With this being the last Sunday before the season of Advent, and since I usually offer only secular pieces on my Sunday blog post, I decided to end the liturgical year with one of my all-time favorite hymns: The Day Thou Gavest Lord Is Ending.
During his lifetime, John Ellerton (1826-1893) wrote a large number of hymns and translations, and a glance at the index of almost any hymn book will reveal at least four or five of his works. Ellerton's contributions to English hymnody are best represented in Hymns Ancient and Modern and The Methodist Hymnbook (1933) which both include his original hymns (“The day thou gavest” and “This is the day of light”) and his translation from the Mozarabic Breviary of the fifth century of “Sing alleluia forth”.
Two hymn tunes of Reverend Clement Cotterill Scholefield (1839-1904) have been set to poems by Ellerton; the hymn tune 'Irene' is often coupled with Ellerton's “When the day of toil is done” and “The day thou gavest, Lord, is ended” is set to Scholefield's more familiar tune 'St Clement'.
This is a wonderful three minute video of a hymn festival which took place in Stratford-upon-Avon in the year 1989. A very different time, to say the least: a Church full of people, both young and old, singing their praises to God. What has happened in less than thirty years? (Save that answer for another post this week…)
In the meanwhile, enjoy this treasure: splendid music, superb poetry, stirring voices, God praised! Can you ask for anything more?
Love One Another - Brian
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