DESCRIPTION:
FOR THE TEXT OF THIS WORK, SEE BELOW.

The BBC asked RVW to write a "thanksgiving anthem" to mark the end of World War 2 and this is the result. Originally called "Thanksgiving for Victory", it was later re-named and has been recorded several times. A lesser composer might have regarded such a commission as a mere 'job-of-work' - an occasional piece that would be performed once or twice and then forgotten; but Vaughan Williams, of course, gave it his all and came up with a work of poignant sincerity and emotional power; patriotic but never jingoistic or triumphalist. He selected the text himself from the bible, Shakespeare and Rudyard Kipling.

This performance is to be found on a DUTTON disc. Sir Adrian Boult conducts the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Luton Choral Society and members of Luton Girls' Choir. The soprano soloist is Betty Dolemore and the speaker was Robert Speight. It was recorded at the Abbey Road Studios on 18th December 1951.

SOPRANO SOLO AND CHORUS
Blessed art thou, O Lord God of our fathers; and to be praised and
exalted above all for ever.
And blessed is thy glorious and holy Name; and to be praised and
glorified above all for ever.
Blessed art thou in the temple of thine holy glory; and to be praised
and exalted above all for ever.
Blessed art thou on the glorious throne of thy kingdom, and to be
praised and glorified above all forever.
Song of the Three Holy Children, vv. 29, 30, 31 & 33

SPEAKER
O God, thy arm was here,
And not to us, but to thy arm alone
Ascribe we all. Take it, God, for it is none but thine.
Henry V, Act IV, Sc. 8

CHORUS
Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power and the glory.
Thine is the victory, and the majesty; for all that is in the heaven and
earth is thine.
Thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all.
I Chronicles XXIX, v. 2

SOPRANO SOLO
O give thanks unto the Lord because he is gracious:
For his mercy endureth for ever.
Song of the Three Holy Children, v. 67
SPEAKER AND CHORUS
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord hath
anointed me to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of
the prison to them that are bound, to comfort all the mourn; to
give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the
garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.
Isaiah, LXI, vv. 1, 2, 3

CHORUS
Go through, go through the gates, prepare ye the way of the people;
cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones.
Lift up a standard for the people.
Behold, the lord hath proclaimed unto the ends of the world,‐say ye,
"Behold thy salvation cometh, Behold, his reward is with him and
his work before him."
And they shall call them the holy people, the redeemed of the lord:
and thou shalt be called "Sought out," a city not forsaken.
Isaiah, LXII, vv. 10, 11, 12

SPEAKER
And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former
desolations. And they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations
of many generations.
Isaiah, LXI, v. 4

SPEAKER
Violence shall be no more heard in thy land,
wasting nor destruction within thy borders;
but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise.
CHORUS
But thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise.
Isaiah, LX, v. 18

CHILDRENS' VOICES
Land of our birth, we pledge to thee
Our love and toil in the years to be;
When we are grown and take our place
As men and women with our race.
Father in Heaven who lovest all,
O help thy children when they call.
That they may build from age to age
An undefiled heritage.

CHORUS
Teach us the strength that cannot seek,
By deed, or thought, to hurt the weak;
That, under thee, we may possess
Man's strength to comfort man's distress.
Teach us delight in simple things,
The mirth that has no bitter springs;
Forgiveness free of evil done,
And love to all men 'neath the sun.

ALL VOICES
Land of our birth, our faith, our pride,
For whose dear sake our fathers died;
O Motherland, we pledge to thee,
Head, heart and hand through the years to be.
Rudyard Kipling

SOPRANO SOLO
The Lord shall be thine everlasting light,
And the days of thy mourning shall be ended.
Isaiah LX, v. 20