Preface , Taken
from "With Cheerful Voice"
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"With
Cheerful Voice"
A New Hymn Book, and new tune and a new School Hymn for
Clayesmore
I don’t know when it was that the Public Schools’ Hymn Book was first
published but in its latest—and what became its final—version Hymns for Church
and School coupled with its supplement Praise and Thanksgiving, I found, as a
working Director of Music, and latterly as a Head, that it fulfilled most of my
desires and aspirations. However, it has very much become the trend in recent
years for independent schools to commission individualised hymn books of their
own, and as a result, the publishers have stopped producing Hymns for Church and
School. And in many ways, that’s no bad thing. There is no shortage of excellent
new hymns coming forward, and although these will never take over from the old
stalwarts—Immortal, Invisible, Praise my soul, and all the others—some swapping
about and modernisation is desirable.
So, with our old book going out of print, we faced the decision of either
purchasing one of the standard hymn books—New English Hymnal, Common Praise (as
the latest version of Hymns Ancient and Modern is called), or following the
example of many other schools and commissioning our own.
At about the time we were considering all this, Nick Zelle, OC and former
Director of Music here, put forward the idea of asking Sir David Willcocks, the
celebrated former Director of Music at King’s College Cambridge, who composed
every descant you associate with Christmas, to write a hymn tune to be called
Clayesmore. Now, it may not be widely known that hymn tunes have names—they may
be the name of saints, or places or people. So, the tune of Immortal invisible
is called St. Denio: That of All my hope of God is founded is called
Michael—named after the composer’s son: And that of Dear Lord and Father of
Mankind is called Repton. Yes, Repton! The name of an independent school
attached to one of the most popular hymns in Christendom! This is what Nick
wanted to replicate in the hope that the name Clayesmore would reach people’s
hearts and minds in a different way.
Well, this was all very well, but our tune Clayesmore was never going to
become part of a standard hymn book – we hope that one day it will—but the best
we could have done was to have it glued in afterwards.
However, soon after this, when I explained the difficulty to the OC
committee, they immediately suggested that they might pay for a new Clayesmore
School Hymn Book, and we went forward from there. It was to incorporate the new
tune and it be ready in time for the 50th Anniversary Service for the School
Chapel i
n November 2006.
During the summer of 2006, we found that Sir David felt unable to do any more
composing. Rather than push forward into print with our new book with one of its
primary objectives unfulfilled, I immediately contacted Malcolm Archer, the
Director of Music at St Paul’s Cathedral and a prolific composer of church
music, and asked if he would take over this assignment. And he did! We now have
a fine hymn tune of which we can all be proud called, Clayesmore! The words
chosen by Malcolm are by Bishop Timothy Dudley-Smith, one of the most prominent
and creative hymn-writers of our day, and who lives near Salisbury.
The book also contains a new Clayesmore School Hymn – Look down in love on
Clayesmore – written to the tune of the Dambusters’ March with words by our
former Chaplain, Michael Arnold.
I am immensely proud and pleased with our new Hymn Book. We have called it
With cheerful voice, and it feels a top quality product and looks tremendous. It
was, for me, something of a labour of love, and, if you read my
introduction to
the new book, you will see why.
All the books were dedicated and blessed by The Right Reverend Timothy
Thornton, Bishop of Sherborne, at our Service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving
to mark the chapel’s 50th birthday on 11th November, 2006, and I hope they will
serve Clayesmorians in their hymn singing for many years to come.
Martin Cooke,
Headmaster.
November 2006.
I don’t know when it was that the Public Schools’ Hymn Book was first
published but in its latest—and what became its final—version Hymns for Church
and School coupled with its supplement Praise and Thanksgiving, I found, as a
working Director of Music, and latterly as a Head, that it fulfilled most of my
desires and aspirations. However, it has very much become the trend in recent
years for independent schools to commission individualised hymn books of their
own, and as a result, the publishers have stopped producing Hymns for Church and
School. And in many ways, that’s no bad thing. There is no shortage of excellent
new hymns coming forward, and although these will never take over from the old
stalwarts—Immortal, Invisible, Praise my soul, and all the others—some swapping
about and modernisation is desirable. 