Four Hymns

The Four Hymns are in similar vein to the Five Mystical Songs (1911) although on a smaller and more intimate scale. Together with the Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis these form a succession of works displaying a strong mystical, meditative content.

The first of the hymns, ‘Lord! come away!’, employs vigorous Purcellian recitative in a setting of a Palm Sunday text from Bishop Jeremy Taylor’s Golden Grove (17th century). ‘Who is this fair one?’ (Isaac Watts, 1674–1748) is a dialogue for the tenor and viola about divine love. As described by Christopher Palmer, ‘Come Love, come Lord’ (Richard Crashaw, c1613–49) “breathes that spirit of mystical remoteness later to inform A Pastoral Symphony”. The final ‘Evening Hymn’ is a radiant setting of a translation from pre-4th century Greek by Robert Bridges, notable for its contrapuntal expertise over a bell-like basso ostinato.

Four Hymns is also available in the version for tenor, viola & piano (979-0-060-02852-6), and the score (978-0-85162-908-7) serves as the vocal score for use with the orchestral version. However, the solo viola part of the orchestral version is incompatible with that for the piano version.