Voices of Connection: 06/07 Holst and Parry

HOLST I Vow to Thee, My Country and PARRY Jerusalem

Voices of Ascension
Dennis Keene, Artistic Director
Andrew Henderson, Organist

recorded live at the Church of the Ascension, April 14, 2016
The singers in this performance are represented by the
American Guild of Musical Artists, AFL-CIO.

I hope these two English favorites will brighten your day! I vow to thee, my country is a patriotic song set to the words of Sir Cecil Spring Rice. In 1921 Gustav Holst adapted the theme of Jupiter from his suite The Planets to fit the text. Since then it has become a beloved national hymn, sung at patriotic or important occasions. Diana, Princess of Wales, requested it for her wedding to Prince Charles; and it was also played at her funeral (as well as the funerals of Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher.) Jerusalem is also a patriotic hymn, much beloved in England. Parry composed his music in 1918 to the text of William Blake “Oh did those feet in ancient times.” The popularity of this piece is such that it regularly appears at state occasions, school commencements, sporting events, weddings (The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge) and funerals, and even in famous films, such as “Chariots of Fire.” It was a favorite of our great friend Sir Edwin Manton.

– Dennis Keene, Artistic Director

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