The Day Thou Gavest Lord Is Ended : The Choir of the Abbey School, Tewkesbury

[dieselheart001]

This is noting short of ethereal! My first hearing of it was in the ending of "Anne Bolelyn" from

Rick Wakeman's "Six Wives" album. That was just a small part of it, but to hear it complete is to hear something glorious! Thank you drwestbury!

[mtthompson90]

This was played at my Gran's funeral, Truly beautiful

[Dolapo92]

Absolutely Beautiful!

[oakbarn1]

We used to sing this as the recessional hymn every Sunday during my time as a chorister at Canterbury Cathedral over 50 years ago - powerful tune - great words - wonderful memories!

Enjoyed this rendition though I prefer it just a little slower!!

[winemeister]

@squirell1952 There's always a moron in the pack.

[winemeister]

No, it's all to do with the American empire, which, of course, started to fade before it got going, not even allowing the bit in the middle we call 'civilisation'.

[charegirl96]

Thank you! This was beautiful - hopefully our choir can do this!!

[uo8am]

Really enjoyed this. It must be one of my favourite hymns.Thanks for sharing

[fmosoba]

Truly Heavenly!!! Perfect.

[stracepipe]

I played this with our brass band at the funeral of our tenor horn player. Unbelievably moving. A beautiful hymn.

[TimAber57]

@stracepipe I don't think I could have managed that; the tune gets to me anyway, to try and play it at a friend's funeral would be too much. Well done.

[KennnnnnyTucky]

Beautiful. 

[optimatus]

Where can I find the scores of these wonderful descants?

[ZeOzzyProdigy]

Recited at my grandmother aged 92's funeral yesterday - RIP.

[Mervyn12104]

This lovely hymn reminds me of the sun setting accross the Bristol Channel on a summer's evening. The choir are indeed - FIRST CLASS.

God bless you.

David - Sutton UK.

[keeleboy1]

We sent my grandmother off with this. Tune and a half

[hartleymartin]

This is my favourite hymn from Compline of The Liturgy of the Hours.

[godwin3006]

Please post more hymns like these. I will be the first to listen... God bless

[godwin3006]

No more words to express. Absolutely superb...

[quaylew]

this was written by a former pupil at my school so it stands as our school hymn when we have our chapel services

[SotonyeAfiesimama]

'As o'er each continent and island

The dawn leads on another day

The voice of prayer is never silent

Nor dies the strain of praise away'

'So be it Lord, thy throne shall never

Like earth's proud empires pass away...'

Exquisite! Takes me way back home to Nigeria as a chorister at the University of Port Harcourt. Also sang this during family evening devotion. This is sooo moving! Thanks for posting this drwestbury. Excellent singing, choristers!

[GraemarECS]

My great grandmother had a black & white cottage on the River Severn a stone's throw from the Abbey. Visiting there in '06, my mother who had not been there for sixty plus years, took us right to the cottage. Got to visit the Cathedral. What a treat for a girl from Ohio, US who was born in the UK!

[notyobs]

I just can't describe the effect this hymn always has on me. And, oh, what a beautiful rendition of it this is.

[gayopera1]

I fully agree with Treble Lover's account, as above.

[BalletBoy007]

Please come conduct an overhaul of the music department at my local Catholic parish. Actually, while you're at it, just go ahead and overhaul the music department on a diocesan level.

[MusicPredominates]

@BalletBoy007 : Mass conversions to Anglicanism required here. See the 39 Articles ... better to be saved from before the beginning of Creation to Eternal Life than risk it in the Church of Rome !

[longeaton34]

St clement, a beautiful hymn tune.

[longeaton34]

OOOOh, lovely descant. Who wrote it?

[haMMy27691]

A very well put together video, great pictures and a lovely arangement of the hymnn. God bless.

[grahamkemp]

how sad that @Londonfogey's bitterness of soul impedes him from appreciating this soaringly beautiful hymn that evokes all that we have of good in us as humans. The descant is exceptional.

[ibijoy]

one of mine favorite hymns

[ibijoy]

one of mine favorite hynms

[3NUNS]

... there is onlyh one thing to say here (beautiful) ... but another ... perfected England ... through the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ ... .

