The Grace Joyful Ringers, our handbell choir, plays I Vow to Thee My Country. The origin of the lyric is a poem by British diplomat Cecil Spring Rice, which he wrote in 1908 while posted to the Embassy in Stockholm. Then called Urbs Dei (The City of God) or The Two Fatherlands, the poem described how a Christian owes his loyalties to both his homeland and the heavenly kingdom. In 1921, Gustav Holst adapted the music from a section of Jupiter from his suite The Planets to create a setting for the poem. At the request of the publisher Curwen, Holst made a version as a unison song with orchestra. This was probably first performed in 1921 and became a common element at Armistice memorial ceremonies, especially after it was published as a hymn in 1926. Holst in 1926 harmonized the tune to make it usable as a hymn, which was included in the hymnal Songs of Praise. Grace Presbyterian Church, 7434 Bath Street, Springfield, Va. 1 June 2014
Posted on: Sun, 01 Jun 2014 18:17:20 +0000
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