Recorded at Valley Recordings, March 1990;
Recorded and produced by Gef Lucena (Saydisc) and David Wilkins (Valley Recordings)

Note: I copied the verses from the now defunct web site of Randy Oftedahl, who took most of them from the United Methodist Hymnal. Some of the hymns differed in Maddy’s version and with the help of Ed Jager I adapted the Methodist Hymnal texts to the recorded versions.

Musicians

Maddy Prior: vocals;
Bill Badley: lute, guitar (19^th cent. original), steel-string guitar, mandolin, mandocello, banjo, vocals;
Charles Fullbrook: tabors, side drum, bass drum, cymbals, wood blocks, cow bell, vocals;
Jub Davis: double bass;
Giles Lewin: violin, recorder [2, 13], vocals;
Andy Watts: curtal, bassoon (19^th cent. original), clarinet in C, recorder [2, 7, 14], vocals

Tracks

1. Who Would True Valour See (Roud 25470) (3.08)
2. Rejoice Ye Shining Worlds (2.09)
3. O Thou Who Camest From Above (2.36)
4. Lo He Comes With Clouds Descending (Roud 46380) (3.38)
5. How Firm a Foundation (Roud 7102) (2.56)
6. O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing (Roud V32149) (3.48)
7. As Pants the Hart (2.26)
8. The God of Abraham Praise (3.07)
9. The Twenty-Ninth of May or The Jovial Beggars, Monkland instrumental (2.35)
10. Light of the World (3.45)
11. All Hail the Pow’r of Jesus’ Name (Roud 17726) (4.02)
12. Lord, in the Morning (2.45)
13. Away With Our Sorrows and Care (3.18)
14. Christ the Lord Is Ris’n Today (3.12)
15. O Worship the King (3.25)
16. And Can It Be? (3.44)

Sleeve Notes

From John Wesley’s instructions for singing, 1761:

1. Learn these tunes before you learn any others …
2. Sing them exactly as they are printed here without altering or mending them at all …
3. Sing All. See that you join with the congregation as frequently as you can …
4. Sing lustily and with a good courage. Beware of singing as if you were half dead, or half asleep; but lift up your voice with strength …
5. Sing modestly. Do not bawl, so as to be heard above or distinct from the rest of the congregation, that you may not destroy the harmony …
6. Sing in Time. Whatever time is sung, be sure to keep with it. Do not run before nor stay behind it … and take care not to sing too slow …
7. Above all sing spiritually. Have an eye to God in every word you sing. Aim at pleasing Him more than yourself or any other creature …

It’s hard to imagine hymns as something new, daring, even mildly subversive, but in the eighteenth century they were not only a novelty, their use in parish churches was strictly speaking illegal. Until about 1700 both Anglican and nonconformist congregations sang almost nothing but metrical psalms in the Old Version of Sternhold and Hopkins, 1562, to a limited number of tunes. Lord, In the Morning (no. 12) is in this style. Although much fine religious poetry was written in the seventeenth century, e.g. Who Would True Valour See (no. 1), hardly any of it was intended for church worship. At the end of the century, although many held loyally to Sternhold and Hopkins, several versions of the Psalms in a more contemporary style appeared, including Tate and Brady’s New Version 1696 (no. 7) and Isaac Watts Psalms of David Imitated in the Language of the New Testament 1719 (nos. 2,12) At the same time, Watts and others were writing hymns which, because they were not versions of Scripture, gave room for greater freedom of expression. The new forms were seized on with enthusiasm by John Wesley and his brother Charles, who made hymn-singing an important feature of their ministry. The Wesley’s appeal was largely to the working classes and their hymns were often used in large open-air meetings. Up to the point even new hymns had been sung by and large to the old psalm tunes, though Watts recommended a faster more robust style of singing. The Methodists however soon began to write new tunes for their hymns in an unashamed secular style which would not have been out of place in the theatre, the pleasure gardens, or even the tavern. It was this which so shocked the Establishment and delayed the introduction of hymns to parish churches. Such was the popularity of hymn-singing however, that by the end of the century it was widespread in nearly all denominations. To meet the demand a flood of hymnbooks appeared which continued into the Victorian era, until in 1861 Hymns Ancient and Modern appeared and gradually became the most widely-used.

