Be thou my vision - John Rutter (arr.), Thelma Owen (harp), The Cambridge Singers
13. 'Be thou my vision'
From the album ‘Sing, ye Heavens’
Composer John Rutter (arr.)
Conductor John Rutter
Harp Thelma Owen
Choir The Cambridge Singers
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LYRICS:
Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart,
Be all else but naught to me, save that thou art;
Be thou my best thought in the day and the night,
Both waking and sleeping, thy presence my light.
Be thou my wisdom, be thou my true word,
Be thou ever with me, and I with thee, Lord;
Be thou my great Father and I thy true son;
Be thou in me dwelling, and I with thee one.
Be thou my breastplate, my sword for the fight;
Be thou my whole armour, be thou my true might;
Be thou my soul’s shelter, be thou my strong tower:
O raise thou me heavenward, great Power of my power.
Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise:
Be thou mine inheritance now and always;
Be thou and thou only the first in my heart:
O Sovereign of heaven, my treasure thou art.
High King of heaven, thou heaven’s bright Sun,
O grant me its joys after vict’ry is won;
Great Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be thou my vision, O Ruler of all.
(Irish 8th century, tr. M Byrne, versified E. Hull)
Reprinted by permission of Chatto and Windus Ltd.)
Sing, ye Heavens
Sing, ye Heavens is an inspiring album of 21 hymns spanning 15 centuries of the history of Christian Europe. Reflecting the immense riches of hymnody built up over centuries, this notably eclectic survey sees Gregorian Chant rubbing shoulders with German chorales, Celtic folk melodies alongside 18th-century London street songs – albeit from an Anglican perspective. The arrangements range from delicate accompaniment of the harp to thrilling festival treatments with brass, timpani, percussion and organ.
John Rutter, English composer and conductor, is associated with choral music throughout the world. His recordings with the Cambridge Singers (the professional chamber choir he set up in 1983) have reached a wide global audience, many of them featuring his own music in definitive versions. Among John’s best-known choral works are Gloria, Requiem, Magnificat, Mass of the Children, and Visions, together with many church anthems, choral songs and Christmas carols.
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