Thomas Helmore (1811 – 1890)

Thomas Helmore
Thomas Helmore (1811 – 1890)

Thomas Helmore (1811 – 1890) was an English choirmaster, writer and editor of hymns and carols. He was born in Kidderminster, the son of a congregationalist minister and was educated in Stratford-upon-Avon in the choir and initially at the school his father founded there.  He was ordained into the Church of England and graduated from Magdalen Hall, Oxford, in 1840 whereupon he was appointed to the curacy at St Michael on Greenhill, Lichfield, and became priest-vicar at Lichfield Cathedral.

Two years later, he was appointed as precentor and vice-principal at St Mark’s College, Chelsea. Here he trained the students to sing  unaccompanied choral services in the college chapel singing works by the likes of Gibbons, Byrd, Palestrina and Vittoria. in 1846, this work leading to his additional appointment in 1846 as master of the choristers in the Chapel Royal, St James’s, where his pupils included Arthur Sullivan. He also had a great influence on the development of plainsong within the Anglican communion.

John Mason Neale  and Helmore worked together with the 16th Century songbook Piae Cantiones to publish a number of Carols and hymns, with Neale translating many from the Latin.

  • O Come O Come Emmanuel (Veni Emmanuel -5 Verses) – Organ
    O Come O Come Emmanuel Lyrics 1. O come, O come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here Until the Son of God appear. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel. 2. O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free Thine own from Satan’s tyranny; From depths of hell Thy people save, And give them victory o’er the grave. Refrain 3. ...

O Come O Come Emmanuel (Veni Emmanuel -5 Verses) – Organ

O Come O Come Emmanuel Lyrics

1. O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

2. O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory o’er the grave. Refrain

3. O come, Thou dayspring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death’s dark shadows put to flight! Refrain

4. O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery. Refrain

5. O come, O come, Thou Lord of Might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times didst give the law4
In cloud, and majesty, and awe. Refrain

Meter: LM and Refrain. Lyricist: Unknown from Great O Antiphons (12th – 13th Century), translated by John Mason Neale (1818 – 1866). Public Domain.

Veni Emmanuel Download

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Latin Version

1. Veni, Veni Emmanuel!
Captivum solve Israel!
Qui gemit in exsilio,
Privatus Dei Filio.
Gaude, gaude, Emmanuel
Nascetur pro te, Israel.

2. Veni, O Jesse virgula,
Ex hostis tuos ungula,
De specu tuos tartari
Educ et antro barathri. Refrain

3. Veni, Veni O Oriens!
Solare nos adveniens,
Noctis depelle nebulas,
Dirasque noctis tenebras. Refrain

4. Veni, Clavis Davidica,
Regna reclude caelica,
Fac iter tutum superum,
Et claude vias inferum. Refrain

5. Veni, Veni Adonai!
Qui populo in Sinai
Legem dedisti vertice,
In Majestate gloriae. Refrain

Lectionary