Here, O My Lord - Alan Viner, Horatius Bonar
Hymns: #149 Old 124th, #475 Tysk
Jesu, grant me this, I pray is a lovely setting of Song 13 by Orlando Gibbons. This tune is found in The Hymnal 1982 as #670, Lord, forever at thy side. The anthem is really very straight-forward. The piece has four verses which are spread around the choir to everyone but the altos (sorry altos). The tune is first introduced by the tenors. They are joined for the second verse by the full choir singing flowing lines of countermelody while the sopranos sing the tune above the counterpoint. The third verse gives the basses a chance to sing the tune and the fourth verse presents the hymn in a simple and clear four part texture. The text of the hymn comes from the poet H.W. Baker who, from 1860-1877 edited Anglican Hymns Ancient and modern, a hymnal that sold 60 million copies. The arranger was an organist, teacher, and author of several books on theory and counterpoint. Charles Hebert Kitson taught at the Royal College of Music and Trinity College in Dublin.
Here, O my Lord is another piece that can be found in The Hymnal 1982 (#318) but with a different tune. The setting we are singing has a newly composed tune by the former Music Director of the Priory Boy's Grammar School and the Wakeman School, Alan Viner. This simple a cappella anthem uses unexpected harmonies and expressive moving lines to illustrate the emotion of this text by the 19th century poet and hymn writer, Horatius Bonar. Bonar was born into a long line of ministers. He was ordained in 1837 and maintained a healthy career both with the church and as an author and editor.
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