Psalter Hymnal (Gray) ‎#207

207. The Lord's Prayer

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done on earth
as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.
For yours is the kingdom and the power
and the glory forever.
Amen.

Text Information

• First Line: Our Father in heaven
• Title: The Lord's Prayer
• Meter: PM
• Language: English
• Publication Date: 1987
• Scripture:
  Matthew 6:9-13

Tune Information

• Name: LANGDON
• Composer: Richard Langdon (1774, alt.)
• Meter: PM
• Key: F Major

Text Information:

Scripture References:
st. = Matt. 6:9-13

This is the first of three settings based on the Lord's Prayer (see also 208 and 562). The Lord's Prayer, recorded in Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4, is the prayer taught by Christ himself as a model for our prayers. It lies at the heart of Christian piety and has a rich tradition in Christian liturgy. Later manuscripts added the doxological ending "for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen," reflecting a Jewish practice. Except for the addition of one word to fit the rhythm of the chant setting (the word and before the phrase "forgive us our debts"), the text follows exactly from the New International Version.

Liturgical Use:
Traditional as a corporate conclusion to spoken prayer; as part of special liturgies or services.

--Psalter Hymnal Handbook

Tune Information:

LANGDON is the only example of Anglican chant in the Psalter Hymnal. Published in a group of twenty anonymous chants at the end of Richard Langdon's Divine Harmony, a Collection in Score of Psalms and Anthems (1774), it is considered to be Langdon's own composition because all the other chants can be traced to other composers. The melody is constructed with three statements of a basic formula; after the first statement, "Give us today. . . “and "And lead us not. . . “each begins the pattern again. In keeping with the Anglican style and tradition, sing in harmony; organ accompaniment should be light (until the final phrases), though unaccompanied singing is very appropriate. The rhythmical notation is approximate, for in this style of chant, speech rhythms determine musical ones.

Little is known about Richard Langdon (b. Exeter, England, c. 1729; d. Exeter, 1803) other than that he filled a series of organist positions. His family had a long involvement in the music program at Exeter Cathedral, and he was organist there from 1753-1777; he also served as Master of the Choristers during much of that time.

--Psalter Hymnal Handbook