• Composition: 1977
• First Performance: 20 November 1977. St. Paul’s Church, Rochester, New York. Choir of St. Paul’s Church, David Fetler conductor, David Craighead organ.
• Duration: About 3 minutes
• Text: George Herbert (1593–1633)
• Tempo: Maestoso [128 m.]
• Dedication: “Commissioned for the 150th Anniversary of Saint Paul’s Church, Rochester, New York.”
• Craggs Catalogue Number: C94
• Performing Forces: Mixed chorus (SATB) Organ
• Manuscript: Frederick R. Koch Collection. Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University. Manuscript FRKF 618. Autograph score in pencil. Dated ‘1977’. 8 pages.
• Publication:
Oxford University Press. Vocal score, 1978, 019 3503662, Oxford Anthems # A326.
Oxford University Press. Edited by Timothy Brown. William Walton Edition, Volume 6, “Shorter Choral Works without Orchestra”, 1999, ISBN 0-19-359432-3.
[Purchase online from SheetMusicPlus.com: William Walton Edition, Volume 6]
• Arrangements: Arranged for choir, organ and brass, by Christopher Palmer, 1990. Instrumentation: 4 trumpets, 4 horns, 4 trombones, tuba – timpani, 3 percussion – harp – organ. Publication: Oxford University Press. Score and parts are available on hire only.
• Recordings:
Chorus | Conductor | Organist | Year | Compact Disc | Timing |
Choir of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford | Stephen Darlington | Simon Lawford | 1987 | Nimbus NI 7021 | 3’25” |
Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge | Richard Marlow | Richard Jackson or Graham Pearce |
1988 | Conifer CDCF 164 | 3’18” |
The Bach Choir, The Philharmonia [arr. Palmer] | Sir David Willcocks | John Scott | 1991 | Chandos CHAN 8998 | 2’54” |
The Finzi Singers | Paul Spicer | Andrew Lumsden | 1992 | Chandos CHAN 9222 | 3’02” |
Choir of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford | Stephen Darlington | Stephen Farr | 1992 | Nimbus NI 5364 | 3’17” |
Choir of St. John’s College, Cambridge | Christopher Robinson | Christopher Whitton | 2001 | Naxos 8.555793 | 3’10” |
Polyphony, The Wallace Collection [arr. Palmer] | Stephen Layton | James Vivian | 2002 | Hyperion CDA67330 | 2’57” |
• Text:
Let all the world in ev’ry corner sing,
My God and King!
The heav’ns are not too high,
His praise may thither fly;
The earth is not too low,
His praises there may grow.
Let all the world in ev’ry corner sing,
My God and King!
The Church with psalms must shout,
No door can keep them out;
But above all, the heart
Must bear the longest part.
Let all the world in ev’ry corner sing,
My God and King!
— George Herbert (1593–1633)