Rhiannon Hendricks
The wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton on 29 April 2011 at Westminster Abbey was a breathtakingly beautiful ceremony. The couple selected three hymns for the service: 'Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer', 'Love Divine All Love Excelling', and 'Jerusalem'. The music for the wedding service had a largely British theme, blending traditional music with some newly commissioned pieces. The couple also chose three of their favourite songs for their wedding day, including 'Bread of Heaven', which was also sung at the funeral service of William's mother, Princess Diana, in 1997.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | 29 April 2011 |
| Location | Westminster Abbey |
| Hymns | Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer, Love Divine All Love Excelling, Jerusalem |
| Anthem | This is the day which the Lord hath made, composed by John Rutter |
| Music before the Service | Fantasia in G (Pièce d’orgue à 5) by Johann Sebastian Bach, Veni Creator Spiritus by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Prelude on St. Columba Op. 28 by Sir Charles Villiers Stanford, Sonata for Organ Op. 28 (Allegro maestoso and Allegretto) by Edward Elgar |
| Music during the Signing of the Registers | Blest pair of Sirens, music by Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry |
| Recessional | Crown Imperial by William Walton |
| Other music | Fanfare by The State Trumpeters of the Household Cavalry, March from The Birds by Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry, Ubi caritas by Paul Mealor, God Save The Queen |
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What You'll Learn
'Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer'
"Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer", also known as "Bread of Heaven", is a popular hymn that was chosen by Prince William and Kate Middleton as the first hymn to be performed on their wedding day. The hymn holds a strong association with Wales, as it was originally written in Welsh by Methodist preacher William Williams in the 18th century. The Welsh version, "Arglwydd, arwain trwy'r anialwch", translates to "Lord, lead me through the wilderness". The English translation was done by Peter Williams, who used 'Jehovah' in his translation of the lyrics. The tune 'Cwm Rhondda' was composed by John Hughes at the start of the 20th century.
The hymn has been featured in various British state occasions, including the weddings of Prince William and Catherine Middleton, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. It was also sung at the funeral service of Princess Diana, William's mother, in 1997, and at a memorial service marking the 10th anniversary of her death. The hymn has also made its way into Hollywood, being featured in John Ford's 1941 Oscar-winning film "How Green Was My Valley", as well as in "The African Queen", where Katharine Hepburn is seen singing and playing the organ.
"Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer" allegorically describes the journey of a Christian throughout their life on earth. It conveys the need for the Redeemer's guidance as one travels through a barren land, facing fears and seeking to reach the gates of Heaven. The hymn also references the story of the Israelites' escape from slavery in Egypt, guided by a cloud by day and a fire by night, as told in Exodus 12-14.
The lyrics of the hymn are as follows:
> Guide me, O Thou great Redeemer,
> Pilgrim through this barren land;
> I am weak, but Thou art mighty;
> Hold me with Thy powerful hand:
> Bread of heaven, bread of heaven
> Feed me till I want no more;
> Feed me till I want no more.
> Open now the crystal fountain
> Whence the healing stream doth flow;
> Let the fire and cloudy pillar
> Lead me all my journey through:
> Strong deliverer, strong deliverer;
> Be Thou still my strength and shield;
> Be Thou still my strength and shield.
> When I tread the verge of Jordan,
> Bid my anxious fears subside;
> Death of death, and hell's destruction,
> Land me safe on Canaan's side:
> Songs of praises, songs of praises,
> I will ever give to Thee;
> I will ever give to Thee!
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'Love Divine, All Love Excelling'
"Love Divine, All Loves Excelling" is a hymn written by Charles Wesley, who penned over 6,000 hymns during the 18th century. Wesley was a Methodist preacher and was considered one of the greatest orators of the evangelical revival by his peers.
The hymn was one of three chosen by Prince William and Kate Middleton for their wedding service, along with 'Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer' and 'Jerusalem'. The couple put considerable thought into selecting the music for their wedding, blending traditional pieces with newly commissioned ones.
"Love Divine, All Loves Excelling" was first published in 1747 in four stanzas of eight lines each. It has since been included in many hymnals and is considered one of Wesley's finest works. The hymn is trinitarian in organisation, with Christ invoked in the first stanza, the Holy Spirit in the second, the Father in the third, and the Trinity in the final stanza.
The music for the hymn has varied over time. In its original publication, it was set to a Purcell tune. Today, it is often set to the tune of "Beecher" by John Zundel or one of several Welsh tunes, including "Hyfrydol" by Rowland Hugh Prichard, "Blaenwern" by William Penfro Rowlands, and "Moriah".
The inclusion of "Love Divine, All Loves Excelling" in the royal wedding ceremony is significant. While the occasion celebrated the romantic love between the couple, the hymn reorients us to see that this love is a reflection of divine love. It reminds us that we are only able to love because God first loved us.
