The Leaving Hymn

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Steve
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The Leaving Hymn

Post by Steve »

Sad news. Bryan Abraham (Thornton B - or was it A - 1952-59) passed away on the 15th April. I have known Bryan since our school days. His relatives have asked me if i can obtain a recording of the leaving hymn which we used to sing in chapel during the leaving service. They would like it played at his funeral if possible. Can anyone help. please?
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Re: The Leaving Hymn

Post by Jo »

I'm afraid I can't help with the leaving hymn, but if you or anyone else would be willing to write a short obituary, I'd be happy to receive it for the autumn edition of The Old Blue (I edit the Remembering/obituaries section).

Many thanks
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Re: The Leaving Hymn

Post by englishangel »

I think Geraint is the man to help you. He is on here as Vier Blu

http://user.itl.net/~geraint/christshospital.html
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Re: The Leaving Hymn

Post by Foureyes »

I am not sure that there is a 'Leaving Hymn' as such - I think that what is being referred to is "Praise the Lord for our Foundation." If so, the best source is the CD issued with the recent "Blue" where it is track number one. This is an excellent recording and would be highly suitable for playing at a funeral.
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Re: The Leaving Hymn

Post by Steve »

Thanks for the response. I don't think it was the Foundation Hymn that Bryan's relatives mean. I think it was the hymn that began 'Lord thou has brought us to our journeys's end .....' with a plaintive tune to match. This was sung at leaving services in the 50s and 60s but may not any longer. Any thoughts? If not, the relatives will I am sure be delighted with the Foundation Hymn. Thanks for drawing my attention to the CD, David.
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Re: The Leaving Hymn

Post by jhopgood »

Taken from a blog

Question
There's a hymn 'Lord, thou hast brought us to our journey’s end' which is often sung at the end of school term in place of the more popular 'Lord dismiss us with thy blessing'

Lord, thou hast brought us to our journey’s end;
Once more to thee our thankful prayers ascend;
Once more we stand to praise thee for the past;
Grant prayer and praise be honest at the last.

The words were written by C.A.Alington, a former Headmaster of Eton College.
Quite clearly the meter is 10.10.10.10 (Iambic) but can anyone tell me the correct tune for these words?

Reply

I've just had choir practice at Sampford Arundel. I only play there once a month. I found a copy of a book called 'Hymns for Church and School'. This is published by Novello and a note inside the cover says that it is the 4th edition of 'The Public School Hymn Book'. This edition was published in 1964.

Your hymn is no 345. There are two tunes set. The first is 'Longwood' by Joseph Barnby. There is a descant by Leonard Blake. The second tune is 'Magda' by Ralph Vaughan Williams. The words are, as you say in your OP, by C.A. Alington (1872-1955) and the hymn is suggested for 'End of Term (Evening).

Suggest you try the Public Schools hymn book.
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Re: The Leaving Hymn

Post by Foureyes »

It is purely a personal view, and I wouldn't dream of trying to influence the relatives (who I don't know, anyway), but the Foundation Hymn always seems very appropriate at an Old Blue funeral - I recall singing it at Paddy Drake's and Barclay Hankin's, for example.The only problem is that the Old Blues in the congregation start off very strongly and in fine voice, but never quite make it through the last verse, and there is much quivering of chins and surreptitious blowing of noses! Even so, why sing a hymn composed by an Old Etonian at an Old Blue funeral?
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Re: The Leaving Hymn

Post by AKAP »

phi2001 has recently posted on this forum, he has made a number of videos with CH music in the background and posted them on you tube.

The first uses the foundation hymn
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qL1-uZUZMUo.

Another uses "Lord thou hast brought us etc" at about 9 minutes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kws0Gh6 ... re=related


This page gives the words but not the music
http://www.latinisedhymns.org.uk/hymn/163

Perhaps a pm to phi2001 would lead you to the recordings that he used.
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Re: The Leaving Hymn

Post by kerrensimmonds »

'Lord thou has brought us to our journeys end' is more appropriate, in my view, to a funeral - than 'Praise the Lord for our Foundation' - although that might have a different place in the service and has been sung at the funerals of at least three 'senior' Hertford staff who have passed on since I left the school. And I would like it to be sung at my funeral!
Somewhere in a box upstairs in my new house I still have a CH (Horsham) hymnbook - an earlier version than the one in current use - but if the family would like me to track down this hymn and scan the words and music I would be happy to do so.
So sorry about their bereavement - he was too young to go!
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Re: The Leaving Hymn

Post by Foureyes »

I said earlier that the Foundation Hymn was sung at Barclay Hankin 's funeral. Those who knew Barclay will appreciate this:
- The coffin entered the chuch to the Dambusters' March.
- At various points we sang the Foundation Hymn and listened to Begone Dull Care (regimental march of Barlay's old corps - Royal Signals). The reading was from Ecclesiastes - "Let us now speak of famous men, etc."
- The coffin left the church to "Sussex By the Sea."
The whole thing had been written out in full by Barclay and he had even pre-recorded the music! As the priest said afterwards, it was the easiest funeral he had ever had to conduct, all he had to do was to follow the script.
David
PS For those who thought that Barclay was a bit of an old fusspot, he left £1.8million (£1,800,000) in his Will and that was after giving away a lot of his money while he was still alive. And every penny, he made himself - no fool our Barclay.
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Re: The Leaving Hymn

Post by kerrensimmonds »

I had not intended to denigrate Barclay Hankin's contribution to CH and I also attended his funeral.
The report which you give, David, is accurate. But in terms of the funeral service for other Old Blues, I am not sure that they need to follow the Barclay Hankin model.
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Re: The Leaving Hymn

Post by Mrs C. »

Steve wrote:Thanks for the response. I don't think it was the Foundation Hymn that Bryan's relatives mean. I think it was the hymn that began 'Lord thou has brought us to our journeys's end .....' with a plaintive tune to match. This was sung at leaving services in the 50s and 60s but may not any longer. Any thoughts? If not, the relatives will I am sure be delighted with the Foundation Hymn. Thanks for drawing my attention to the CD, David.
Peter
Yes it`s still sung at the Leavers Service
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Re: The Leaving Hymn

Post by Foureyes »

I was not advocating the Hankin-model funeral as a general pattern for Old Blue funerals; simply, as an amusing story about a dedicated Old Blue. Incidentally, his bequest to Housie - ca. £225,000 - still has not been resolved after four years, as he worded it so tightly (and refused to take a solicitor's advice) that his terms have proved unrealisable. It is a very long and involved story but a salutary lesson on the need to take advice when drawing up a Will.
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Re: The Leaving Hymn

Post by NEILL THE NOTORIOUS »

For myself, the Foundation Hymn is the best remembrance for on Old Blue ------- However --
The wishes of the Family must be paramount, and it is they, only who can decide.

I was unable to attend Paddy Drake's funeral, being overseas at the time, I regret this, as we were contemperories in Ba B and the Band/
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Re: The Leaving Hymn

Post by Vièr Bliu »

The hymn tune we're familiar with is an arrangement of a plainchant called Christe Redemptor (that may be what the hymn tune is called).

Even if you can't find a recording of the hymn, the plainchant is available, e.g. here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hymn-Christe-Re ... 764&sr=8-2

I remember the first time I was listening to a collection of Gregorian chant and it suddenly dawned on me that I knew the tune - it was the Leaving Hymn.
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