock (1973-1945) and shortly after her death to Evelyn May Oliver (1898-1981). He had two children by Hettie: Derrick Somerset (1902-1971) and Margaret Hester (1906-1939).

Please turn your hymnals to number 112 and join with the clarinets in “See The Conqueror Mounts in Triumph”.

Number: 112
First Line: See The Conqueror Mounts in Triumph
Name: REX GLORIAE.
Meter: 8 7, 8 7. D.
Tempo: Broadly, with dignity
Music: Henry Smart, 1813-79
Text: Christopher Wordsworth, 1807-85

Clarinet Arrangement: 112-SeeTheConquerorMountsInTriumph

Not a lot to say about this hymn. It is a bit challenging on clarinet, with many large jumps, especially in the bass and melody parts.

After taking a break for a bit after finishing the Easter hymns, getting back into the swing of things with these hymns celebrating “Ascension”.

Henry Thomas Smart (26 October 1813 – 6 July 1879) was an English organist and composer.

Though highly rated as a composer by his English contemporaries, Smart is now largely forgotten, save for his hymn tune Regent Square, which retains considerable popularity, and which is commonly performed with the words “Christ is Made the Sure Foundation”, “Light’s Abode, Celestial Salem”, or “Angels from the Realms of Glory“. His many compositions for the organ (some of which have been occasionally revived in recent years) were described as “effective and melodious, if not strikingly original” by the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica, which also praised his part songs. A cantata by him, The Bride of Dunkerron was written for the Birmingham Festival of 1864; another cantata was a version of the play King René’s Daughter (1871). The oratorio Jacob was created for Glasgow in 1873; and his opera Bertha was produced with some success at the Haymarket in 1855.

Please turn to number 111 and join with the clarinets in, “Hail The Day That Sees Him Rise”.

Number: 111
First Line: Hail The Day That Sees Him Rise
Name: ASCENSION
Meter: 7 7, 7 7. With Alleluias.
Tempo: Triumphantly
Music: William Henry Monk, 1823-89
Text: Charles Wesley, 1797-88 a.

Clarinet Arrangement: 111-HailTheDayThatSeesHimRise

Many of the Hymns we’ve covered, especially the older ones, come from a volume called “Hymns Ancient and Modern”, which was edited by the composer of this hymn’s music, William Henry Monk.

In 1852, he [William Henry Monk] became organist and choirmaster at St Matthias’ Church, Stoke Newington, where he made many changes: plainchant was used in singing psalms, and the music performed was more appropriate to the church calendar. By now, Monk was also arranging hymns, as well as writing his own hymn melodies. In 1857, his talents as composer, arranger, and editor were recognized when he was appointed the musical editor of Hymns Ancient and Modern, a volume first published in 1861, containing 273 hymns. After supplements were added (second edition—1875; later additions or supplements—1889, 1904, and 1916) it became one of the best-selling hymn books ever produced. It was for this publication that Monk supplied his famous “Eventide” tune which is mostly used for the hymn “Abide with Me“, as well as several others, including “Gethsemane”, “Ascension”, and “St. Denys”.