Discography of Sir Arthur Sullivan:
Hymns
Before his career took off as a comic opera composer, Sullivan made his living composing hymns and songs. The most famous of his hymns is surely "Onward, Christian soldiers," but he wrote many dozens of others. Nearly all of them date from before 1875 (the year of Trial by Jury), with 1874 the most common year. Not coincidentally, he edited the SPCK's Church Hymns and Tunes during that year. Of the experience, he wrote (famously) to his mother:
I hope that the hymn-book will be a blessing to the Church. It's a curse to me. Had I known the wearisome labours of it, I would not have undertaken it for a thousand pounds.
The following table is taken from Jacobs, 2nd edn. Very few of the hymns have been recorded, but for those that have, the designation REC" points to a page with further details.
Paul Howarth has submitted to the G&S Archive the score and lyrics for every hymn that Sullivan either wrote or arranged, and MIDI files for many of them. You can see them at <http://diamond.boisestate.edu/gas/hymns/>.
| First Line | Words By | Name of Tune | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| A few more years shall roll (arrangement from G. W. Martin) | Horatius Bonar | "Leominster" | 1902 |
| Angel voices, ever singing REC | Francis Pitts | "Dulce sonans" | 1874 |
| Art thou weary, art thou languid | Trans. J. M. Neale | "Rest" | 1872 |
| At Thine altar, Lord, we gather | Mary Bradford Whiting | "Dulce sonans" | 1874 |
| Be Thou with us every day | T. B. Pollock | "Litany, No. 3" | ???? |
| Brightly gleams our banner | T. J. Potter | "St. Theresa | 1874 |
| Christ is risen! | A. T. Gurney | "Resurrexit" | 1874 |
| Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire | Trans. Bishop J. Cosin | "Veni, Creator" | 1874 |
| Come, ye faithful, raise the strain | J. M. Neale | "St. Kevin" | 1872 |
| Courage, brother! do not stumble REC | Norman Macleod | "Courage, brother" | 1872 |
| Crown Him with many crowns | Matthew Bridges | "Coronae | 1874 |
| Draw nigh, and take the body of the Lord | Trans. J. M. Neale | "Coena Domini" | 1874 |
| Father, before Thy throne of light | F. W. Farrar | "Old 137th | 1874 |
| Father of heaven, Who has created all | Trans. Catherine Winkworth | "St. Francis | 1874 |
| For all Thy love and goodness (arrangement from Aldrich) | Frances Jane Douglas & Bishop W. Walsham How | "Springtime" | 1874 |
| For ever with the Lord (arrangement from J. Woodbury) | James Montgomery | "Nearer Home | 1874 |
| "For My sake and the gospel's, go" REC | Ed. H. Bickersteth | "Bishopgarth | 1899 |
| From Egypt's bondage come | T. Kelly | "Pilgrimage | 1874 |
| God bless our wide Dominion | Marquess of Lorne | "Dominion Hymn | 1880 |
| God moves ina mysterious way | William Cowper | "St. Nathaniel" | 1867 |
| God the all-terrible! King who ordainest | Henry Fothergill Chorley & John Ellerton | "Ultor Omnipotens" | 1874 |
| Hallelujah! Hallelujah! REC | Christopher Wordsworth | "Lux eoi" | 1874 |
| Hark! a thrilling voice is sounding | Trans. Edward Caswall | "Lux eoi" | 1874 |
| He is gone — a cloud of light | A. P. Stanley | "St. Patrick" | 1874 |
| Holy Spirit, come in might (arrangement from S. Webbe's collection) | Trans. Edward Caswall | "Light" | 1902 |
| Hushed was the evening hymn REC | James D. Burns | "Samuel" | 1874 |
| I heard the voice of Jesus say | Horatius Bonar | "Audite audientes me" | 1874 |
| In the hour of my distress | Robert Herrick | "Evelyn | 1874 |
| It came upon the midnight clear REC | E. H. Sears | Noel | 1874 |
| Jesu, in Thy dying woes | T. B. Pollock | "Lebbaeus" | 1874 |
