Ralph Vaughan Williams

Today is the 140th birthday of English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams.  His home town of Down Ampney (in the Cotswolds) is planning a memorial concert of some of his works this evening.

He did not show any particular talent for composition at an early age, though he attended the Royal College of Music, studying with Charles Villiers Stanford. His first published piece, a secular song called Linden Lea, did not appear until he was thirty.  By the time of his death in 1958 he had compiled a very long list of compositions in nearly every possible form, from traditonal choral and instrumental works to scores for radio, film, and television.

Today's tune by Vaughan Williams first appeared in The English Hymnal (1906) which he edited and which contained many of hsi tunes and arrangements of English folk melodies.  This hymnal was extremely successful, adopted by many Anglican churches, and also very influential for future hymnal editors.  Not only many tunes of Vaughan Williams have survived, but also many of the text-tune combinations that were first matched in that book.

God be with you till we meet again;
May God's counsels guide, uphold you,
With the sheep securely fold you;
God be with you till we meet again.

God be with you till we meet again;
When life’s perils thick confound you;
Put Love's arms unfailing round you;
God be with you till we meet again.

God be with you till we meet again;
'Neath God's wings protecting hide you;
Daily manna still provide you;
God be with you till we meet again.

God be with you till we meet again;
Keep Love’s banner floating o’er you,
Smite death’s threatening wave before you;
God be with you till we meet again.

Jeremiah E. Rankin, 1880; alt.
Tune: RANDOLPH (9.8.8.8.)
Ralph Vaughan Williams, 1906

You may have sung this text to a rather different tune.  Author Jeremiah Rankin first published it in the American collection Gospel Bells (1880) where it was set to a gospel song tune (with a refrain "Til we meet at Jesus' feet") by William G. Tomer.  Rankin's text was written as a closing song for worship, based on "good-bye," which derives from "God be with you."  There are at least four additional stanzas which I have never heard sung.  One of these is this original final stanza:

God be with you till we meet again;
Ended when for you earth’s story,
Israel’s chariot sweep to glory;
God be with you till we meet again.




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