As I said last time, Sunday was our parish feast day (transferred) as well as our annual meeting. We did indeed sing the glorious conquest, as well as a newer (copyrighted) text by Gracia Grindal, A light from heaven shone around, with one of those odd-rhythmed "modern" tunes that makes the congregation prove they know a half note from a quarter note. Add Christ is made the sure foundation and Who are these like stars appearing (an all-time favorite) and it was a pretty good day. The fifth hymn (which we've used before) bears further examination.
Praise the Lord for our Foundation,
Praise God for our holy name;
Christ, our host and our salvation,
Yesterday, today, the same.
In his tender love he sought us
When we needed most his aid;
By the hands of all he brought us
To the home his love had made.
Praise God for religious guiding;
To the loyal founders sing,
For this stately home providing
Shelter 'neath her guiding wing.
Prosper, Lord, with heav'nly blessing
Lives of those who love her peace,
With Thy love their hearts possessing,
Make their number to increase.
Praise God for th'unbroken story
Linking present with the past,
Old world habit, civic glory,
Timeworn customs newly cast.
Praise God for our spacious dwelling,
Ringed with lawns and gardens fair,
Wind and storm and rain forthtelling
All God's Word in earth and air.
Friends, best with a loving spirit
Shall our grateful thanks be paid;
Lifting up with hearts forgiving
Holy prayer in gladness made.
Praise we now the God of heaven,
Christ our Savior and our host,
With the Lord of spirits seven,
Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
I had never encountered this anywhere else, and something about it was nagging at me, so I pursued it online and found that it appears to be the alma mater song of Christ's Hospital, an English boarding school that dates back to the sixteenth century (the original version is here, about a third of the way down the page). The writer of the hymn, A.W. Upcott (1857-1922), was associated with the school, perhaps as headmaster, which means that this text would have been used (and published) during his lifetime and is therefore no longer under copyright in Great Britain or the US. Someone (I'd love to know who) has revised it to make it less specific to the school and useful as a hymn for a church anniversary or commemoration.
Most of it works. Certainly "guiding" shouldn't appear twice in the first half of verse two; the second one needs to be changed again (it was originally "kindly"). The first line of the last verse should rhyme with the third line, as it does in the other verses. The line that really nagged at me is in verse three ("Ringed with lawns and gardens fair"), as it sounds like bad Victoriana (which most of the rest really doesn't). The line was indeed changed from the original "Ringed with downs and woodlands fair," which I think is a better transition from the "spacious dwelling" to the world of Nature invoked in the last two lines of the verse, but still not useful. Besides, it's too specific; your church may well be "ringed" with something else entirely. So, not a bad revision overall, but it could be better.
The mysterious "Lord of spirits seven" appears in both versions, but it's not a theological concept I've encountered before. Bears more investigation.
I can't find anything online about the tune, called MIDDLETON, nor does it appear in the few hymnals I searched. It's a good, strong one, even if the last line is exactly the same as the last line of ZEUCH MICH, ZEUCH MICH (more noticeable becaue we sang both on the same day).
P.S. Of course, some of the current students of Christ's Hospital have no particular reverence toward Upcott's work and they have been soliciting parody verses. (It's surely been going on since the verses were first introduced, but now it's on the internet for all to see.)
UPDATE: Thanks to commenters J.H. and D.E. (the Old Blues clearly monitor the internets for mentions of their alma mater) we have more information about Upcott and his hymn, including a midi file of the tune MIDDLETON (complete with fanfares galore - before, after, and between the verses!) by Wilkinson, who was director of music at the school at the same time Upcott was headmaster.
6 comments:
If you want more details you should really contact the CH Museum who would know a lot more but as far as I can remember, Upcott was Headmaster. The fair fields etc probably refer to the fact that until 1902, CH was based at Newgate in the City of London. It then moved to its present location just outside Horsham in Sussex, where the difference with the city site is enormous.
The Founder is Edward VI.
Middleton was an old boy at the school and also Bishop in India I think.
Probably not related but there were seven Boarding Houses named after Old Boys, Peele, Thornton, Middleton, Coleridge, Lamb, Barnes and Maine, now joined by Leigh Hunt.
John Hopgood
Editor, Old Blue
Thanks for the information! I'm really more intrigued by the revisions to the original, but the historical background (and confirmation of my guess about Upcott) is certainly welcome.
How fascinating!
Your version of the Foundation Hymn (Tune Middleton:Wilkinson - Director of Music, Christ's Hospital 1902-1929; Words:The Venerable Dean Upcott, Headmaster, Christ's Hospital 1902-1919) is a little different to that still used and widely revered by the pupils at CH. There is considerable reference to it on the young people's messenging site, Facebook. (see
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2261168099
and especially
http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=2261168099&topic=2425
a topic devoted to the Foundation hymn which, incidentally, gives the correct version of Upcott's words as used at the school.)
Boys from the school moved from Newgate Street in London to its grandiose purpose built site near Horham in 1902 (the girls had earlier been moved to Hertford and did not rejoin the boys at Horsham until 1976). Although the children moved en bloc to Horsham in 1902, most of the staff did not; there was a new team at Horsham led by the severe (and at times, brutal)Dean Upcott who collaborated with Wilkinson in the Foundation Hymn.