| Jesu, life of those who die | T. B. Pollock | "Litany, No. 2 | 1875 |
| Jesu, my Saviour, look on me | Charlotte Elliott | "Hanford | 1874 |
| Jesu, we are far away | T. B. Pollock | "Litany, No. 1 | 1875 |
| Lead, kindly light REC | J. H. Newman | "Lux in tenebris | 1874 |
| Let no tears to-day be shed | Trans. R. F. Littledale | "St. Millicent | 1874 |
| Let us with a gladsome mind | John Milton | "Ever faithful, ever sure" | 1874 |
| Lord, in this, Thy mercy's day REC | Issac Williams | "Lacrymae | 1872 |
| Lord Divine, all love excelling | Charles Wesley | "Falfield" or "Formosa" | 1867 |
| My God, I thank Thee Who has made | Adelaide A. Procter | "Carrow | 1875 |
| Nearer, my God, to Thee REC | Sarah F. Adams | "Proprior Deo" | 1872 |
| Of Thy love some gracious token | T. Kelly | "Of Thy love" or "St. Lucian" | 1868 |
| O Jesu, Thou art standing | W. Walsham How | "Lux mundi" | 1872 |
| O King of Kings | W. Walsham How | "Bishopgarth | 1897 |
| O love that wilt not let me go | George Matheson | "Chapel Royal | 1902 |
| O Paradise! | F. W. Faber | "Paradise" | 1874 |
| O Strength and Stay upholding all creation (arrangement of an old tune) | Trans. John Ellerton | "Marlborough" | 1874 |
| O where shall rest be found | James Montgomery | "Ecclesia" | 1874 |
| Onward, Christian soldiers REC | Rev. Sabine Baring-Gould | "St. Gergrude" | 1871 |
| Our Blest Redeemer, ere He breathed | Harriet Auber | "Promissio Patris" | 1874 |
| Rock of ages, cleft for me | A. M. Toplady | "Mount Zion" | 1867 |
| Safe home, safe home in port REC | Trans. J. M. Neale | "Safe home" | 1872 |
| Saviour, when in dust to Thee | Robert Grant | "St. Mary Magdalene" | 1872 |
| Show me not only Jesus dying | Josiah Condor | "Christus" | 1874 |
| Sing Alleluia forth in duteous praise | Trans. John Ellerton | "Holy City" | 1874 |
| Sweet Saviour! bless us ere we go | F. W. Faber | "Valete" | 1874 |
| Tender Shepherd, Thou hast still'd | Trans. Catherine Winkworth | "The long home" or "Gentle shepherd" or "Tender shepherd" | 1872 |
| The homeland, the homeland | H. R. Haweis | "Hymn of the homeland" | 1867 |
| The roseate hues of early dawn | Cecil Frances Alexander | "The roseate hues" | 1872 |
| The Saints of God, their conflict past | Archbishop Maclagan | "Saints of God" | 1874 |
| The Son of God goes forth to war (arrangement from Croft) | Bishop R. Heber | "St. Ann" | 1869 |
| The strain upraise in joy and praise REC | Trans. J. M. Neale | "The strain upraise" | 1868 |
| Thine arm, O Lord, in days of old | E. H. Plumptre | "Old 137th" | 1874 |
| Thou God of Love, beneath Thy sheltering wings | Jane Euphemia Browne | "Thou God of Love" | 1867 |
| Thou, to Whom the sick and dying | Godfrey Thring | "Bolwell" | 1902 |
| To mourn our dead we gather here | Mary Bradford Whiting | "Victoria" | 1899 |
| To Thee, O Lord, our hearts we raise REC | W. Chatterton Dix | "Golden sheaves" | 1874 |
| We are but strangers here, a/k/a/ I'm but a stranger here REC | T. R. Taylor | "Fatherland" or "St. Edmund" or "Pilgrimage" | 1872 |
| 'Welcome, happy moring!' age to age shall say | Trans. John Ellerton | "Welcome, happy morning" or "Fortunatus" | 1869 |
| When through the torn sail | Heber | "Heber" | 1869 |
| While shephers watched their flocks by night (arrangement of an old carol) | Nahum Tate | "Bethlehem" | 1874 |
| Who trusts in God, a strong abode REC | Trans. Benjamin H. Kennedy | "Constance" | 1874 |
| Winter reigneth o'er the land (arrangement) | Bishop W. Walsham How | "Clarance" | 1874 |
| With the sweet word of peace (arrangement of an old melody) | George Watson | "Parting" | 1874 |
