Choir CD
RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS
Music for Choir and Organ
The Choir of Robinson College, Cambridge
Jamie Conway – Anthony Gray – Shanna Hart – James Hendy Organists
directed by Simon Brown
If you are a member of the College, and would like to purchase the CD please do so on the link below
1 Te Deum in G
We praise thee, O God :
we acknowledge thee to be the Lord.
All the earth doth worship thee :
the Father everlasting.
To thee all Angels cry aloud :
the Heavens, and all the Powers therein.
To thee Cherubim and Seraphim :
continually do cry,
Holy, Holy, Holy :
Lord God of Sabaoth;
Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty :
of thy glory.
The glorious company of the Apostles : praise thee.
The goodly fellowship of the Prophets : praise thee.
The noble army of Martyrs : praise thee.
The holy Church throughout all the world :
doth acknowledge thee;
The Father : of an infinite Majesty;
Thine honourable, true : and only Son;
Also the Holy Ghost : the Comforter.
Thou art the King of Glory : O Christ.
Thou art the everlasting Son : of the Father.
When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man :
thou didst not abhor the Virgin's womb.
When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death :
thou didst open the Kingdom of Heaven to all believers.
Thou sittest at the right hand of God : in the glory of the Father.
We believe that thou shalt come : to be our Judge.
We therefore pray thee, help thy servants :
whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood.
Make them to be numbered with thy Saints : in glory everlasting.
O Lord, save thy people :
and bless thine heritage.
Govern them : and lift them up for ever.
Day by day : we magnify thee;
And we worship thy Name : ever world without end.
Vouchsafe, O Lord : to keep us this day without sin.
O Lord, have mercy upon us : have mercy upon us.
O Lord, let thy mercy lighten upon us :
as our trust is in thee.
O Lord, in thee have I trusted :
let me never be confounded.
2 For all the Saints
For all the Saints who from their labours rest,
Who thee by faith before the world confessed,
Thy name, O Jesus, be forever blest.
Alleluia, Alleluia.
Oh, may thy soldiers, faithful, true, and bold,
— Fight as the Saints who nobly fought of old,
And win with them the victor’s crown of gold.
Alleluia, Alleluia.
Thou art our rock, our fortress, and our might;
Thou, Lord, our captain in the well-fought fight;
Thou, in the darkness drear, our one true light.
Alleluia, Alleluia.
And when the strife is fierce, the warfare long,
Steals on the ear the distant triumph song,
And hearts are brave again, and arms are strong.
Alleluia, Alleluia.
From earth’s wide bounds, from ocean’s farthest coast,
Through gates of pearl streams in the countless host,
— Singing to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Alleluia, Alleluia.
Words: William Walsham How (1823–1897).
3 The Call
Come, my Way, my Truth, my Life:
Such a Way, as gives us breath:
Such a Truth, as ends all strife:
Such a Life, as killeth death.
Come, My Light, my Feast, my Strength:
Such a Light, as shows a feast:
Such a Feast, as mends in length:
Such a Strength, as makes his guest.
Come, my Joy, my Love, my Heart:
Such a Joy, as none can move:
Such a Love, as none can part:
Such a Heart, as joys in love.
from Five Mystical Songs
Soloist: Tom Moy
4 Let us now praise famous men
Let us now praise famous men
and our fathers that begat us
such as did bear rule
in their kingdoms
men renowned for their power
leaders of the people
by their counsel
and by their knowledge
such as found out
musical tunes and
recited verses in writing
All these were honoured
in their generation
and for the glory of our times
but some there be
which have no memorial
who have perished as though
they have never been
Their bodies are
buried in peace
but their name liveth
for evermore.
Words adapted from Ben Sira 44.
5 O taste and see
O taste and see how gracious the Lord is: blest is the man that trusteth in him.
Words from Psalm XXIV v.8
Soloists: Molly Cook and Izzy Fordham
6 Go forth for God
GO forth for God; go forth to the world in peace;
Be of good courage, armed with heavenly grace,
In God's good Spirit daily to increase,
Till in his kingdom we behold his face.
Go forth for God; go forth to the world in strength;
Hold fast the good, be urgent for the right,
Render to no man evil; Christ at length
Shall overcome all darkness with his light.
Go forth for God; go forth to the world in love;
Strengthen the faint, give courage to the weak,
Help the afflicted; richly from above
His love supplies the grace and power we seek.
Go forth for God; go forth to the world in joy,
To serve Christ's brethren every day and hour,
And serving Christ, his every gift employ,
Rejoicing in the Holy Spirit's power.
Sing praise to him who brought us on our way,
Sing praise to him who bought us with his blood,
Sing praise to him who sanctifies each day,
Sing praise to him who reigns one Lord and God.
Words: John Raphael Peacey (1896-1971)
7 Valiant-for-truth
After this is was noised abroad
That Mr Valiant for Truth
Was taken for a summons
And had this for a token that the summons was true
‘That his pitcher was broken
At the fountain.'
When he understood it,
He called for his friends, and told them of it.
Then, said he, ‘I am going to my Father's, and though with great difficulty I am got hither,
Yet now I do not repent me of all the trouble I have been at
To arrive where I am.
My sword, I give to him that shall succeed me in my pilgrimage
And my courage and skill,
To him that can get it.
My marks and scars I carry with me
To be a witness for me
That I have fought his battles
Who now will be my rewarder.'
When the day that he must go hence, was come
Many accompanied him to the riverside,
Into which, as he went, he said
‘Death, where is they sting?'
And as he went down deeper, he said,
‘Grave where is they victory?'
