EPWORTH (C. Wesley)

Composer: Charles Wesley

Charles Wesley, Jr. (b. Bristol, 12/11/1757; d. London, 5/23/1834), son of the great hymn-writer, Charles Wesley (1707-1788). The family was very musical, and young Charles and his brother Samuel gave private concerts at their home. Charles was a child prodigy who played the harpsichord at the age of three, although his father did not allow him to become a chorister at the Chapel Royal and discouraged him from becoming a professional musician. Charles did study organ, however, and became an accomplished organist, first at the Lock Hospital (1797-1802) and later at the Marylebone Parish Church (1817-1834). He composed some hymn tunes, anthems, voluntaries, concertos, and string quartets, and edited a new edition of his uncle John Wesley's Sa… Go to person page >

Tune Information

Title: EPWORTH (C. Wesley)
Composer: Charles Wesley
Meter: 8.6.8.6
Incipit: 13513 26543 51765
Key: D Major
Copyright: Public Domain

Notes

EPWORTH was composed by Charles Wesley, Jr. (b. Bristol, England, 1757; d. Marylebone, London, 1834), and was published posthumously under the tune name LOUGHTEN in the third part (1838) of Novello's The Psalmist. The heading there reads "Charles Wesley, arr. S. Wesley," which means that Charles's more musically accomplished brother Samuel prepared the harmonization. EPWORTH is named for Epworth in Lincolnshire, the birthplace of both John and Charles Wesley. Smooth movement in the second and third phrases complements the dramatic melodic leaps in the first and last phrases. The reflective text calls for a moderate tempo, played legato.

The Wesley brothers who composed this music were sons of the famous Methodist hymn writer Charles Wesley (PHH 267). The family was very musical, and young Charles and his brother Samuel gave private concerts at their home. Charles was a child prodigy who played the harpsichord at the age of three, although his father did not allow him to become a chorister at the Chapel Royal and discouraged him from becoming a professional musician. Charles did study organ, however, and became an accomplished organist, first at the Lock Hospital (1797-1802) and later at the Marylebone Parish Church (1817-1834). He composed some hymn tunes, anthems, voluntaries, concertos, and string quartets, and edited a new edition of his uncle John Wesley's Sacred Harmony in 1822.

Samuel Wesley (b. Bristol, 1766; d. London, 1837) began composing and taking organ lessons at the age of six. He was known as the finest organist of his time and composed much church music. He was also very involved in a revival in England of the music of]. S. Bach. His son Samuel Sebastian Wesley was even more influential; for more information on the Wesley family, see PHH 206 and 267.

--Psalter Hymnal Handbook, 1988

Timeline

Arrangements

Harmonizations, Introductions, Descants, Intonations

  • The Organist's Great Big Lent & Easter Book: A Feast of Music for the Greatest Season of the Year
    Composer/Editor Rosalie Bonighton
    Published By: Kevin Mayhew Ltd. (2009) pp. 136
  • 200 New Last Verses
    Published By: Kevin Mayhew Ltd. (2007) pp. 68
  • The Ultimate Finishing Touch: Last-verse Arrangements of Well-loved Hymn Tunes
    Composer/Editor Harrison Oxley
    Published By: Kevin Mayhew Ltd. (2000) pp. 50

Organ Solo

  • The Organist's Great Big Lent & Easter Book: A Feast of Music for the Greatest Season of the Year
    Composer/Editors Christopher Tambling; Rosalie Bonighton
    Published By: Kevin Mayhew Ltd. (2009) pp. 133
  • 100 New Hymn Preludes
    Composer/Editor Christopher Tambling
    Published By: Kevin Mayhew Ltd. (2008) pp. 105

Instances

Instances (1 - 9 of 9)

Anglican Hymns Old and New (Rev. and Enl.) #199a

Complete Anglican Hymns Old and New #180

Hymns and Psalms #703

Text InfoTune InfoTextScoreAudioPage Scan

Psalter Hymnal (Gray) #1

Audio

Small Church Music #1533

Audio

Small Church Music #3678

The Hymnal 1982 #476

The Irish Presbyterian Hymbook #T59

The New English Hymnal #66

Include 6 pre-1979 instances
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