Category Archives: National events

Remembrance Sunday Hymn

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The Story of a Special Hymn

I Vow To Thee My Country’ Sir Cecil Spring Rice, GCMG, GCVO / Gustav Holst

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 question, 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 text for the hymn comes originally from a poem written originally in about 1908, by a British diplomat and Ambassador to the United States, Sir Cecil Spring Rice, (1859-1918).

Called Urbs Dei (The City of God) or ‘The Two Father Lands‘ the poem explores how a Christian will have two countries , his homeland and his heavenly country.

In 1918 just prior to his death and after the trauma and losses of the First World War, Spring Rice rewrote the first verse to ensure it portrayed themes of love and sacrifice.

Music by Gustav Holst, (1874 – 1934)

It was set to music by Gustav Holst, who, in spite of his insistence on the integrity and completeness of his ‘Planets Suite‘, he himself adapted part of Jupiter to form a tune that fitted the words of the poem .

It was published as a hymn in 1925 in the ‘Songs of Praise‘ hymnbook, which was sadly after Spring Rice’s death on 14th February, 1918

The tune was called ‘Thaxted ‘ after the village where Holst lived for many years.

Longstanding Popularity

‘I Vow to Thee, My Country’ has been popular ever since and was used at the funerals of
Sir Winston Churchill, Princess Diana and Margaret Thatcher.

In 2019 it was voted the Nation’s sixth favourite hymn , despite there being some criticism over it with a question over ” unquestioning obedience”.

It continues to be widely used in Remembrance Services worldwide. 

With very powerful words it continues to resonate with us as we gather to remember the fallen of all conflicts.

Researched by Sue Johnson

Poppies at the altar of Leicester Cathedral

Remembrance Sunday: An update from Sunday

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The annual service of Remembrance was held on Remembrance Sunday with 59 people attending. After the service in church, wreaths were laid at the war memorial.

Service led by Rev Martin Hathaway and Maxine Johnson, with reading by Tony Spencer. The organ played beautifully by Boris with the Last Post and Reveille played live for us by Jonathan Lee.

The collection raised £225 which has been sent to the Market Harborough branch of the Royal British Legion. Thank you to all who attended and donated and huge thanks to our wonderful flower arrangers who brought the church to life with their poignant flower arrangements.

Enjoy the photographs of the church taken by Maxine Dodd.

“When you go home, tell them of us and say
For your tomorrow, we gave our today.”

— John Maxwell Edmonds

Lest We Forget

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Remembrance Sunday 2024

Today, we gathered at St Peter’s church and the War Memorial to remember the fallen from our villages from the First World War and to reflect upon the loss of precious lives in all conflicts before and since. The current conflicts in Ukraine and Israel continue relentlessly with no end in sight.

It was a grey and somewhat bleak day, after a spell of almost two weeks with very little sunshine; somehow appropriate for very bleak times in the wider world.

Our incredible flower arranging team transformed the church with a variety of arrangements. Large solemn sentinels by the altar contrasted with tiny posies of poppies which caught the eye brightening hidden corners.

While we sang and prayed; listened to readings, held silence for the Last Post and Reveille and listened to the names of our lost young men, the little poppies captured my thoughts.

Poppies are the epitome of calm after chaos, bringing beauty after unimaginable ugliness.. Tender fragility following brutal cruelty.

The tiny field poppy symbolises hope as it grows from disturbed ground. Its seeds can lie dormant for hundreds of years until the earth turns… but its blood red petals remind us of the horror and sacrifice. And a field of little poppies remind us of the millions who died.

The unbearable transformed but never forgotten.

All that in one tiny wild flower?

Lest we forget…