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'Jerusalem'
The hymn "Jerusalem" was one of three songs chosen by Prince William and Kate Middleton for their wedding day. The song was written by William Blake, a visionary printmaker, painter, and poet, around the start of the 19th century. The verses are thought to have been based on a legend that Jesus came to England as a boy and visited Glastonbury, Somerset, where he established a second Jerusalem. The music was composed by Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry in 1916.
The song has been deemed unfit for church services by some members of the clergy, who believe it is "not in the glory of God" and "too nationalistic." Despite this, "Jerusalem" has become a favourite at weddings, as well as at the Last Night of the Proms and the Women's Institute.
The hymn was well-received by guests at the royal wedding, with actor Wendell Pierce describing it as a "rousing version" and comedian Dara O'Briain hailing it as the wedding's "best tune". James Phelps, who played Fred Weasley in the Harry Potter films, also tweeted his appreciation for the hymn.
The decision to include "Jerusalem" in the wedding service may have been influenced by the Prince of Wales, who played a role in helping the couple choose the hymns. The hymn is also associated with Wales, as it was originally written in Welsh during the 18th century by Methodist preacher William Williams. The tune, 'Cwm Rhondda', was later composed by John Hughes.
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'Bread of Heaven'
"Bread of Heaven", also known as "Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer", is a hymn with lyrics by Welsh poet and Methodist preacher William Williams in the 18th century. The original Welsh hymn is titled "Arglwydd, arwain trwy’r anialwch" which translates to "Lord, lead me through the wilderness". The English translation is by Peter Williams. The music was composed by John Hughes at the start of the 20th century.
The hymn was one of the three songs chosen by Prince William and Kate Middleton for their wedding day, along with "Love Divine, All Love Excelling" and "Jerusalem". "Bread of Heaven" was also sung at the funeral of Princess Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1997, and at a memorial service on the 10th anniversary of her death. The hymn is also a popular rugby song for Welsh fans and is considered the country's second national anthem.
Below are the lyrics to "Bread of Heaven":
> Guide me, O thou great Redeemer,
> Pilgrim through this barren land;
> I am weak, but thou art mighty;
> Hold me with thy powerful hand:
> Bread of heaven, bread of heaven
> Feed me till I want no more.
> Feed me till I want no more.
> Open thou the crystal fountain
> Whence the healing stream shall flow;
> Let the fiery, cloudy pillar
> Lead me all my journey through:
> Strong deliverer, strong deliverer
> Be thou still my strength and shield.
> Be thou still my strength and shield.
> When I tread the verge of Jordan,
> Bid my anxious fears subside;
> Death of death, and hell's destruction,
> Land me safe on Canaan's side:
> Songs of praises, songs of praises
> I will ever give to thee.
> I will ever give to thee.
Another hymn with the same title, "Bread of Heaven, On Thee We Feed", was written by Josiah Conder in 1824.
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'This is the Day'
The anthem 'This is the Day' was composed specially for the occasion by John Rutter. It was commissioned by Westminster Abbey as a wedding present for Prince William and Miss Middleton. The music blends traditional and newly commissioned pieces.
The anthem was performed by the Choir of Westminster Abbey and the Chapel Royal Choir. John Rutter is a British composer, conductor, editor and arranger who specialises in choral music. The music for the wedding service was largely British-themed.
The couple put considerable thought into selecting the music, including 'This is the Day'. Their choices included traditional music and newly commissioned pieces. The music before the service began included organ pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Sir Charles Villiers Stanford, and Edward Elgar.
The wedding ceremony was viewed live by tens of millions of people around the world, including 72 million live streams on YouTube. The overall cost of the event was estimated to be £23.7 million, with an additional A$32 million for security and A$800,000 for flowers.
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Frequently asked questions
The couple chose three hymns for the service: ‘Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer’, ‘Love Divine All Love Excelling’, and ‘Jerusalem’.
The couple put considerable thought into selecting the music for their wedding, and their choices blend traditional music with some newly commissioned pieces. All three hymns were favourites of the couple.
‘Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer’ was written by William Williams, translated by Peter Williams and others, and composed by John Hughes. ‘Love Divine All Love Excelling’ was written by Charles Wesley, and composed by William Penfro Rowlands. ‘Jerusalem’ was written by William Blake, and composed by Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry.
Yes, there were several other songs played at the wedding, including ‘God Save The Queen’, ‘I Was Glad When They Said Unto Me’, ‘Arrival of the Queen and Duke’, ‘Ubi Caritas’, ‘Blest Pair of Sirens’, ‘Valiant and Brave’, and ‘Crown Imperial’.
