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Friday 11 June 2010

I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say

Okay, so you don't think I've gone totally charismatic with my post below; here is one of my favourites and I'll sing it tomorrow at the Anticipated Mass at St. John the Evangelist during Communion--but I'll sing the Proper first!

Wow, I used to sing like this too...


5 comments:

Unknown said...

you are invited to follow my blog

Belfry Bat said...

I know this tune from a loose setting of the Benedictus:
"Blessed be the God of Israel, the ever-living Lord/He comes in power to save His own, His people Israel/For Israel he raises up salvation's tower on high/In David's house, who reigned as king and servant of the Lord ..."

And I'm sure you know the rest already

Vox Cantoris said...

Belfry, the tune is called "KINGSFOLD" and probably dates from the Middle Ages in England and Ireland. It is a splendid melody.

It was first published in an anthology of English Country Songs in the late 1800's. Ralph Vaughan Williams introduced it as a hymn tune after hearing it for the first time in, of course, Kingsfold, England specifically for this hymn written by Horatius Bonar.

It is the classic AABA format which modern "songs" in Catholic worship do not possess and are near impossible for the people in the pew to sing well and out. Think here of anything written post c. 1966.

I know of the hymn of which you write and it is in CBWII in the Morning Prayer section to KINGSFOLD.

Once one knows the metrical metre of the hymn, in this case 8.6.8.6, any lyric with the same accents per line can be sung to it.

It is truly a wonderful hymn.

Vox Cantoris said...

Steve,

Thank you for your invitation; I took a quick look but will decline to follow at this time.

Habemus Papam!

The Sheepcat said...

Lovely, Vox!