What made the hymns so different from their old metrical psalms was their expression of personal religious thoughts and feelings in vigorous, emotional language. They spoke of God’s love for sinners, salvation for the individual, the liberating powers of Jesus, the inner experience of the Holy Spirit, strength to withstand oppression and the promise of future glory. This was abhorrent to most of the Anglican Establishment and the ruling classes. Memories of the Civil War made them highly suspicious of religious enthusiasm. However, unlike the earlier puritans (such as Bunyan) the eighteenth century evangelicals aimed to reform society rather than replace it with God’s kingdom on earth so in time even the Church of England could absorb many of the hymns into its worship.

The new tunes were remarkable for their variety, vitality and originality. Although some were written by professional musicians such as Samuel Stanley (no. 3), who also kept a tavern, Thomas Arne (no. 13)and William Croft (no. 15), many were written by men who had little or no formal musical training. Thomas Jarman (no. 6) was a tailor, Hugh Wilson (no. 7) a shoemaker and James Ellor (no. 11) worked in a hat factory. Some tunes have the character of art music while other seem close to folk tunes. Both words and tunes quickly crossed the Atlantic and American musicians also wrote their own or borrowed folk tunes (nos. 5,10).

The eighteenth century also saw the emergence of choirs and bands in parish churches and non-conformist chapels. In the seventeenth century psalm-singing had been unaccompanied, led by the parish clerk. Towards the end of the century small groups of male singers were formed to improve the singing of the psalms. Gradually children and then women were admitted to their ranks and instrumentals were added, most commonly bass viol, bassoon, clarinet, violin and flute. Other instruments such as oboes, trumpets and drums were found less often. The guitar was popular for music-making at home, and several collections of hymns with guitar accompaniment were published. From about 1790 some hymn books provided ‘symphonies’ i.e. introductions and interludes for the instruments. The musicians were mostly working people, sometimes with the benefit of tuition from a local ‘singing master’. From the 1830’s onwards, barrel organs and then pipe organs began to place the gallery bands, but for a century they must have provided a regular opportunity for making and listening to music for a sizeable section of the working class. The tradition was particularly strong in the Midlands and the North, and from it grew the musical societies and festivals, particularly for the performance of oratorio, whose direct descendants still flourish today. These amateur musicians would have been as familiar with Handel as with folk songs, a fact reflected in the diversity of the hymn tunes.

Most of the hymns on this recording are still sung in churches today. In preparing the music we looked at eighteenth and early nineteenth century hymn books and in many cases restored the melodies and harmonies to their original form. Otherwise, we have not aimed at authentic recreation of the gallery bands, but hope in our own way to have captured the enthusiasm and enjoyment which they evidently brought to their music-making.

Andy Watts

John Caplin
His Hand and Pen
He will be good
But God no when

(Inscription in an eighteenth century singing book)

Texts

Who Would True Valour See

John Bunyan 1628-88
Tune: Monk’s Gate, English trad. collected R. Vaughan Williams 1872-1958
violin, curtal, bass, mandolin, tabor

Who would true valour see
Let him come hither
One here will constant be
Come wind, come weather
There’s no discouragement
Shall make him once relent
His first avowed intent to be a pilgrim

Whoso beset him ’round
With dismal stories
Who but themselves confound
His strength the more is
No lion can him fright
He’ll with a giant fight
But he will have a right to be a pilgrim.

