A Litany

anthem for mixed chorus

(original version for treble voices)

General Information – Performing Forces – Manuscript – Publication – Recordings – Text

General Information:

Composition:
Original version, scored for treble voices, perhaps composed ca. Christmas 1915.  First revised, and scored for mixed chorus, ca. Easter 1916.  Later revised, probably in preparation for publication in 1930.

First Documented Performance:
22 April 1972. Choir of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford, Simon Preston conductor. English Bach Festival.

Duration:
About 3 minutes

Text:
Phineas Fletcher (1582–1650). From The Oxford Book of English Verse, ed. Arthur Quiller-Couch (Oxford, 1900).
Click here for complete text.

Tempo:
Lento assai, espressivo

Craggs Catalogue Number:
C1

Performing Forces:

Final version:

Mixed chorus (SATB)

Original version:

Treble voices (SSAA)

Manuscript:

Frederick R. Koch Collection. Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University. Manuscript FRKF 591.
FRKF 591a - Autograph manuscript score of the second version, in ink. Dated 'Easter, 1916'.
FRKF 591b - Autograph manuscript parts of the original version. One copy of the first soprano part, and two copies each of the other parts. 7 leaves.

There is no known surviving manuscript of the final version.

Publication:

Oxford University Press. Vocal score, 1930, 019 3405083, Oxford Choral Songs # 733 (discontinued).

Oxford University Press. Edited by Timothy Brown. William Walton Edition, Volume 6, "Shorter Choral Works without Orchestra", 1999, 019 3594323, includes all three versions. Vocal score, 019 3594366.
            [Purchase online from SheetMusicPlus.com: Vocal score]
            [Purchase online from SheetMusicPlus.com: William Walton Edition, Volume 6]

Recordings:

Chorus Conductor Year Compact Disc Timing
Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge Richard Marlow 1988 Conifer CDCF 164 3'26"
Choir of Winchester Cathedral David Hill 1991 Decca 467 613-2 3'04"
The Finzi Singers Paul Spicer 1992 Chandos CHAN 9222 3'11"
Choir of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford Stephen Darlington 1992 Nimbus NI 5364 3'09"
Cambridge Singers John Rutter 1995 Collegium 302  
Choir of St. Paul's Cathedral, London John Scott 1998 Hyperion CDA67087 3'54"
Choir of St. John's College, Cambridge Christopher Robinson 2001 Naxos 8.555793 3'08"
Polyphony  [original version] Stephen Layton 2002 Hyperion CDA67330 2'57"
Polyphony  [first revised version] Stephen Layton 2002 Hyperion CDA67330 3'14"
Polyphony Stephen Layton 2002 Hyperion CDA67330 3'03"

 

Text:

Drop, drop, slow tears,
And bathe those beauteous feet,
Which brought from heav'n
The news and Prince of Peace:

Cease not, wet eyes,
His mercy to entreat;
To cry for vengeance,
Sin doth never cease.

In your deep flood
Drown all my faults and fears;
Nor let his eye
See sin, but through my tears.

                        —  Phineas Fletcher  (1582–1650)

Walton's setting includes two slight variants from Phineas Fletcher's original text. In line six, the original has "mercies" instead of "mercy". Also, in line nine, the original has "floods" instead of "flood".  The origin or reason of these variants is unknown.

WilliamWalton.net – Catalogue of Works – Choral Music