The hymn is full of specific references to CH - e.g. in verse 1 "Christ our host" ref to Christ's Hospital. (In 16th century speak, Hospital=a place of refuge where hospitality was accorded to the needy - in this case the poor orphans of the city of London for whom the hospital was founded.
"In his tender love he sought us
when we needed most his aid,
by the hand of man he brought us
to the home his love had made"
The school still uses "need" as the basis of granting admission.
In verse 2, the "Royal Founder King" was the boy King Edward VI whose last act was to grant the royal charter to his hospital based in the now dissolved monastery of Greyfriars in the city. The "ancient House" is, of course Christ's Hospital itself.
Verse 3 relates to the history of the school and the Tudor Uniform ("old world habit") still worn by its pupils. The school still prides its "Civic Glory" retaining its links, traditions and privileges in the City of London through which it processes annually on St Matthews Day led by its superb 100 strong band. The "spacious dwelling, ringed with downs and woodlands fair" is, of course, the vast rural site of present day Christ's Hospital in the Sussex countryside. In Upcott's day, it was brand new.
Verse 4
"Brothers, best with righteous living
shall our grateful thanks be paid,
lifting up with hearts forgiving
holy prayer in duty made" is a little understood reference to "duty" or evening prayers said in the Boarding Houses until at least 50 years ago. Pupils at Christ's Hospital, generally from disadvantaged backgrounds, are keenly aware of the unusual opportunities they have been given and thanksgiving was, until comparatively recently, a daily "duty" of its beneficiaries.
Finally, the references to "the Lord of Spirits Seven", although they have no direct relevance to CH are somewhat obscure and deserve a little explanation.
They are explicitly mentioned in the following passages in the Bible:
John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne . . . (Rev. 1:4)
And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, 'These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.' (Rev. 3:1)
And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire [were] burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. (Rev. 4:5)
And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. (Rev. 5:6)
Yes, the Foundation Hymn is used elsewhere. Our patronal hymn at St Mylor in Cornwall has adapted Upcott's words to the Wilkinson tune. Here is the St Mylor version in full:
Praise the lord for our foundation
Here in Mylor's hallowed ground.
Praise Him for the saint's migration
And His teaching here around.
Praise Him for this ancient dwelling
Set amidst woods and waters fair.
Wind and storm and sun forthtelling
All His word in earth and air.
Praise Him for th'unbroken story
Linking present with the past.
Misty legend, ancient glory
Christian witness newly cast.
Prosper, Lord, with heavenly blessing
Lives of those who love your peace;
And with love their hearts possessing,
Make their number to increase.
Let us join in praise together,
Witnessing to Christ our Lord;
Sing and worship Him for ever,
Hear the Gospel, spread the word;
So that we may know Him better.
Seek to make Him better known
Heed the spirit and the letter
Of the Gospel seed here sown.
So may we with righteous living
Let our grateful thanks be paid.
Lifting up with hearts forgiving
Holy prayer in duty made;
Praise we thus the God of Heaven,
Christ our Saviour and our Host,
With the Lord of Spirits Seven
Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
David Eastburn
I don't think it's very fair to say the pupils of Christ's Hospital have little reverence for the Foundation Hymn, the school is still widely regarded as the best public school in Britain to here the pupils and not just the choir singing. The Foundation Hymn is so special that it is only sung in chapel (CH has a splendid chapel and the second largest in any public school in England) twice a year, at very formal occasions and on old blues day. IT is also part of the unusual tradition of pupils going up to the highest hill overlooking the school on the last night of the school year and singing hymns, especially the Foundation Hymn to the dawn. It is rather because it is so well loved that it is parodied and to hear it sung by Blues is a glorious sound enough to deafen as well as uplift any spirit.
(I was originally going to explain the spirits seven but David Eastburn did a remarkable job)
The ringed also bears mentioning, it is possibly a double allusion. Whilst the school is obviously surrounded by downs and woodlands fair, it may also be alluding to the fact that Christ's Hospital is also "ringed" with a "ring-fence" which surrounds the entire main school site and playing fields. It marks the boundary of the area where it is lawful for students to go without an exeat (permission to go beyond bounds).
As an ex pupil of Christ's Hospital I would like to point out that you have misquoted several key words in the hymn. The correct version runs as follows:
Praise the Lord for our Foundation,
Praise HIM for our holy name;
Christ, our host and our salvation,
Yesterday, today, the same.
In his tender love he sought us
When we needed most his aid;
By the hand of MAN he brought us
To the home his love HATH made
Praise HIM for religious guiding;
FOR the ROYAL FOUNDER KING,
For THE ANCIENT HOUSE providing
Shelter 'neath her KINDLY wing.
Prosper, Lord, with heav'nly blessing
Lives of those who love her peace,
With Thy love their hearts possessing,
Make their number to increase.
Praise God for th'unbroken story
Linking present with the past,
Old world habit, civic glory,
Timeworn customs newly cast.
Praise God for our spacious dwelling,
Ringed with DOWNS and WOODLANDS fair,
Wind and storm and SUN forthtelling
All HIS WORLD in earth and air.
BROTHERS, best with RIGHTEOUS LIVING,
Shall our grateful thanks be paid;
Lifting up with hearts POSESSING
Holy prayer in DUTY made.
Praise we THUS the God of heaven,
Christ our Savior and our host,
With the Lord of spirits seven,
Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
It is considered to be unique to Christ's Hospital so I am suprised to hear that it has been adapted as it was written for the school.
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