'Faire is the Heaven', William Henry Harris

The choir were very excited to perform this much-loved 1925 anthem by William Harris: 'Faire is the Heaven', performed for our second evensong of Easter term 2024. The words are taken from lines selected from Edmund Spenser’s 'An Hymn of Heavenly Beauty', published in 1596:
'Faire is the heaven where happy soules have place
In full enjoyment of felicitie;
Whence they do still behold the glorious face
Of the Divine, Eternall Majestie;
Yet farre more faire be those bright Cherubins
Which all with golden wings are overdight.
And those eternall burning Seraphins
Which from their faces dart out fiery light;
Yet fairer than they both and much more bright
Be the Angels and Archangels
Which attend on God's owne person without rest or end.
These then in faire each other farre excelling
As to the Highest they approach more neare,
Yet is that Highest farre beyond all telling
Fairer than all the rest which there appeare
Though all their beauties joynd together were;
How then can mortal tongue hope to expresse
The image of such endlesse perfectnesse?'
All are welcome at our services, regardless of faith or denomination. Evensongs are at 5:45pm on Thursdays and Eucharist (sung or spoken) is held at 5pm on Sunday afternoons, both weekly during term time