Hobgoblin nor foul fiend
Can daunt his spirit
He knows he at the end
Shall life inherit
Then fancies flee away
He’ll fear not what men say
He’ll labour night and day to be a pilgrim

(repeat first verse)

Rejoice Ye Shining Worlds

Isaac Watts 1674-1748
Tune: from Harmonia Sacra c.1760
recorders, bass, lute

Rejoice ye shining worlds on high,
Behold the king of glory nigh.
Who can this king of glory be
The mighty Lord, the Saviour is He…

Ye heavenly gates your leaves display
To make the Lord the saviour a way
Laiden with spoils of earth and hell
The conqueror comes with God to dwell

Raised from the dead he goes before
He opens heavens eternal door
To give his saints a bless’d abode
With their redeemer and their God

O Thou Who Camest From Above

Charles Wesley 1707-88
Tune: Wilton, Samuel Stanley 1767-1822, Twenty-four tunes c.1796
violin, clarinet, bass

O Thou who camest from above,
The pure celestial fire to impart
Kindle a flame of sacred love
Upon the mean altar of my heart.

There let it for thy glory burn
With inextinguishable blaze,
And trembling to its source return,
In humble prayer and fervent praise.

Jesus, confirm my heart’s desire
To work and speak and think for thee;
Still let me guard the holy fire,
And still stir up thy gift in me.

Ready for all thy perfect will,
My acts of faith and love repeat,
Till death thy endless mercies seal,
And make the sacrifice complete.

Lo He Comes With Clouds Descending

Charles Wesley 1707-88
Tune: Helmsley, Anon, Select Hymns 1765 and Sacred Harmony 1780
violin, bassoon, bass, lute, tabor

Lo, he comes with clouds descending,
Once for favoured sinners slain;
Thousand, thousand saints attending
Swell the triumph of his train.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
God appears on earth to reign.

Every eye shall now behold him,
Robed in dreadful majesty;
Those who set at naught and sold him,
Pierced and nailed him to the tree,
Deeply wailing, deeply wailing, deeply wailing,
Shall the true Messiah see.

The dear tokens of his passion
Still his dazzling body bears;
Cause of endless exultation
To his ransomed worshippers;
With what rapture, with what rapture, with what rapture,
Gaze we on those glorious scars!

Yea, Amen! Let all adore thee,
High on Thy eternal throne;
Saviour, take the power and glory,
Claim the kingdom for Thine own.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Everlasting God, come down!

How Firm a Foundation

Richard Keen in Rippon’s Selection c.1787
Tune: American trad. from Union Harmony 1837 and The Sacred Harp 1844
violin, steel-string guitar, bass

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in his excellent word!
What more can he say than to you he hath said,
You who unto Jesus for refuge have fled?

Fear not, he is with thee, O be not dismayed,
For he is thy God and will still give thee aid;
He’ll strengthen and help thee, and cause thee to stand
Upheld by his righteous, omnipotent hand.

When through the deep waters he calls thee to go,
The rivers of grief shall not thee overflow;
For he will be with thee, in trouble to bless,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

When through fiery trials thy pathways shall lie,
His grace, all-sufficient, shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; his only design
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.

The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose,
He will not, He can not desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavour to shake,
He never will leave, he will never forsake!

O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing

Charles Wesley 1707-88
Tune: Lyngham, Thomas Jarman 1776-1861, Sacred Music 1803
violin, clarinet, bass, steel-string guitar, side drum, bass drum, cymbals

O for a thousand tongues to sing
My great Redeemer’s praise,
The glories of my God and King,
The triumphs of his grace!

My gracious Master and my God,
Assist me to proclaim,
To spread through all the earth abroad
The honour of thy name.

Jesus! the name that charms our fears,
That bids our sorrows cease;
’Tis music in the sinner’s ears,
’Tis life, and health, and peace.

He speaks, and listening to his voice,
New life the dead receive;
The mournful, broken hearts rejoice,
The humble poor believe.

He breaks the power of cancelled sin,
He sets the prisoner free;
His blood can make the foulest clean;
His blood availed for me.

See all your sins on Jesus’ name
The lamb of God was slain
He so was once and often maimed
For every soul on Earth.

As Pants the Hart

Nahum Tate 1652-1715 and Nicholas Brady 1659-1726
Tune: Martyrdom, Hugh Wilson 1766-1824, Smiths Sacred Music 1825
recorder, 19^th century guitar

As pants the heart for cooling streams
When he did end the chase
So longs my soul, O God for thee
And thy refreshing grace.

