MORESTEAD

Composer: Sydney Watson

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Tune Information

Title: MORESTEAD
Composer: Sydney Watson (1964)
Meter: 10.10.10.10
Incipit: 13516 53123 43256
Key: D Major
Copyright: © Sydney Watson

Notes

Sydney Watson (b. Manchester, England, 1903; d. Banbury, Oxfordshire, England, 1991) composed MORESTEAD, which is considered one of his best tunes. Its initial "rocket" motif, its melodic contour, and its "walking" bass are a fine match for Bayly's text. Intended for unison singing at two beats (not four) per measure, this tune has an active pedal part for organists with two feet! Save your bright mixtures or colorful reeds for stanza 3, and sing that stanza at a slightly slower pace than the first two.

MORESTEAD was published in the British Hymns far Church and School (1964) as a setting for Henry M. Butler's "Lift Up Your Hearts." The tune is named after a village in Hampshire, England, just southeast of Winchester, where Watson often rode his bicycle.

Educated at the Royal College of Music in London, Keble College, and Oxford University, Watson had a distinguished career in music education and church music. Organist at New College, Oxford, from 1933 to 1938, he also taught music at Winchester College (1938-1946) and at Eaton (1946-1955). Later Watson was conductor of the Oxford Bach Choir and Orchestra and organist at Christ Church Cathedral in Oxford (1955-1970).

--Psalter Hymnal Handbook, 1988

Timeline

Arrangements

Harmonizations, Introductions, Descants, Intonations

  • The Concordia Hymn Prelude Series Volume 32: General: MC - More
    Composer/Editors Richard Hillert; Carl Flentge Schalk
    Published By: Concordia Publishing House (1985) pp. 47

Organ Solo

  • Praise the One: Ten Organ Impressions for Worship, Volume 3
    Composer/Editor Benjamin M. Culli
    Published By: Augsburg Fortress (2012) pp. 13
  • Augsburg Organ Library Summer
    Composer/Editors Norma Aamodt-Nelson; J. Wayne Kerr
    Published By: Augsburg Fortress (2004) pp. 135
  • Easy Hymn Preludes for Organ Volume 1: Musica Sacra
    Composer/Editor Carl Flentge Schalk
    Published By: Concordia Publishing House (2002) pp. 30
  • Six Advent Improvisations
    Composer/Editor Paul O. Manz
    Published By: MorningStar Music Publishers, Inc. (1990) pp. 14
  • The Concordia Hymn Prelude Series Volume 32: General: MC - More
    Composer/Editors Richard Hillert; Carl Flentge Schalk
    Published By: Concordia Publishing House (1985) pp. 46
  • 113 Variations on Hymn Tunes for Organ
    Composer/Editor George Thalben-Ball
    Published By: Novello and Company Limited (1969) pp. 113

Instances

Instances (1 - 11 of 11)

Church Hymnary (4th ed.) #283

Common Praise #293b

Hymns of Glory, Songs of Praise #283

Text InfoTune InfoAudio

Psalter Hymnal (Gray) #295

Text

Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal #31

Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal #635

Text

The Hymnal 1982 #317

Audio

The Worshiping Church #645

Text

Together in Song #646

Trinity Hymnal (Rev. ed.) #435

Voices United #539

Include 2 pre-1979 instances
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