David Nettle - Abide with me (Angharad - Nettle) (St Peter's Cooks River)

David Nettle, Organist of St Peter's, Cooks River, plays 'Abide with me' to his own tune, Angharad (named after his daughter) on the 1880 Brindley & Foster organ of St Peter's Anglican Church, Cooks River.

The recording was made on 15 April 2023.

David tells the story that a previous minister of the church didn't like the tune Eventide that is traditionally used for the hymn, so David wrote a new tune.

The words of the hymn were written by Rev. Henry Francis Lyte (1793-1847). It appears that Lyte made a first draft on the afternoon of 5 September 1847, the day he preached his last sermon. We read that he 'walked in the valley garden in front of the home, then down to the rocks, where he sat and composed. It was a lovely sunny day and the sun was setting over distant Dartmoor in a blaze of glory. On the left lay Brixham harbour like a pool of molten gold, with its picturesque trawling vessels lying peacefully at anchor. After the sun had set, Lyte returned to his study. His family thought he was resting, but he was putting the finishing touches to his immortal hymn.'

Originally published with eight verses, it is generally sung nowadays with five. David plays three of these:

Abide with me: fast falls the eventide;
the darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide:
when other helpers fail, and comforts flee,
help of the helpless, O abide with me.

Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day;
earth's joys grow dim, its glories pass away;
change and decay in all around I see;
O thou who changest not, abide with me.

Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes;
shine through the gloom, and point me to the skies:
heav'n's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee:
in life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.

[The-Organised-Pianist]

It's always very nice to hear an organist so much in accord with an instrument that's very familiar to them. I enjoyed the performance & it's great that David Nettle was inspired by these wonderful words to come up with something new & tuneful. Many thanks.

[stpeterscooksriver]

David Nettle is one of the music team at St. Peters Church, Cooks River, on Sunday at 10.00 a.m. The last hymn is more often than not played on our 1880 Brindley and Foster pipe organ.