Recently, the quartet I coach at YOLA was asked to put together an online ensemble performance of a string quartet. In the present times, this means each member records their parts separately then some brilliant and brave audio engineer puts them together.

We decided on an arrangement of the Hymn from Jupiter by Gustav Holst. I love this piece and I was happy my group chose it. I was digging around online for a good quartet recording for them to listen to to get a feel for the piece when I stumbled on the lyrics, and down the rabbit hole I went.

Researching this piece, listening to it, and coaching my students took me back to age 12 when I lived in England and attended Mailman’s Green School for Girls. Every morning, the entire school had assembly together in the gym. Any of my friends from those days or my friends of my parents, who happen to read this, know how traditional school was back then (hint: the 90s), we wore uniforms with HATS, there was a headmistress who we shook hands with every day before leaving for home, we were schooled on our manners in the lunch room…and so many more ridiculous things that are definitely not taught at school in the States, now that I’m thinking about it.

Anyways, in morning assembly the older girls sat at the back and the youngest at the front, with the teachers on the stage looking out over all the students. One morning, we were singing this hymn and me and a few of my friends started really hamming it up at the back of the room. Full on fake opera singing, with dramatic facial expressions, wild arm gestures, exaggerated rocking back and forth from foot to foot, and laughing hysterically under our breath. Silly us, we didn’t even stop to think that all of the teachers were staring straight at us.

At the end of assembly, as the rest of the students filed out to begin their school day, Mrs. Vernon the assistant headmistress (much scarier than Mrs. Evans the Headmistress who called everyone sausage pots or poppets) called us aside and screamed at us for being disrespectful. In true 12-year old fashion we stared at our feet, mumbled our apologies, and then burst into laughter as soon as we got out of the room. That, to this day is my main memory of assembly and singing this hymn.

Here is what I did not know as a snotty 12-year old:

"Thaxted" is a hymn tune by the English composer Gustav Holst, based on the stately theme from the middle section of the Jupiter movement of his orchestral suite The Planets and named after Thaxted, the English village where he lived much of his life. He adapted the theme in 1921 to fit the patriotic poem "I Vow to Thee, My Country" by Cecil Spring Rice It did not appear as a hymn-tune called "Thaxted" until his friend Ralph Vaughan Williams included it in Songs of Praise in 1926.

For Reference, here is the original version:

There were many texts set to this hymn but by far the most remembered and loved is the one listed above by Cecil Spring Rice. Wikipedia says that during the 20th century Songs of Praise was widely used in schools in the UK which is probably what we were using at Maltmans Green.

Side note: It also says that the 1931 edition included the first printing of the hymn “Morning Has Broken,” another classic I remember singing in assembly (much much) more than once.

"I Vow to Thee, My Country" by Cecil Spring Rice, was sung at the wedding of Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales in 1981 and again at the latter's funeral in 1997, and at the funeral of Margaret Thatcher in 2013.

The poetry is beautiful and brought a tear to my eye.

I vow to thee, my country, all earthly things above,
Entire and whole and perfect, the service of my love;
The love that asks no questions, the love that stands the test,
That lays upon the altar the dearest and the best;
The love that never falters, the love that pays the price,
The love that makes undaunted the final sacrifice.

And there's another country, I've heard of long ago,
Most dear to them that love her, most great to them that know;
We may not count her armies, we may not see her King;
Her fortress is a faithful heart, her pride is suffering;
And soul by soul and silently her shining bounds increase,
And her ways are ways of gentleness, and all her paths are peace.

The message of this song is so deeply heartfelt. I understand why it was claimed as a Patriotic song, especially when considered in the context of history at that time (World War I ended in 1918, the music for The Planets was actually composed by Holst during the War).

It seems to me that even though this is a hymn in the traditional sense, the message extends beyond religious sect. The message is global. Can you imagine how you would treat others if you reframed your interactions with the concept of love described above? If our ways were gentle and peaceful, how would the interactions we have with others change? If you take these notions and apply them to human interaction rather than love of country, and the love of _____ (insert your higher power of choice) it makes for a compelling case for kindness as a global motivator above all else.

When prepping materials for my students I became really fixated on these notions. I sang and hummed this tune in the shower, on walks, waiting for zoom meetings to load, as I unpacked my violin, etc. etc. etc. It was written almost 100 years ago and the message is needed just as much now as it was then.

What do you think?