Hills of the North, rejoice

Today is the first Sunday in Advent - the beginning of a new Church Year.

There are many great Advent hymns, but this one is probably relatively unfamiliar - unless are involved with the Anglican/Episcopal tradition.

The name of the tune is "Little Cornard."

The music was composed by Martin Edward Fallas Shaw OBE FRCM (9 March 1875 – 24 October 1958) was an English composer, conductor and (in his early life) theatre producer. His over 300 published works include songs, hymns, carols, oratorios, several instrumental works, a congregational mass setting (the Anglican Folk Mass) and four operas including a ballad opera. Except in some places, he is largely forgotten, but when asked to describe him, Sir Michael Holroyd said: "A remarkable man who is insufficently recognized these days."

Shaw, along with his brother Geoffrey, were important musical figures of their day. Both men were involved with the restoration of the Catholic liturgy in the Anglican Church, and both composed music of high quality, but of the "technical level" that it could be sung in parish churches, where it enhanced and beautified the liturgy.

The words are "from the writing" of Charles E. Oakely. He was born Born: 1832, Rhyl, North Wales in 1832, and died in London on Sep­tem­ber 15, 1865.

Oakley was ed­u­cat­ed at Ox­ford Un­i­ver­si­ty (BA 1855). En­ter­ing Ho­ly Or­ders in 1855, he be­came Rec­tor of Wick­war in 1856, and lat­er Rec­tor of St. Paul’s, Co­vent Gar­den, Lon­don.

I used the term "from the writing" of Oakely, as the text in common use is actually "synthesized" by the editors of the English Hymnal.

While I am usually a staunch advocate of original texts, I think the "new" version is very fine, and this is the complete text that is given in the first comment.

A photo of Martin Shaw is attached.