For thee my God, the living God
My thirsty soul doth pine
O when shall I behold thy face
Thou majesty divine.

God of my strength how long shall I
Like one forgotten mourn
For long forsaken and exposed
To my oppressors scorn.

While restless, while cast down my soul
Hold still and thou shall sing
The praise of Him who is thy God
Thy health’s eternal spring.

The God of Abraham Praise

Thomas Olivers 1725-99
Tune: Leoni, Anon., Sacred Harmony 1780
violin, bass, mandocello

The God of Abraham praise,
Who reigns enthroned above;
Ancient of Everlasting Days,
And God of Love;
Jehovah, great I AM!
By earth and heaven confessed;
I bow and bless the sacred name
Forever blest.

The God of Abraham praise,
At your supreme command
From earth I rise and seek the joys
At his right hand.
By all on earth forsake
It’s wisdom, fame and power;
And him my only potion make
My shield and tower

Though nation’s strength decay
And earth and hell withstand
To Canaans’ bands I urge my way
At his command.
The watery deep I pass
With Jesus in my view;
And through the howling wilderness
My way pursue

He by himself has sworn;
I on his oath depend.
I shall, on eagle’s wings upborne,
To heaven ascend.
I shall behold his face;
I shall his power adore,
And sing the wonders of his grace
Forevermore.

The whole triumphant host
Give thanks to God on high
Hail, Father, Son and Holy Ghost
They ever cry
Hail Abra’m’s God and mine,
I join the handly lays
All might and majesty avail
And endless praise

Instrumental: The Twenty-Ninth of May or The Jovial Beggars, Monkland

The Twenty-Ninth of May: The Dancing Master 1686
Monkland: Hymn tunes of the United Brethren 1824
violin, clarinet, bass, banjo, side drum, wood blocks, cowbell, cymbals

Light of the World

Charles Wesley 1707-88
Tune: Hull, Anon. The American Musical Miscellany 1798
violin, bass, mandocello

Light of the world thy beams I bless
On thee bright son of righteousness
My faith has fixed its eye

Guided by thee through all I go
Nor fear the ruins spread below
For thou art always nigh

Not all the pow’rs of hell and fright
A soul that walks with Christ in light
He walks and cannot fall

Clearly he sees and wins his way
Shining unto the perfect day
And more than conquers all

I rest in thine almighty power
The name of Jesus is a tower
That binds my life above

Thou canst thou will my helper be
My confidence is all in thee
Thou faithful God of love

Wherefore in hell or ceasing prayer
My soul to thy continued care
I faithfully commend

As sure that thou through life shall sway
And sure myself beyond the grave
My everlasting friend

All Hail the Pow’r of Jesus’ name

Edward Perronet 1726-92 and John Rippon 1751-1836
Tune: Diadem, James Ellor 1899-99
violin, clarinet, bass, 19^th century guitar, side drum

All hail the pow’r of Jesus’ name!
Let angels prostrate fall;
Bring forth the royal diadem,
And crown him, crown him,
Crown him, crown him,
And crown him Lord of all.

Crown him, ye martyrs of your God,
Who from his altar call;
Extol the stem of Jesse’s rod,
And crown him, crown him,
Crown him, crown him,
And crown him Lord of all.

Ye seed of Israel’s chosen race,
Ye ransomed from the fall,
Hail him who saves you by his grace,
And crown him, crown him,
Crown him, crown him,
And crown him Lord of all.

Sinners, whose love can ne’er forget
The wormwood and the gall,
Go spread your trophies at his feet,
And crown him, crown him,
Crown him, crown him,
And crown him Lord of all.

Let every tribe and every town
Before him prostrate fall,
And shalt in universal song,
And crown him, crown him,
Crown him, crown him,
And crown him Lord of all.

O that with yonder sacred throng
We at his feet may fall!
Join in the everlasting song,
And crown him, crown him,
Crown him, crown him,
And crown him Lord of all.

