Angel voices ever singing

Few older hymns can be so precisely and authentically dated as this one, few years so notable for hymnody as 1861 when it appeared, and few church organs so celebrated as that of St John the Evangelist, Wingates, Lancs (now Gtr Manchester), for which it was written. It eventually made its way into Primitive Methodist (1886) and Congregational (1887) hymnals, and to the 1889 Supplement to A&M, whose first edition had arrived in 1861. But its publication dates from 1866, in the author’s Hymns fitted to the order of Common Prayer, 2nd edn, headed ‘For the Dedication of an Organ or for a Meeting of Choirs’. Francis Pott, already known as a hymnologist, wrote the words when curate of Ardingly, Sussex, at the request of his friend W K Macrorie, then ‘in charge’ at Wingates, who in 1869 followed the deposed J W Colenso as Bishop of Maritzburg, Natal (see also 577, note). The new organ was installed and dedicated in Feb 1861, and this hymn was sung for the occasion. Curiously, Bonar’s Angel voices sweetly singing was published in the same year, but has not survived the 19th c. This one, however, thrives in the 21st, though few hymns have proved so resistant to smooth updating, mainly because of the original half-rhymes farthest/regardest’, the phrase ‘sinful man’ in stz 2, and the final ‘thee’ in stz 5 as well as 4.2. For different reasons, ‘angel-harps’ (1.3) and ‘in thy house’ (4.1) have also been redrafted. Less obvious changes had been made earlier, but the version adopted here is virtually the ‘Jubilate’ text finalised by Michael Perry for HTC 2nd edn 1987, after earlier ones had proved unsatisfactory.

Edwin G Monk, at that time organist of York Minster, composed the tune ANGEL VOICES for these words and to mark this event, also at the incumbent’s request. The words and music have almost invariably appeared together from 1887 onwards; but Geoffrey Beaumont’s MAIQUEZ, from 1960, appeared in Hymns of Faith in 1964 and Sound of Living Waters 10 years later.

b Southwark (Surrey/S London) 1832, d Speldhurst nr Tunbridge Wells, Kent 1909. His first home was near the site of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre and of his father’s vinegar factory. Brasenose Coll Oxford; BA 1854, MA 1857. Ordained in 1856; curate at Bishopsworth nr Bristol; then of Ardingly and Ticehurst, both in Sussex. Rector of Northill, nr Biggleswade, Beds, from 1866 to 1891 when ill health including deafness induced him to resign, and retire to Speldhurst. He edited Hymns fitted to the Order of Common Prayer (translated from Lat and Syriac as well as new texts) in 1861, the year of the 1st edn of Hymns A&M of whose committee he was a Charter member. In retirement he concentrated on hymnody and liturgy, editing The Free Rhythm Psalter in 1898. Nos.169, 473.