S S Wesley’s “Let us lift up our heart”: Winchester Cathedral 1985 (Martin Neary)

An extract from a BBC radio series entitled “Music for the Iron Voice”. The edition in question (“The Romantic Era in England”) was broadcast on 9 December 1985 and featured the choir of Winchester Cathedral, directed by Martin Neary. This monumental anthem by Wesley was the only choral work in the broadcast. Although undated, it is thought to have been written while Wesley was in post at either Leeds or Winchester, which would place it somewhere between 1842 and 1865. Sir Edward Elgar heard the piece performed under Wesley’s direction in Worcester and was sufficiently impressed to orchestrate it for the 1923 Three Choirs Festival. [www.hyperion-re...]
The text comprises various Biblical texts and words by Wesley’s grandfather, Charles, who was one of the leaders of the Methodist movement and a prolific hymn-writer.
Let us lift up our heart with our hands to God in the heavens.
Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord.
Thou, O Lord, art our Father, our Redeemer.
Thy name is from everlasting: doubtless thou art our Father.
Be not very sore, O Lord, neither remember iniquity for ever.
Behold, see, we beseech Thee: we are all thy people.
Oh, that thou wouldst rend the heav’ns and come down,
That the mountains might flow down at thy presence!
But we are all as an unclean thing; we all do fade as a leaf.
See, we beseech thee, we are all thy people.
Thou, O Lord, art our Father.
We are Thine, O Lord.
Thy name is from everlasting.
We are the clay and Thou our potter;
We are the work of Thine hand.
We are Thine, O Lord.
Thou, O Lord, art the thing that I long for;
Thou art my hope, even from my youth.
Through Thee have I been holden up ever since I was born:
Go not far from me, O God.
My God, haste Thee to help me.
In Thee, O Lord, have I put my trust.
Thou judge of quick and dead, before whose bar severe,
With holy joy or guilty dread we all shall soon appear;
Do Thou our souls prepare for that tremendous day;
And fill us now with watchful care,
and teach our hearts to pray.
O may we thus insure,
A lot among the blest,
And watch a moment to secure,
An everlasting rest.

[@DouglasBrooksDavies]

How good Wesley is for the soul! Thank you so much for this this splendid start to the New Year. (The work was published in 12 Anthems (1853), so seems to be quite early. Peter Horton suggest c. 1836.)

[@Daniel-tw5pt]

Breathtaking!

[@cecilebaer4529]

Beautiful

[@Jimbowinch]

Absolutely beautiful!

[@grahamdalbymusic]

And the fine baritone soloist was ???

[@peregrinetomkins]

Donald Sweeney