Lead Kindly Light : Wells Cathedral Choir

[Gatltonian]

Newman's text is deeply moving and this melody is definitely the best setting. The singing is magnificently responsive to the text. Superb in every detail.

[JimmyBoi2]

Norwegian film, The Other Side of Sunday, has a Norwegian version of this played and sung by one of the major characters in a heartbreaking manner...



[lexscar1]

Wells, probably the best Cathedral choir in the world.

[Mervyn691]

The breadth and depth of this song expresses the breadth of the man (now Blessed) Newman and his depth of his anguish. May he pray for all who agonize in life's situations.

Mervyn691

[LemainDavid]

Thank you. Much appreciated :)

[choirboyfromhell1]

Sandon...what a lovely tune.

[Arimathea22]

Thank You Lord. This lovely hymn brings me such strength

[iykeman007]

Blessed Newman pray for us

[angelgoyim]

@iykeman007 Why does the late Cardinal, of blessed memory, need to pray for you? Why not ask our Blessed Lord and God Jesu?

[01blackpete1]

Newman comitted intellectual suicide.

[1finch2finch]

Just stunning. King's and St Paul's are lovely, and Tewkesbury and New College are grand; but the choir at Wells, particularly under the direction of Malcolm Archer, has a sound that is just sublime. Recordings like this one place them easily at the top of my list of favourite choirs. Thank you so much for sharing this music.

[malcmalone]

To answer choirboyfromhell1 the tune is Sandon by Charles Henry Purday.

malcmalone

[choirboyfromhell1]

@malcmalone Thanks.just found it in Common Praise, #495!

[lollyclan]

This is a beautiful hymn, wonderfully sung. thank you for uploading.

[choirboyfromhell1]

What is the tune??? Not Alberta....nor Lux Benigna.  Beautiful nonetheless.

[54mayford]

Evensong in days gone by....beautiful and moving.

[cerren100]

The best arrangement I have ever heard listening to it brings tears to me but THANKYOU so much Wells Cathedral Choir. God Bless.

[itsjustmacker]

very comforting and uplifting, thanks for sharing josparkes1

[PURPLEBEATTIE1]

Utter beauty is a joy forever

[josparkes1]

Absolutely beautiful, love it !

What a spiritual genius Newman was, this is brilliant.

[yewtreelodge]

Now raised to altar of Christ the King, pray for us Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman.

[VSusanka]

This is such a beautiful arrangement! Does anyone know where I might find the sheet music for this choral arrangement?

[PURPLEBEATTIE1]

I love this kind of choral work.Very beautiful

[mondonudes]

Who composed the hymn tune?

[jinirae]

Listening to this on the night before Newman is to be gloriously honored in England. Makes me weep for the beauty and devotion of his life.

[josparkes1]

@jinirae Well said, it was a lovely Mass and Beatification, and the Pope was wonderful !

[MrNext50]

On this Lord's day morning, before I go to meet with the Lord's people, in tears I listen to this most beautiful hymn. @grizzlyganymede, I like your comment about Frank Zappa. When I read it, I thought you were to going to say "all the best music has already been written", period. Hymns like this make me think that God is the author of such beauty and that man simply reveals that beauty at a point in history.

[Gandalf1948]

Absolutely beautiful!

[grizzlyganymede]

If Frank Zappa was right when he said "all the best music has already been written by men wearing wigs", surely he meant the same about lyrics. If that is the case, then never was a truer word spoken

[tioedong]

ah, lovely...

[Boldorion1958]

This performance is outstanding and the photography is excellent. I prefer this melody, written by Charles Purday in 1857, to the one by John Dykes, which is also popular, although Dykes wrote some excellent hymn tunes. "Lead, Kindly Light" was a favorite of Presidents Harding and Coolidge and was played at their funerals.

[cassiem92]

This is beautiful ! Really !!

I only knew Libera's version (which all of you should check out, it's also very mesmerizing!) and I cannot say which i like best.

