Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation
| Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation | |
|---|---|
| Year | 1851 |
| Genre | Hymn |
| Written | John Mason Neale |
| Meter | 8.7.8.7.8.7 |
| Melody | "Westminster Abbey" by Henry Purcell, or "Regent Square" by Henry Smart. |
"Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation" is a Christian hymn, translated in 1851 by John Mason Neale from the second part of the 6th- or 7th-century Latin monastic hymn Urbs beata Jerusalem.[1][2]
While originally an unaccompanied plainsong melody, the hymn is now commonly sung to either the tune of "Westminster Abbey", adapted from the final section of Henry Purcell's anthem "O God, Thou Art My God'" Z35; or the tune of "Regent Square", composed by Henry Smart. The texts of modern versions of the hymn vary substantially from Neale's original translations.[1][3] Today, the hymn widely featured in hymnals across the world.
The hymn was sung during the marriage ceremonies of Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones in 1960, and Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer in 1981,[4][5] and was the opening hymn of Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee service in St Paul's Cathedral on 3 June 2022.[6] It was also sung during the funeral proceedings of Elizabeth II, at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, on 19 September 2022,[7] and also in an arrangement by James O'Donnell at the coronation of Charles III and Camilla in 2023.[8]
References
- ^ a b Hawn, C. Michael (23 July 2015). "History of Hymns: "Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation"". Discipleship Ministries. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
- ^ Neale, JM (1867). "Urbs beata Jerusalem". Mediæval Hymns and Sequences. Urbs beata Jerusalem.
- ^ "Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation". Hymnary.org. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
- ^ Marriage of HRH Princess Margaret with Mr Antony Armstrong-Jones (PDF) (Order of service), 6 May 1960, p. 3
- ^ Marriage of Charles Prince of Wales with Lady Diana Spencer (PDF) (Order of service), 29 July 1981, p. 5, archived from the original (PDF) on 7 January 2022
- ^ "In full: The order of service for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee service of thanksgiving". The Telegraph. London. 3 June 2022. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
- ^ Hughes, David (19 September 2022). "The music at the Queen's funeral will tell the story of both the monarchy and the monarch". inews.co.uk. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
- ^ "The Authorised Liturgy for the Coronation Rite of His Majesty King Charles III" (PDF). Church of England. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 April 2023. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
