ST. BOTOLPH (Slater)

Composer: Gordon Slater

(no biographical information available about Gordon Slater.) Go to person page >

Tune Information

Title: ST. BOTOLPH (Slater)
Composer: Gordon Slater (1929)
Meter: 8.6.8.6
Incipit: 13153 21712 35654
Key: D Major
Copyright: By permission of Oxford University Press.

Texts

I Come with Joy

For Mary, mother of our Lord

Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee

Jesus, the very thought of thee
with sweetness fills the breast;
but sweeter far thy face to see,
and in thy presence rest.

Go to text page...

Notes

ST. BOTOLPH was composed by Gordon A. Slater (b. Harrogate, Yorkshire, England, 1896; d. Lincoln, England, 1979) and first published in Songs of Praise for Boys and Girls (1930).

The tune was named for St. Botolph's Parish Church in Boston, Lincolnshire, England, where Slater was organist from 1919 to 1927, following his service in the British army in France during World War I. That church honors St. Botolph, the seventh-century abbot of an influential monastery thought to have been near Iken, northeast of Ipswich in Suffolk, a monastery destroyed during the Danish invasions. Also from 1919 to 1927, Slater was conductor of the Boston Choral Society. He then served at Leicester Cathedral from 1927 to 1930. Organist and choirmaster at Lincoln Cathedral from 1930 to 1966, Slater supervised the rebuilding of the cathedral's organ in 1960. During those years he was also the conductor of the Lincoln Symphony Orchestra. He taught at various British colleges and universities and was a well-known organ recitalist for the BBC. In addition to piano and organ music, Slater composed anthems and hymn tunes.

As originally intended by Slater, ST. BOTOLPH is best sung in unison. Music theory students may delight in finding some parallel fifths in the harmonization. Sing and accompany in two long lines rather than in four short phrases. “Jesus, the Very Thought of You” (480) is often sung to ST. BOTOLPH in British churches.

--Psalter Hymnal Handbook

Timeline

Arrangements

Harmonizations, Introductions, Descants, Intonations

  • Free Harmonizations of Favorite Hymns Volume 4: The Easter Season
    Composer/Editor James M. Guthrie
    Published By: Self-published (2017) pp. LL
  • Hymn Tunes in Lower Keyes: The Book to Grab When the Congregation Complains that the Hymns are Too High!
    Published By: Kevin Mayhew Ltd. (2011) pp. 225
  • Hymn Tunes in Lower Keys: The Book to Grab When the Congregation Complains that the Hymns are Too High!
    Published By: Kevin Mayhew Ltd. (2011) pp. 225
  • The Really Big Descant Book - Full Music Edition: 250 Settings to Raise the Roof by the World's Finest Church Music Composers
    Composer/Editor Rosalie Bonighton
    Published By: Kevin Mayhew Ltd. (2009) pp. 177
  • 200 New Last Verses
    Published By: Kevin Mayhew Ltd. (2007) pp. 155
  • Hymn Intonations Preludes & Free Harmonizations Volume XI: 25 Harmonizations and Descants
    Composer/Editor Craig Phillips
    Published By: Selah Publishing Company, Inc. (2000) pp. 19

Organ Solo

  • 100 New Hymn Preludes
    Composer/Editor Andrew Fletcher
    Published By: Kevin Mayhew Ltd. (2008) pp. 230
  • Hymn Preludes for the Church Year Book 2: Ordinary Time
    Composer/Editor Philip Moore
    Published By: Kevin Mayhew Ltd. (2001) pp. 187
  • Eight Chorale Preludes for Organ: Based on Well-Known Hymn Tunes
    Composer/Editor Eugene Hill
    Published By: Cathedral Music Press (1991) pp. 6

Instances

Instances (1 - 32 of 32)

Ancient and Modern #313

Text

Ancient and Modern #448a

Ancient and Modern #560b

Text

Ancient and Modern #620b

Text

Ancient and Modern #749a

Anglican Hymns Old and New (Rev. and Enl.) #194

Anglican Hymns Old and New (Rev. and Enl.) #328

Church Hymnary (4th ed.) #1

Common Praise (1998) #617

Audio

Common Praise #238

Text

Common Praise #305

Complete Anglican Hymns Old and New #182a

Complete Anglican Hymns Old and New #304

Text

CPWI Hymnal #743

Hymns for Today's Church (2nd ed.) #390

Hymns for Today's Church (2nd ed.) #484a

Hymns of Glory, Songs of Praise #1

TextPage Scan

Hymns to the Living God #326

New English Praise #623

Psalms and Hymns to the Living God #13

TextPage Scan

Psalms and Hymns to the Living God #418

Text InfoTune InfoAudio

Psalter Hymnal (Gray) #589

Tune InfoText

Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal #585

Singing the Faith #588

Text

Singing the Living Tradition #405

The Book of Praise #566

Text

The Hymnal 1982 #209

Text

The Hymnal 1982 #603

The Irish Presbyterian Hymbook #186b

Text

The New English Hymnal #385

Text

Together in Song #223

Text

Together in Song #254

Include 6 pre-1979 instances
Suggestions or corrections? Contact us