Johannes Eccard(1553-1611)

He was a pupil at Munich of Orlando Lassus and a voluminous composer of sacred vocal music.

When to the temple Mary went

When to the temple Mary went, 
And brought the Holy Child, 
Him did the aged Simeon see, 
As it had been revealed. 
He took up Jesus in his arms 
And blessing God he said: 
In peace I now depart, my Saviour having seen, 
The Hope of Israel, the Light of men. 

Help now thy servants, gracious Lord, 
That we may ever be 
As once the faithful Simeon was, 
Rejoicing but in Thee; 
And when we must from earth departure take, 
May gently fall aslepp and with Thee wake.
trans. J Troutbeck

Paul Edwards

No small Wonder

Small wonder the star, small wonder the light, 
the angels in chorus, the shepherds in fright; 
but stable and manger for God - no small wonder! 

Small wonder the kings, small wonder they bore 
the gold and the incense, the myrrh to adore; 
but God gives his life on a cross - no small wonder! 

Small wonder the love, small wonder the grace, 
the power, the glory, the light of his face; 
but all to redeem my poor heart - no small wonder!
Paul Wigmore

Sir Edward Elgar (1857-1934)

After a spell of violin teaching he settled first in Malvern and then Hereford where he gradually came forward as a composer - the English Festival system giving him his opportunity. The works by which he became known were of the choral-orchestral kind demanded by the festival committees.

Ave verum corpus

Ave verum Corpus, natum 
De Maria Virgine, 
Vere passum, immolatum 
In cruce pro homine: 
Cuius latum perforatum 
Unda fluxit et sanguine, 
Esto nobis praegustatum 
In mortis examine.

The Spirit of the Lord

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, 
because He hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor: 
he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, 
to preach deliverance to the captives, 
and recovering of sight to the blind, 
to preach the acceptable year of the Lord; 
To give unto them that mourn a garland for ashes,
the oil of joy for mourning, 
the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; 
that they might be called trees of righteousness, 
the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified. 
For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, 
and as the garden causeth the things 
that are sown in it to spring forth; 
so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise 
to spring forth before all the nations.
Isaiah 61. From "The Apostles"

They are at rest

They are at rest; 
We may not stir the heaven of their repose
By rude invoking voice, or prayer addrest in waywardness to those
Who in the mountain grots of Eden lie, 
And hear the fourfold river as it murmurs by.
And soothing sounds 
Blend with the neighbouring waters as they glide; 
Posted along the haunted garden's bounds, 
Angelic forms abide, 
Echoing, as words of watch, o'er lawn and grove 
The verses of that hymn which Seraphs chant above. 
They are at rest.
from a poem by Cardinal Newman

Duke Ellington

Come Sunday

Lordy, Lord of love, 
God almighty, God above, 
Please look down and see my people through. 

I believe that God put Sun and Moon in the sky, 
I don't mind the grey skies, 
'cause they're just clouds passing by. 

Lilies of the the valley 
they neither toils or spins 
And flowers bloom and springtime birds sing. 

Often we feel weary, but he knows our every care, 
Go to him in secret, he will hear your every prayer. 
Oh, from dawn to sunset man works hard all day, 
Come Sunday, oh, come Sunday, that's the day.
from 'Concert of Sacred Music' arr. Timothy Burke

Juan Esquivel

Veni Domine

Veni Domine, et noli tardare: 
visitare nos in pace, ut laetemur coram te corde perfecto. 

Come, O Lord, and delay not:
visit us in peace, that we may rejoice before thee with a perfect heart.
from Motecta festorumtotius anni

This page updated 20 March 2007

Thanks to Andrew Watson for the mini-biographies

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