Lord, in the Morning

Isaac Watts 1674-1748
Tune: Walsall, Anon., William Anchor’s Choice Collection, c.1726
bass

Lord in the morning thou shall hear
My voice ascending high
To thee will I direct my prayer
To thee lift up my eye.

Up to the hills where Christ is gone
To plea for all his saints
Presenting at his Father’s throne
Our song and our complaints.

Thou art a God before whose side
The wicked shall not stand
Sinners shall ne’er be thy delight
Nor dwell at thy right hand.

But to thy house will I resort
To taste thy mercies there
I will frequent thy holy court
And worship in thy fear.

Oh may thy spirit guide my feet
In ways of righteousness
Make every path of duty straight
And lain before my face.

The men who love and fear thy name
Shall see their hopes fulfilled
The mighty God will compass them
With favour as the shield.

Away With Our Sorrows and Care

Charles Wesley 1707-88
Tune: Hymn of Eve, Thomas Arne 1710-1778 from The Death of Abel
recorder, curtal, bass, lute

Away with our sorrows and care
We soon shall recover our home
A city of saints shall appear
The day of eternity come.

From earth we shall quickly remove
And mount to our native abode
The house of our Father above
The palace of angels and God.

Our mourning is soon at an end
When raised by the life-giving word
We see the new city descend
Adorned as a bride for her lord.

The city so holy and clean
No sorrow can breath in the air
No gloom or affliction or sin
No shadow of evil is there.

By faith we already be home
At lovely Jerusalem here
Our walls are as jasmine and gold
As crystal her buildings are clear.

Immovably founded in Grace
She stands as she ever has stood
And brightly her fields are displayed
And flames with the glory of God.

No need of the sun in that day
Which never is followed by night
When Jesus his beauty displayed
A pure and a permanent Light.

The Lamb is their light and their sun
And lo, by reflection they shine
With Jesus in everyone
And bright in His fullness divine.

[repeat first two verses]

Christ the Lord Is Ris’n Today

Charles Wesley 1707-88
Tune: Easter Morn, Anon., Lyra Davidica 1708
violin, recorder, bass, lute, tabor

Christ the Lord is ris’n today, Alleluia!
Sons of men and angels say, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing, ye heavens, thou earth reply, Alleluia!

Love’s redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
Vain the stone, the watch, the seal, Alleluia!
Christ have burst the gates of hell, Alleluia!

Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!
Where, o Death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!
Once he died our souls to save, Alleluia!
Where’s thy victory, boasting grave? Alleluia!

Soar we now where Christ has led, Alleluia!
Following our exalted head, Alleluia!
Made like him, like him we rise, Alleluia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!

King of glory, soul of bliss, Alleluia!
Everlasting life is this, Alleluia!
Thee to know, thy pow’r to prove, Alleluia!
Thus to sing, and thus to love, Alleluia!

Hail the Lord of earth and heaven, Alleluia!
Praise to thee by both be given, Alleluia!
Thee we greet triumphant now, Alleluia!
Hail the Resurrection, thou, Alleluia!

O Worship the King

Robert Grand 1785-1838
Tune: Hanover, attr. William Croft 1678-1727, A Supplement to the New Version
violin, clarinet, bass, lute, tabors

O worship the King, all glorious above,
O gratefully sing his power and his love;
Our shield and defender, the ancient of days,
Pavilioned in splendour, and girded with praise.

O tell of his might, O sing of his grace,
Whose robe is the light, whose canopy space,
His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form,
And dark is his path on the wings of the storm.

The earth with its store of wonders untold,
Almighty, thy power hath founded of old;
Hath stablished it fast by a changeless decree,
And round it hath cast, like a mantle, the sea.

Thy bountiful care, what tongue can recite?
It breathes in the air, it shines in the light;
It streams from the hills, it descends to the plain,
And sweetly distils in the dew and the rain.

Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail,
In thee do we trust, nor find thee to fail;
Thy mercies how tender, how firm to the end,
Our maker, defender, redeemer, and friend.

O measureless might, in everful love
By angels delight to hymn thee above
The humble creation through feeble delays
With true adoration shall sing to thy grace.

And Can It Be?

