Christ is made the sure foundation (Westminster Abbey)

Many hours I spend in Westminster Abbey on numerous visits to London, sitting in the choir for evensong and the nave for the Sunday morning service and the Sunday afternoon concerts.

This magnificent hymn by Purcell and Neale seemed appropriate to celebrate my 300th upload to the concert hall.

Henry Purcell, 10 September 1659(?)– 21 November 1695), was an English composer. Although incorporating Italian and French stylistic elements into his compositions, Purcell's legacy was a uniquely English form of Baroque music. He is generally considered to be one of the greatest English composers; no other native-born English composer approached his fame until Edward Elgar.

John Mason Neale was strongly high church in his sympathies.He translated the Eastern liturgies into English, and wrote a mystical and devotional commentary on the Psalms.

However, he is best known as a hymn writer and, especially, translator, having enriched English hymnody with many ancient and mediaeval hymns translated from Latin and Greek.