Sunday 18th June 2023 Trinity 2

 Jubilate Deo in B flat from Morning, Communion and Evening Service in B flat Op.10  Charles Villiers Stanford

Taken from the Novello  Copy

Sir Charles Villiers Stanford has a perverse relationship with posterity.  Remembered today largely for his choral miniatures, this restless symphonist was the unwilling Janus of British music.  A significant presence on the European scene in his own lifetime, he was an outspoken critic of Wagner, Strauss and modernism in general. Nevertheless, as a formalist with flair and skill, his influence catalysed much of the great English music of the 20th century.  As fellow composer George Dyson said: "In a certain sense the very rebellion he fought was the most obvious fruit of his methods."

The Jubilate in B flat displays the composers trademark mastery of thematic structures.

C V Stanford from Wikipedia

A Prayer of St Richard of Chichester  L J White

This is a simple setting of a beautiful old prayer from our local saint, St Richard. Although written for treble voices, today it was performed by the Sopranos and Altos, with the tenors and basses joining the altos when the sopranos sang the descant.

St Richard's Prayer

Thanks be to Thee, my Lord Jesus Christ

For all the benefits Thou hast given me,

For all the pains and insults Thou hast borne for me.

O most merciful Redeemer, friend and brother,

May I know Thee more clearly,

Love Thee more dearly,

Follow Thee more nearly.

Richard of Chichester (1197 – 3 April 1253), also known as Richard de Wych, is a saint (canonized 1262) who was Bishop of Chichester.

In Chichester Cathedral a shrine dedicated to Richard had become a richly decorated centre of pilgrimage. In 1538, during the reign of Henry VIII, the shrine was plundered and destroyed by order of Thomas Cromwell. Richard of Chichester is the patron saint of Sussex in southern England; since 2007, his translated saint's day of 16 June has been celebrated as Sussex Day.

Icon of St Richard in Chichester Cathedral

Taken from Wikipedia

L J White.

Len White was for many years Deputy Head of St Andrew’s School. He lived with his sister, within walking distance of the church, which had a fine musical tradition, and was Choirmaster until his death in the 1970’s. He had music published, including two masses and settings of A E Housman’s ‘A Shropshire Lad’. Among his unpublished music is a wonderful setting of the ICEL texts of the Mass, written in the last years of his life. It is amazing to me that it never became more widely known, for it is much better than the stuff which became the staple musical diet for forty years. White’s setting is full of good tunes, singable by the people, and with a great organ accompaniment. 

Len White brought  a freshness and lightness – and an Englishness – to the music at Willesden Green, which is in contrast to the earlier choir books with their heavy adaptations of Gounod and Mozart to Cranmer’s words!

Scott Anderson