Down to the Sea - JMW Turner

Best in HD. Joseph Mallord William Turner RA (1775 1851) was an English Romantic landscape painter, watercolourist and printmaker, whose style is said to have laid the foundation for Impressionism. Turner was considered a controversial figure in his day, but is now regarded as the artist who elevated landscape painting to an eminence rivalling history painting. Although renowned for his oil paintings, Turner is also one of the greatest masters of British watercolour landscape painting. He is comm
[source Wikipedia]

Music: They that go down to the sea in ship, by Herbert Whitton Sumsion (1899-1995)

Thank you for the information, Tilly!

Sumsion was organist of Gloucester Cathedral from 1928 to 1967.

Thanks for the information, caseyflorida.

The cloisters at Gloucester Cathedral are exquisite. They were used in the Harry Potter movies (1, 2, 6).

They are featured in both these videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3Q3MmcfFVA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6CM2qrNKoo

(Religion is a crock, but it has inspired some lovely music.)

They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; These see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep. For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof. They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble. They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits' end. Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.
Psalms, 107:23-30, KJV

http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/tw.asp?w=W828
St Paul's Cathedral Choir, John Scott (conductor), Huw Williams (organ)
Worcester Cathedral Choir, Donald Hunt (conductor), Adrian Partington (organ)

Henry Purcell also wrote a hymn based on this psalm: "In thankfulness for a providential escape of the King from shipwreck, the Rev John Gostling, who had been of the royal party, put together some verses from the Psalms in the form of an anthem, and requested Purcell to set them to music."

Category:

Education

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• Down
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• the
• Sea
• in
• Ships
• JMW
• Turner
• Herbert
• Whitton
• Sumsion
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[Charlestheverger]

I THINK the choir is St. Paul's Cathedral, London, back when John Scott and Christopher Dearnley were both there. Choirs feel a great sense of achievement when they learn this one!

[saphistische]

@Charlestheverger

Not according to the original uploader of this video.

[caseyflorida]

The music is an anthem setting for choir and organ of Psalm 107 (They that go down to the sea in ships) by Herbert Sumsion, organist of Gloucester Cathedral from 1928 to 1967. .

[saphistische]

Thanks for the info, caseyflorida.

You obviously read the comments, and not the info box. MrsTillyBattersby corrected my earlier misapprehension .

I did not include the mention of Gloucester Cathedral, but I will add that because its cloisters are exquisite. If you are interested, they are in this video: watch?v=L3Q3MmcfFVA

[sakigoon]

Great song, shame about the cough on the last chord of the piece.

[Roytheartist]

Great video, I am trying to paint watercolours like Turner. So much to learn and enjoy!

[saphistische]

Turner in the AGO? That would be lovely, but I doubt it. Please let me know if you find any of his works there --- it would be worth a visit.

Thanks for the research on the actual composer. I put the information in the description box.

[MrsTillyBattersby]

I should have added that Purcell did do a piece based on the same psalm, but it sounds very different to this version. :)

[MrsTillyBattersby]

I'd like to see some of Turner's work. I wonder if they have any in the art gallery in Toronto. I'll have to check some time when I'm there.

Thank you for giving me the name of the music. I was able to look it up online and found that it is a psalm put to music by Herbert Whitton Sumsion. Sorry, I would have believed you, but it didn't sound like Purcell to me. Purcell is very Baroque.

[saphistische]

It's impossible to do Turner justice in this medium. When I was about 21, I visited the Tate Gallery in London. I remember being stunned by a painting that looked like a golden haze. I think it was either "Sun Setting over a Lake" or "Sunrise with Sea Monsters". I did not use them here, but they were magnificent in "real life" ;)

The music is "They that go down to the sea in ships". I'm not sure who performed it (the original video has been deleted). I think that it's a hymn by Purcell.