The Gilbert and Sullivan Archive

Submitted to the Archive by Paul Howarth


Note: * indicates an arrangement of an existing tune rather than an original composition by Sullivan.

Clicking on the name of the tune will take you to a web page where you can view the score and words, and hear a MIDi file of the tune.
PDF Files are provided for ease of printing.


Tune First Line PDF File
Adoro Te* Saviour, again to Thy dear name we raise Adobe Acrobat PDF File
All This Night All this night bright angels sing Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Angel Voices Angel voices, ever singing Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Audite audientes me I heard the voice of Jesus say Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Bethlehem* While shepherd's watched their flocks Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Bishopgarth O King of Kings, Whose reign of old Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Bolwell Thou to whom the sick and dying Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Carrow My God, I thank Thee Who has made Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Chapel Royal O love that wilt not let me go Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Christus Show me not only Jesus dying Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Clarence Winter reigneth o'er the land Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Coena Domini Draw nigh, and take the body of the Lord Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Come Unto Me* Come unto Me, ye weary Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Constance I've found a Friend; oh, such a Friend Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Coronae Crown Him, with many crowns Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Courage, Brother Courage, brother, do not stumble Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Dominion Hymn God bless our wide dominion Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Dulce Sonans Angel voices, ever singing Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Ecclesia The church has waited long Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Ellers* Saviour, again to Thy dear name we raise Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Evelyn In the hour of my distress Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Ever faithful Let us with a gladsome mind Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Fatherland (St. Edmund) I'm but a stranger here Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Formosa (Falfield) Love Divine, all love excelling Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Fortunatus Welcome, happy morning! Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Golden Sheaves To Thee, O Lord, our hearts we raise Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Hanford Jesu, my Saviour, look on me Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Heber (Gennesareth) When through the torn sail Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Holy City Sing Alleluia forth in duteous praise Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Hushed was the Evening Hymn Hushed was the evening hymn Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Hymn of the Homeland The homeland, the homeland Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Lacrymae Lord, in this Thy mercy's day Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Leominster* A few more years shall roll Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Light* Holy Spirit! Come in might! Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Litany (1) Jesu, life of those who die Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Litany (2) Jesu, we are far away Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Long Home, The Tender Shepherd, Thou hast still'd Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Lux eoi All is bright and cheeful round us Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Lux in Tenebris Lead, kindly Light Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Lux Mundi O Jesu, Thou art standing Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Marlborough* O Strength and Stay, upholding all creation Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Mount Zion Rock of Ages, cleft for me Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Nearer Home* For ever with the Lord Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Noel* It came upon the midnight clear Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Old 137th* Great King of nations, hear our prayer Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Paradise O Paradise! Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Parting* With the sweet word of peace Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Pilgrimage From Egypt's bondage come Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Promissio Patris Our blest Redeemer, ere He breathed Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Propior Deo Nearer, my God, to Thee Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Rest Art thou weary, art thou languid Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Resurrexit Christ is risen! Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Roseate Hues, The The roseate hues of early dawn Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Safe Home Safe home, safe home in port Adobe Acrobat PDF File
St. Ann* The Son of God goes forth to war Adobe Acrobat PDF File
St. Francis O Father, who hast created all Adobe Acrobat PDF File
St. Gertrude Onward, Christian soldiers Adobe Acrobat PDF File
St. Kevin Come, ye faithful, raise the strain Adobe Acrobat PDF File
St. Lucian Of Thy love some gracious token Adobe Acrobat PDF File
St. Luke (St. Nathaniel) God moves in a mysterious way Adobe Acrobat PDF File
St. Mary Magdalene Saviour, when in dust to Thee Adobe Acrobat PDF File
St. Millicent Let no tears to-day be shed Adobe Acrobat PDF File
St. Patrick He is gone - a cloud of light Adobe Acrobat PDF File
St. Theresa Brightly gleams our banner Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Saints of God The Saints of God, their conflict past. Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Springtime* For all Thy love and goodness Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Strain Upraise, The The Strain upraise in joy and praise Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Thou God of Love Thou God of Love, beneath Thy sheltering wing Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Ultor Omnipotens God the all terrible! King who ordainest Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Valete Sweet Saviour, bless us 'ere we go Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Veni, Creator Come Holy Ghost, our souls inspire Adobe Acrobat PDF File
Victoria To mourn our dead we gather here Adobe Acrobat PDF File

Introduction

by Paul Howarth

From 1861 to 1872, Arthur Sullivan held the post of organist at two of London's fashionable churches: St. Michael's, Chester Square, Pimlico and St. Peter's, Cranley Gardens, Kensington. His earliest hymn tunes were composed during this period. In 1867 he contributed to "Psalms and Hymns for Divine Worship", a collection compiled for use by the Presbyterian Church in England, and in the following year to "A Hymnal, chiefly from The Book of Praise" edited by John Hullah. In 1872, twelve new tunes by Sullivan were included in "The Hymnary", edited by Joseph Barnby.

In 1874, Sullivan himself edited "Church Hymns with Tunes", published by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. He included fourteen tunes of his own which had been published previously besides composing twenty four new tunes and harmonizing or arranging a further sixty eight specifically for that book. "Church Hymns with Tunes" went through two subsequent editions of 1875 and 1881.

Also in 1874 four new tunes were included in the "New Church Hymn Book" and "Carrow" appeared in 1875, setting words by Adelaide Anne Procter, the author of "The Lost Chord".

St Peter's, Cranley Gardens

In 1897 Sullivan composed "Bishopgarth" as the setting of the official hymn celebrating Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee.

In 1902, Novello published a collection of fifty six hymn tunes by Sullivan which included four unpublished tunes whose manuscripts were found amongst his papers after his death.

For some, Sullivan's hymn tunes represent the epitomy of Victorian sentimentality, and it must be admitted that several of them provide ammunition for those who would argue that Sullivan turned to hymn tune writing not from any deep religious conviction but simply as a way of making money. But the best of them are memorable, well suited to congregational singing and show a real sensitivity to the words.

It cannot be denied that the popularity of Sullivan's hymn tunes with compilers of hymn books declined during the twentieth century. Whilst it was not unusual for a nineteenth century hymn book to contain approaching thirty Sullivan tunes, the (British) Methodist Hymn Book of 1933 contains but fifteen and its successor, "Hymns and Psalms" of 1983 contains only three.

In compiling this collection, I have included all Sullivan's known original tunes and a selection of his best known harmonizations and arrangements. I have, wherever possible, associated the tunes with their original words.

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