Every week my postbag contains a variety of booklets, leaflets and magazines from Christian organizations. Most, of course, are soliciting me to adopt their cause for fund-raising amongst the congregation.

One publication I received recently was the regular,  RSCM’s ‘Church Music Quarterly’ and within it is an article on the composer Ralph Vaughan Williams who died 50 years ago. The BBC have been broadcasting some interesting programmes about him both on television and radio. Radio 3 has placed a particular emphasis on his music which is quintessentially English.

Vaughan Williams was for some of his time a confessed atheist, later muted to agnosticism so his association with English Church Music is surprising. Unless, of course, you remember that God uses all manner of people to get his message across! I am a great believer in something that the French Christian philosopher once said, the action of grace in our hearts is secret and silent. Vaughan Williams may have doubted God but God did not doubt that he could use this talented musician in the service of the Gospel. Anyway, there can’t be atheists because God doesn’t believe in them!

Vaughan-Williams was a major influence on the production of one of the Church of England’s most famous hymn-books the English Hymnal  which was produced in 1904. Together with Hymns Ancient & Modern it influenced Anglican Church hymn singing for generations. Our own New English Hymnal  is itself a revision of the original book and whilst it is itself more limited these days it has continued a fine tradition.

Vaughan Williams not only gave us a hymn book, he also gave us some marvellous hymn tunes. Many of them he ‘rescued’ from earlier folk ballads. One of my particular favourites, It is a thing most wonderful was harmonized by RVW from an old Essex folk song. O Little town of Bethlehem owes its harmonization to him as does Christ the Lord is risen again. Other hymns to receive similar treatment from him are:  All creatures of our God and King,; Father, hear the prayer we offer; and Firmly I believe and truly. Amongst original tunes he composed is that for the hymn For all the saints  without which all Saints day would be incomplete!

For me, however, it is the tune Down Ampney which is the most beautiful of his hymn tunes. We sing Come down, O Love divine to it. It was sung as Vaughan Williams’ ashes were interred in Westminster Abbey. The article in Church Music Quarterly quotes a close friend of RVW, Michael Kennedy, who calls it “a tune of simple grace that enters one’s heart and, once there, stays for ever.” A truth that many of us would echo and applaud. One can only hope that, in composing it, Vaughan Williams found that truth for himself.