[mikeyousofine]

Beautiful version of this wonderful hymn. I thought that the sensitive editing of the video adds so much more to the depth of it.

Thank you for this insiprational video

[rani370]

there aren't many peoples out there like you

[abishaimichael12345]

good

[tcdtop2821]

Read the bhagvadgita and you will see why Mahatma Ghandi liked this song and abide with me

All religions say the same thing

[ald2345]

Lovely piece of music and beautifully sung.

[wingatesmith]

Thank you drwestbury and the Choristers of Wells Cathedral for this lovely Performance of this Favourite Hymn . Sang it too, when i was in the Choir of a small English midlands Church, still recall those friends who sang together some 55 years ago

[ctbarfield]

I wish my church sang the Newman hymns more often. This is a beautiful performance.

[M0T49]

awesome!

[dleimkuehler]

As always Great Video, and such beauty let's not take for granted the wonderful English Choral Tradition. Thanks

Your friend D

[Shevaron]

Sunrise and sunset pictures went well with the music. This song has a real relaxing vibe to it.

[davidmoseley1988]

Many Thanks.

[pjdonagh]

Newman ....mmm...such a controversial but immensley stimulating person. One of the great Victorian now alas sadly forgotten.

Thanks for this favourite especially as it is so very well (no pun intended) sung.

[drwestbury]

Malcolm Archer directing at his best. Winchester College (Quiristers) now have the pleasure of his direction.

[SullivanNiall]

@pjdonagh Forgotten? Hardly. One of the major inspirations and influences for the Second Vatican Council and the Oecuminical movement. Moving steadily towards canonisation, albeit more slowly than a less obviously deserving candidate backed by Opus Dei.

[jesusthroughmary]

It's only a matter of certifying the miracles. Opus Dei was dedicated to praying for miracles specifically through St. Josemaria's intercession, and God granted them. Cardinal Newman is a saint, and the Church will declare him to be one. All happens in due time, according to the will of God.

[jesusthroughmary]

He's hardly forgotten - he's one of the Pope's personal favorites, and he's being beatified this year, a ceremony which is the most anticipated since Mother Teresa's.

[pjdonagh]

I acknowledge that amongst the Roman Catholics, of the British Isles especially, the Newman name will be remembered.

My original point though, was, that given his high profile, influence and eventual celebrity in Victorian England; outside of ecclesiastical circles, his name is not now one that is well remembered.

I am glad that the Church, at least, is attempting to redress this!! He was a very interesting man.

[mammyoriordan]

@pjdonagh - I'm just watching a Mass in Birmingham where he is being beatified. Not forgotten!  - Blessings - Rene

[srilankamusic]

@mammyoriordan

Yes, a very moving service in Birmingham. Thanks to BBC World.

[josparkes1]

@srilankamusic It was a magical Mass wasn't it, like being in Heaven, a lovely hymn by The Blessed Newman.

[josparkes1]

@mammyoriordan Yes it was really wonderful wasn't it, I loved watching His Holiness and was so inspired by Him, and The Blessed Newman wrote a fantastic hymn here !

[irishjanet]

@pjdonagh well he's only gone and got himself beatified by the pope today so not as forgotten as it seemed.

[H15GWP]

@irishjanet I think you asked who wrote the Hymn Tune not the words. As the earlier response intimated. John Henry Newman wrote the words. The beautiful Hymn Tune was written by Purday. The latter we dont know much about or hear about.

[josparkes1]

@pjdonagh I haven't forgotten him and would love to know more about him, as he was beatified by The Pope in Birmingham a few weeks ago.This is very beautiful !

[josparkes1]

@pjdonagh Not forgotten by His Holiness The Pope though, not when Newman was made The Blessed John Henry Newman last year in Birmingham !

[loupblanc26]

Magnificent performance Wells Cathedral Choir! thanks Drwestbury

[titussenlair]

Superb ! and deep ...Thanks also for the lyrics