#notGB15: #GinAndChant tonight 9.30pm BST in the #henswings

Over on Twitter, some of us are having great fun with #notGB15: it's for people who, for a number of reasons, aren't at Greenbelt. Some of us can't camp. Some of us didn't want to leave home. Some of us have commitments that prevent us going. One of the traditions of Greenbelt is "Beer and Hymns". But I feel a bit silly singing hymns on my own, at home. So tonight, in the Hen's Wings, there will...

Magnificat

The Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth is transferred from 31st May to 1st June this year, because Trinity Sunday is more important; but we did get some words to Mary by Athelstan Riley in one of our hymns this morning: "Thou Bearer of the eternal Word, Most gracious, magnify the Lord." I note that Athelstan Riley died in 1945, which means his words become public domain this year (or next? I get...

The Contrite Heart

Looking for texts to set (I am always looking for texts to set) I stumbled over this one by William Cowper. It looks to me to be a response to Psalm 51: The Lord will happiness divine On contrite hearts bestow; Then tell me, gracious God, is mine A contrite heart or no? I hear, but seem to hear in vain, Insensible as steel; If aught is felt, ‘tis only pain, To find I cannot feel. I sometimes...

Nunc dimittis

Today is Candlemas. Yesterday I preached at Christ Church Wanstead for the occasion; today I put the finishing touches on my setting of the Nunc dimittis. It's SATB a capella, and a bit crunchy in places; being a bit calmer than some settings, it would be particularly appropriate for use during a service of sung Compline. I've put it up at CPDL as usual but it won't be visible there for another...

Transfiguration — Demo recording

"Transfiguration-Mariawald-Abbey" by Master of St Severin - Victoria and Albert Museum, . Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons. Some time ago I set Thomas Thurman's poem, "Transfiguration", as a flexible anthem. It can be sung unison and organ, but if there are more voices can expand to soprano and alto, or even soprano, alto and baritone. I've finally gotten around to doing a...

Jubilate Amen

Just a simple sleepy little piece, this -- almost a hymn rather than an anthem, and almost not a hymn in that it straddles the line between describing worship and participating -- to some words by Thomas Moore: Hark! the vesper hymn is stealing o'er the waters soft and clear; nearer yet and nearer pealing and now bursts upon the ear: Jubilate amen! Farther now, now farther stealing soft it fades...

Sweet Spirit, Comfort Me

I wrote this in 2012 for a competition at St Paul's. Clerical error on my part meant I wasn't even in with a chance! But I am happy with what I wrote. Thanks to Matthew Curtis I now have a recording on YouTube: You can download the audio from Soundcloud and the sheet music from the Choral Public Domain Library. In the hour of my distress, When temptations me oppress, And when I my sins confess,...

Pied Beauty — recording

@pmphillips suggested this text to me when I was looking for something a bit creation-y for a unison/2-part community songbook. I didn't set it for that project, but instead in SATB. It's short and sweet, and might be suitable for an introit at a Harvest Evensong or similar. I'm pleased to be able to offer a demo recording of this, both at Soundcloud (where you can download the recording) and,...

Love (III)

At St Andrew's Leytonstone we had the final service of our much-loved parish priest, Fr Duncan, this morning. I've interrupted the Song Cycle pilgrimage to come back and play. He is retiring and we will all miss him loads. I wanted to do something special for this service, so I asked him for a favourite poem. When he said "Love bade me welcome" by George Herbert, I was delighted; and I had...