Charles Wesley 1707-88
Tune: Sagina, Thomas Campbell 1777-1844, The Bouquet 1825
violin, clarinet, bass, steel-string guitar, side drum

And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Saviour’s blood!
Died he for me? Who caused his pain!
For me? Who him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be
That thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

’Tis mystery all: th’ Immortal dies!
Who can explore his strange design?
In vain the firstborn seraph tries
To sound the depths of love divine.
’Tis mercy all! Let earth adore;
Let angel minds enquire no more.

He left his Father’s throne above
(So free, so infinite his grace!),
Emptied himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam’s helpless race.
’Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For O my God, it found out me!

Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray;
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed thee.

No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in him, is mine;
Alive in him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach th’ eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.

Sleeve Notes

The Carnival Band made their debut on the towpath of the Leeds-Liverpool Canal in the summer of 1984. Their repertoire ranges from medieval dances to music hall songs in a style that draws on early music and folk from Europe East and West and America North and South. They have toured in Britain and Belgium, giving concerts and working with schools and community groups and in 1989 made their first solo recording Madame Lucette.
“Eclectic choice and skilled playing … The Carnival Band demonstrated that their vocal ability matched their instrumental virtuosity.” (The Guardian)

Maddy Prior enjoys many and various musical activities. Working with the Carnival Band holds a special affection for her. She says that the joyful and enthusiastic way the projects are approached make them a delight to do. Elsewhere she has been singing with Steeleye Span for around twenty years and continues to do so with undiminished enjoyment. She also works regularly with her husband Rick Kemp, writing and performing their own compositions. She has done projects with June Tabor and numerous television and radio appearances. She still likes to tour when the commitment of family life (Alex and Rosie) allows.

Maddy Prior and The Carnival Band were first brought together in 1984 for a BBC Radio 2 broadcast of Christmas carols. This became the basis of A Tapestry of Carols (Saydisc CD-SDL 366) which was enthusiastically received by the press and the public. As a result, Maddy and the band gave three U.K. concert tours and made several TV and radio appearances. Another commission from Radio 2 to celebrate the 250^th anniversary of John Wesley’s spiritual awakening and the 200^th of his brother Charles’s death led to this, their second recording. While Maddy and The Carnival Band are happy to maintain their separate identities and careers, they enjoy these occasional collaborations which give them the opportunity to combine their different styles and talents.

A compilation of ten tracks each from Saydisc albums by Maddy Prior & The Carnival Band and The Mellstock Band

Musicians

Maddy Prior & The Carnival Band [1-5, 16-20];
The Mellstock Band [11-15]

Tracks

1. And Can It Be? (3.44)
2. As Pants the Hart (2.26)
3. Lo He Comes With Clouds Descending (Roud S243057) (3.38)
4. O Worship the King (3.25)
5. Away With Our Sorrows and Care (3.18)
6. Arise and Hail the Joyful Day (Roud 24757) (2.44)
7. Hail Happy Morn (Roud 24741) (2.16)
8. Awake and Join the Cheerful Choir (Roud 23664) (2.54)
9. See Heaven’s High Portals (Roud 24749) (2.55)
10. Awake, Awake Ye Mortals All (Roud 23741) (2.11)
11. While Shepherds Watched (Roud 936) (2.53)
12. Behold the Morning Star (Roud 24355) (2.09)
13. The Musical Lovers (Roud 24258) (1.46)
14. Arise and Hail the Sacred Day (Roud 24394) (3.05)
15. Rejoice This Glorious Day Is Come (Roud 23711) (4.41)
16. Christ the Lord Is Ris’n Today (3.12)
17. Light of the World (3.45)
18. All Hail the Pow’r of Jesus’ Name (Roud 17726) (4.02)
19. O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing (Roud V32149) (3.48)
20. Who Would True Valour See (Roud 25470) (3.08)

Tracks 1-5, 16-20 are from Sing Lustily and With Good Courage (Saydisc CD-SDL 383, 1990);
Tracks 6-15 are from Under the Greenwood Tree (Saydisc SDL 360, 1986)