Description: | Tune: Winchester Old
This tune is usually sung to "When all Thy Mercies, O my God" but also has a second text. The Christmas text, of "While Shepherds watched their flocks by night..." I have included the Christmas text at the conclusion of the video from the sixth verse of the Hymn.
From 11 Compositions for Organ - Set I by Charles W. Ore © 1971 by Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO.
The Tune is based on the the beginning of the soprano aria "Non vi piacque ingiusti dei" from the opera "Siroe" of G.F. Handel.
WINCHESTER OLD is a famous common-meter psalm tune, presumably arranged by George Kirbye (b. Suffolk, England, c. 1560; d. Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, England, 1634) from a melody in Christopher Tye's Acts of the Apostles and published in T. Este's The Whole Book of Psalmes (1592) set to Psalm 84.
The author of the Christmas Text is Nahum Tate. He was born in Dublin and graduated from Trinity College, Dublin, B.A. 1672. He is now known only for the New Version of the Psalms of David, 1696, which he produced in collaboration with Nicholas Brady. Poverty stricken throughout much of his life, he died in the Mint at Southwark, where he had taken refuge from his creditors… (from Hymnary.org)
This setting is by Charles W. Ore - in addition to being an accomplished organ recitalist, Dr. Ore composes organ and choral music, and is a leader in the use and development of improvisation in organ playing. He is organist at First Presbyterian Church in Lincoln, NE.
This entire set of his 11 Compositions for Organ is golden for the uniqueness and the improvisational treatment of many of the chorale melodies. Most are no longer a part of modern hymnody and are no longer sung in churches - especially Lutheran Churches in the United States. The Chorale melody is in the pedal and is in F Major, The Accompaniment on the manuals is in C Major. |