So he passed over
And all the trumpets
Sounded, sounded
sounded for him
all the trumpets sounded for him
8 Come down, O love divine
Come down, O love divine, seek Thou this soul of mine, And visit it with Thine own ardor glowing. O Comforter, draw near, within my heart appear, And kindle it, Thy holy flame bestowing.
O let it freely burn, til earthly passions turn To dust and ashes in its heat consuming; And let Thy glorious light shine ever on my sight, And clothe me round, the while my path illuming.
Let holy charity mine outward vesture be, And lowliness become mine inner clothing; True lowliness of heart, which takes the humbler part, And o'er its own shortcomings weeps with loathing.
And so the yearning strong, with which the soul will long, Shall far outpass the pow'r of human telling; For none can guess its grace, till he become the place Wherein the Holy Spirit makes His dwelling.
Words: Bianco of Siena d. 1434.
Translated by Richard F. Littledale, 1867.
9 Rhosymedre
organ solo
10 The turtle dove
Fare you well my dear I must be gone
and leave you for a while
If I roam away I'll come back again
Though I roam ten thousand miles, my dear
Though I roam ten thousand miles
So fair though art my bonney lass
So deep in love as I
But I never will prove false to the bonney lass I love
Till the stars fall from the sky my dear
Till the stars fall from the sky
The sea will never run dry my dear
Nor the rocks never melt with the sun
But I never will prove false to the bonney lass I love
Till all these things be done my dear
Till all these things be done
O yonder doth sit that little turtle dove
He doth sit on yonder high tree
A making a moan for the losee of his love
As I will do for thee my dear
As I will do for thee
Words: Anonymous
Soloist: Sam Young
11 Come away, death
Come away, come away, death,
And in sad cypress let me be laid;
Fly away, fly away, breath;
I am slain by a fair cruel maid.
My shroud of white, stuck all with yew,
O prepare it!
My part of death, no one so true
Did share it.
Not a flower, not a flower sweet,
On my black coffin let there be strown;
Not a friend, not a friend greet
My poor corpse, when my bones shall be thrown:
A thousand sighs to save,
Lay me, O where
Sad true lover never find my grave,
To weep there!
Words: William Shakespeare (1564-1616)
12 The lover’s ghost
Well met, well met my own true love;
Long time I have been absent from thee,
I am lately come from the salt sea,
And 'tis all for the sake, my love, of thee.
I have three ships all on the salt sea,
And one of them has brought me to land,
I've four and twenty mariners on board,
Songtext-ubersetzung.com
You shall have music at your command.
The ship wherein my love shall sail
Is glorious for to behold,
The sails shall be of shining silk,
The mast shall be of the fine beaten gold.
I might have had a King's daughter,
And fain she would have married me,
But I forsook her crown of gold,
And 'tis all for the sake, my love of thee.
Words: Anonymous
13 Just as the tide was flowing
One morning in the month of May,
Down by some rolling river,
A jolly sailor, I did stray,
When I beheld my lover,
She carelessly along did stray,
A-picking of the daisies gay;
And sweetly sang her roundelay,
Just as the tide was flowing.
O! her dress it was so white as milk,
And jewels did adorn her.
Her shoes were made of the crimson silk,
Just like some lady of honour.
Her cheeks were red, her eyes were brown,
Her hair in ringlets hanging down;
She'd a lovely brow, without a frown,
Just as the tide was flowing.
I made a bow and said, Fair maid,
How came you here so early?
My heart, by you it is betray'd
For I do love you dearly.
I am a sailor come from sea,
If you will accept of my company
To walk and view the fishes play,
Just as the tide was flowing.
No more we said, but on our way
We'd gang'd along together;
The small birds sang, and the lambs did play,
And pleasant was the weather.
When we were weary we did sit down
Beneath a tree with branches round;
For my true love at last I'd found,
Just as the tide was flowing.
Words: English Folk Song
14 Linden Lea
Within the woodlands, flow'ry gladed,
By the oak trees' mossy moot,
The shining grass blades, timber-shaded,
Now do quiver underfoot;
And birds do whistle overhead,
An water's bubbling in its bed;
And there, for me, the apple tree
Do lean down low in Linden Lea.
When leaves, that lately were a-springing,
Now do fade with the copse,
And painted birds do hush their singing,
Up upon the timber tops;
And brown-leaved fruit's a-turning red,
In cloudless sunshine overhead,
With fruit for me, the apple tree
Do lean down low in Linden Lea.
Let other folk make money faster
In the air of dark-room'd towns;
I don't dread a peevish master,
Though no man may heed my frowns.
I be free to go abroad,
Or take again my homeward road
To where, for me, the apple tree
Do lean down low in Linden Lea
Words: William Barnes (1801-86)
15 Ca’ the yowes
Ca' the yowes tae the knowes,
Ca' them whar the heather grows,
Ca' them whar the burnie rows,
My bonnie dearie.
Hark, the mavis' e'enin' sang,
Soundin' Cluden's woods amang;
Then a fauldin' let us gang,
My bonnie dearie.
We'll gang down by Clouden side,
Through the hazels spreading wide
O'er the waves that sweetly glide
To the moon sae clearly.
Fair and lovely as thou art,
Thou hast stol'n my very heart;
I can die, but canna part,
My bonnie Dearie.
While waters wimple to the sea,
While day blinks in the lift sae hie
Till death shall blin' my e'e
Ye shall be my dearie.
Words: Robert Burns (1759 - 1796)
Soloist: Callum Holmes
Prelude and Fugue in C minor organ solo 9:40
16 Prelude 4:45
17 Fugue 4:55