Sounding ChildhoodMain Menu30 Selections from the Top Ranking Hymns for ChildrenAlphabetical Index of Hymn TitlesScoresRecordingsTimelineCredits, 2015 Recording & WebsiteCredits, Permissions and CopyrightWorks CitedRehearsal VideosPart 2--Songs for School and PlayPart 3--Bands of Mercy SongsAlisa Clapp-ItnyreAlisa Clapp-Itnyre ea81b58f96dc50ac6f0312cb8dfd4bbc7d5bfddcSOUNDING VICTORIAN Project 2016
Father, in high heaven dwelling
12017-06-23T17:18:47+00:00Donal Hegartyd91ac6951fc09687a65f62d6a62eb9d3c37c260311Score from: Button, H. Elliot, ed. The Young People’s Hymnal, Edition with Tunes. London: Charles H. Kelly, 1896. Print.plain2017-06-23T17:18:47+00:00Donal Hegartyd91ac6951fc09687a65f62d6a62eb9d3c37c2603
“Father, in high heaven dwelling,” though not popular in children’s hymn books, was included in British Hymn Books and here to exemplify newly written tunes of the Victorian era, even by unknown (possibly amateur) composers such as “W. Jackson,” which were complex and challenged children’s musical ability. For example, it has unprepared dissonances, passing tones, and unpredicted tonal leaps, even jumping to e-flats. Changes in melody reflect the poetic content: two interlocking sentences of three poetic lines each reinforced by the rhyme scheme (AAB-CCB). Praise is given first: “Father…dwelling /song be telling /Of Thy mercy large and free,” and then the signifier of that praise: “…Thy love has fed us/ …Thy care has led us,/ With…charity” as, for example, in the first verse. It is a challenging piece, musically and poetically, that Victorians expected of children.
More discussion on this hymn can be found in Chapter 3, British Hymn Books for Children.
