Charles Villiers Stanford (1852-1924) came from Ireland, where he got his musical roots as an organist. He taught composition in London and Cambridge. His music is characterised by its richness of sound and songfulness, making him a pioneer of English Romanticism, which continues to this day. Due to his great services to church music, his grave is in Westminster Abbey with the inscription “a great musician”. The motet “O for a closer walk with God” describes an imploring prayer for divine assistance, for renewal through the Holy Spirit on the way to the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. The text was written by William Cowper in 1769 and is suitable as a perpetual prayer throughout the church year. The melody is based on a Scottish hymn and is initially presented in unison in the first verse, before the two further verses intensify harmonically and dynamically towards the text line “A bright light shines on the way”. A beautiful-sounding motet that can be easily realised by any four-part amateur choir with a medium level of difficulty.

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