I would be true - John Rutter, The Cambridge Singers
14. 'I would be true' - from the album ‘This is the day’
Composer John Rutter (arr.)
Conductor John Rutter
Choir The Cambridge Singers
Buy, download or stream: https://smarturl.it/ThisIsTheDay
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LYRICS:
I would be true, for there are those who trust me;
I would be pure, for there are those who care;
I would be strong, for there is much to suffer;
I would be brave, for there is much to dare.
I would be friend of all, the foe, the friendless;
I would be giving, and forget the gift;
I would be humble, for I know my weakness;
I would look up, and laugh, and love, and lift.
I would be faithful through each passing moment;
I would be steadfast in my love of God;
I would be strong to follow where he leads me;
I would have faith to keep the path Christ trod.
And when my earthly pilgrimage is over,
I would have grace to stand before his throne,
And come at last into the heavenly kingdom,
To see my Saviour’s face and know as I am known
Howard Walter (1883–1918)
Lines 13–16 added by John Rutter
The exceptional beauty of this irish folk-melody led to many arrangements being made, including several by Percy Grainger; words were written by Fred Weatherley, and the Air became 'Danny Boy'. In the sacred sphere, 'I would be true' is one of several hymn texts which have been wedded to the tune over the years. The text author, Howard Walter, was an American missionary who wrote I would be true in 1906 under the title ‘My Creed’. Princess Diana’s fondness for the melody prompted its inclusion in her funeral service.
This is the day
The music on this album recollects, and celebrates, some of the choral music heard on royal occasions in England during the lifetime of HM Queen Elizabeth II.
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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