[lollums123]

This was one of my Aunties favourite hymns, and it was played at her funeral. I think of her everytime i hear it.

[TheAngelsong1]

only hymn that sums up the time on mother earth ,and end of the day brilliant descant, well sung

[idle44]

I' put this into my funeral directions a few months back when I got to 50. I refuse to have happy clappy stuff. BTW I am a Catholic.

[bri120542]

Just lost a dear friend and this was his favourite Hymn RIP dear friend xxx

[cerren100]

Wonderful takes me back to Friday evening school assembly we always sang this hymn, Thankyou choir at Tewkesbury.

[Whitbywatcher]

I came into Youtube to find this hymn, and here it is, I was told this morning that a good friend had died, I just wanted to listen to the hymn and think about my friend.

I am not realy religious but I respect all faiths, it has helped me.

[goodchappy]

I love this hymn. I must have played about a million verses of it myself and I never tire of it.

[choirboyfromhell1]

St. Clement forever.

[UCCSteve]

I am pleased to see this hymn in our USA church hymnal, but sure would love to find the wonderful descant. Does anyone have an idea where to look or who to contact?

[angleseychap]

My Mother always enjoyed singing this hymn, often when songs of praise was on with Thora hird, or on her own when cleaning or just sitting down. It was sung for her in our Goodbyes. It can always fill me with tears and has a way of standing time quite still.

[uo8am]

Al this and Jesus

[kkkathykk]

This was sung at the funeral of someone I was close too. It's very touching listening to it now. This is a beautiful version. Thank you.

[blp106]

I just love this hymn, I can hear this all day. Here in Nassau, Bahamas a church sing this at the end of all their night services.

[jansbieleveld]

Ter gelegenheid van de begrafenis van mijn oma had mijn tante gekozen voor "Wir setzen Uns mit Traenen nieder...." Ik dacht, uiteraard, maar voor de begrafenis van mijn moeder heb ik dit als einde gekozen.

[chedo007]

this is simply awesome!!!!

the end was breath taking!!!!

@drwestbury please can I have the arrangement for the end part of the song....

choir singing descant!!!! organist playing napoleon chords!!!!!

[jansbieleveld]

On occasion of the funeral service of my grandmother, my aunt chose for the hymn "Wir setzen uns mit Traenen nieder" Of course we did, however, there will be a new beginning, as expressed in this hymn, and, on occasion of the funeral service of my mother, I decided for this hymn. Jans Bieleveld, dezedamster@kpnplanet.nl.

[Londonfogey]

I always associate this with the handover of Hong Kong in '97, as Union flag came down and the Governor got choked up!

[nauort23]

@Londonfogey ... like the Queen crying when they took her yacht away... It's funny what will finally move a Brit to tears.

[MULLYCATS]

A beautiful rendition for sure...this is my favourite hymn of all time!!

[longlandsman]

My favourite hym. I have been to the concert in Chichester four times now and it still make the hair on the back of my neck stand up and brings a tear to my eye.

[jansbieleveld]

My aunt chose on occasion of the funeral of my grandmother Bach's "Wir setzen Uns mit traen nieder..." Of course we did, however, my consideration was, that there is "Another day", as is expressed in this hymn.

[101ypk]

My favourite him, it reminds me of my happy days in Stokesley County Primary School in the 1950's........................­.............inspirational.

[101ypk]

Without doubt my favourite hymn, it reminds me of my days in Stokesley County Primary School in the 1950's........................­.........totally inspirational.

[johnbpullin1]

This has always been a favorite of mine. The most memorable performance was at the Sewanee Church Music Conference in Tennessee where Gerre Hancock was organist for Evensong and I was part of the choir. When he played an interlude before the last verse I was so overcome with emottion that no words would come out when I tried to sing the last verse. Every time I play this hymn now I think of that performance.

[DannyJDC]

This is one of my favorite hymns, and sung in one of the greatest of English Abbeys.

A wonderful and unique building...go see it!

[jar1110oslav1]

wonderful hymn... so divine.. :)

[bebajoro77]

Beautiful. I agree, the treble is so perfect you'd swear it was a soprano, but clearly not. Thanks for posting this.

[amangonecrazy]

you reckon the treble a male or a female voice?

[drwestbury]

@amangonecrazy There are only boy trebles at Tewkesbury. No girls or women sing in the choir there.

