Brother James’ Air (arr Gordon Jacob) - Guildford Cathedral Choir (Barry Rose)

Guildford Cathedral Choir, directed by Barry Rose:
Concert in Farnborough Abbey, 30 May 1968:
(The healer, mystic and poet “Brother James” was actually the Scottish-born James Leith Macbeth Bain (1840-1925). The tune now known as “Brother James’ Air” was first published in 1915 in “The Great Peace: Being a New Year’s Greeting”)
The Lord’s my shepherd, I’ll not want;
He makes me down to lie
In pastures green; He leadeth me
The quiet waters by.
My soul He doth restore again;
And me to walk doth make
Within the paths of blessedness,
E’en for His own Name’s sake.
Yea, though I pass through shadowed vale,
Yet will I fear no ill;
For Thou art with me; and Thy rod
And staff me comfort still.
My table Thou hast furnishèd
In presence of my foes;
My head with oil thou dost anoint,
And my cup overflows.
Goodness and mercy all my days
Will surely follow me,
And in my Father’s heart alway
My dwelling place shall be.
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[@101mosioatunya]

I learned this by the time I was 12 years old. I used to sing the descant. I am now 78 years old and I still remember it.

[@kaymccastle1154]

I remember singing this anthem when I was in my high school choir. beautiful, Beautiful, BEAUTIFUL!😇😇😇😇😇😇😇😇

[@davidcrook4166]

Yet another all-time favourite. And another episode in that boring old serial "An Elongated History Of The Musical Likes and Dislikes Of David Crook": I first heard this piece on a single 45 rpm record in the EMI Columbia/HMV "Your Kind Of Music" series by the choristers of a school on Chislehurst, recorded in the church of the Holy Sepulchre, Holborn. Handel's "O Lovely Peace" ("Judas Maccabaeus") was on the other side. It also featured on a "Songs Of Praise" from Lincoln Cathedral in autumn 1972, featuring a congregation of mostly schoolchildren and young people; I was struck afresh by the beautiful harmony in the last stanza. And I've been struck afresh again!

[@nicholedechaine8678]

What arrangement is this? It’s beautiful!

[@ArchivesofSound]

Look in the video title.

[@Porrectus]

One of the most tasteful renditions I've found on youtube, the other videos feature strange arrangements and often feel theatrical losing the simple beauty of the piece. The clarity of the english is very good but is overdone, the k's for example sound particualrly self conscious 1:15 as well as the r on presence 2:18 which was distastefully rolled. The treble sound has a natural feel and is generally very good, despite slightly sketchy tuning here and there or voices sticking out. The soloists are good but sometimes lack the finesse of proffessional sopranos which is understandable and they both sing it slightly on the slower side the second soloist is definitely too slow. Also the recording is a bit quiet, on the whole a very nice rendition.