[Jigen7490]

@amangonecrazy well if its a female is a soprano...however I am pretty certain its a trebble (young male voice)

[goodchappy]

@amangonecrazy You can always tell if it is boys singing, the sound is more pure, a girls choir would sound more breathy.

[3NUNS]

@goodchappy : Probable a good observation ... .

[iCWDAVE]

@amangonecrazy I recall hearing this for the first time in Chinley Chapel back in the early 80's...I also believe that it was used in the fumeral service at the end of the movie YANKS filmed in Dobcross, near Manchester. Truly a moving and beautiful redition of this classic hymn of the church.

[johnbpullin1]

One of my all time favorite hymns.

[choirboyfromhell1]

St. Clement forever....

[DbrynbettwsCF32]

We love this hymn and the accompanying pictures.

Daniel and Harry.

[brewoodorganist2008]

This is an amazing hymn. I love playing it. Not particularly for funerals but if I have to, I have to. The first time I played it on the organ, I actually cried. I don't know why haha. But it is a lovely hymn. God Bless you all!

[alexjanaway]

Lovely descant - new to me.

I heard this as the final item of a concert in Chichester Cathedral some while ago. While singing, the choir processed out (I believe this is called a recessional hymn), so the voices got fainter and fainter till you could barely hear them. This combined with the fact that it was just turning from dusk to dark outside made it hauntingly memorable and so moving.

Thanks for posting - great pictures.

[drwestbury]

@alexjanaway That must have been nerve-tingling.

[bilanovitch]

@alexjanaway You have discovered the magic of the Evensong, and this hymn captures it as well as any hymn can. Love that. LOVE IT@!

[TimAber57]

@alexjanaway I remember this very well from when I was a child. We went to evensong most Sundays. Often this hymn was sung, and, as you mentioned, dusk was often falling outside. It gave me the secure feeling that the world was a kind and peaceful place. Maybe that is why it brings a tear to my eye now, many years later, when the world seems far from kind and peaceful.

[valocilf]

Love this hymn. They played it at the end of term every year when I was at school. Also played it for my mother. Always will love this hymn.

As to the jingoistic remark from 815HC, what about Beethoven, Bach, Sibelius, et al?re

[trydreamin]

I'm crying. I first heard this hymn, it was being played on a steel drum made by a master panner in the Caribbean overlooking the sunset and the red flash. The gentleman playing the drum became my friend and I was the best man at his wedding Minette to. He is a native Montserration who now lives in New York, Charles Dangler, The Invincible. I would surely like to find him for his blessings were a changing point in my life. Imagine counter point top tenor playing this in heaven, that's true.

[nauort23]

WOW. Best version of this hymn on YT. Thanks for uploading.

[tyrael6191]

Definitely... I sung this at chapel this morning, and had to search it on YT. Best version i've found... well done, Abbey.

[RichardIIfan]

Victorian hymn writing at its best. It is a standard hymn of Anglican evensong and has crept in to the modern English Vespers.

[tritus67]

yes, Stephen, it's so nice! isn't it?

[davidmiler12]

Loved the hymn and i really loved the decant, bloody brilliant!

[tritus67]

it's really sublime !!!! I love the descant too!

[815HC]

lovely singing, only the English can produce such sublime music. Thank you drwestbury

[organisten]

really... with whatever is left of the sublime amongst the banality of the "If I were a Butterfly" crowd... you won't find many parish choirs left today... not in England at anyrate! (an ex Pat who had to leave in order to make a living as a church musician).

[Nazardrecit]

hallo colleague: very true: but then I have it on excellent authority that butterflies don't go to heaven.

As RichardIIfan has already mentioned, it is the very best of Victorian hymn-writing. Incidentally, Vaughan Williams hated it ...

[augustusgl]

Perfect hymn..perfect england

[TrebleLover]

Great hymn! Gave me goosbumps and tears in my eyes in less than a minute!

[DeaDSwiTcH]

Lovely video, thanks.

[chorister51]

Beautiful singing and pictures.

[treblechoir99]

Ohhh You know I love that too. Sublime hymn I know. Tenderness from the Lord singing by wonderful Boys Choir. Great. Thank you for this spécial moment.