In the "Jupiter" movement of Gustav Holst's "The Planets," is that really pretty melody in the middle a hymn?

Question

If you're familiar with this piece, you probably remember that beautifully haunting melody about 2 or 3 minutes into the song... The structure of the melody really sounds like a hymn - is it? Which hymn? I'm asking because I would love to find it in either my Presbyterian or Lutheran hymnal and play it.

Answer 1

From Wikipedia
"British patriotism
The melody of the slow middle section of Jupiter became popular as the hymn tune Thaxted (named after the village where Holst lived for many years), with words beginning "I vow to thee, my country" added by Cecil Spring-Rice. The words were written in 1918 as a response to the human cost of World War I, and the tune was added in 1921. Holst had no patriotic intentions when he originally composed the music.

Here is a link to the sheet music:
http://www.mutopiaproject.org/ftp/HolstGT/Thaxted/Thaxted-let.pdf

And playable Midi files:
http://www.hymnsite.com/fws/hymn.cgi?2009"

More from Wikipedia:
"I Vow to Thee, My Country is a British patriotic song and Anglican hymn. The lyrics were written by Cecil Spring-Rice in 1918 after the Great War of 1914–1918. In 1921, the music of "Jupiter" from Gustav Holst's Planets Suite was added. The tune is also known as Thaxted.

The first verse is a reference to Britain and the sacrifice of those who died during the First World War. The second verse is a reference to Heaven.

Spring Rice wrote the words for the hymn as a poem in 1908 whilst posted to the British Embassy in Stockholm. Then called ‘Urbs Dei’ or ‘The Two Fatherlands’, the poem described how a Christian owes his loyalities to both his homeland and the heavenly kingdom. At that time, the first verse glorified warfare in a manner common to the bellicose patriotism at the beginning of the Great War.
...
in January 1918, he re-wrote and renamed Urbs Dei, significantly altering the first verse to concentrate on the huge losses suffered by British soldiers during the intervening years.

In 1925, Gustav Holst set the words to music, likely influenced by his daughter who had attended the same school, St Paul's School in London, as Spring Rice's daughter. The hymn became a common element at Armistice memorial ceremonies at this time.

In August 2004, the Right Reverend Stephen Lowe, Bishop of Hulme, called for the first verse of the hymn to be removed from Church of England services, calling it "totally heretical". He believed it placed national loyalties above religious ones and encouraged racism and an unquestioning support of governments. His words sparked a debate on the wider implications of the hymn.

Diana, Princess of Wales, requested this hymn be sung at her wedding, saying that it had "always been a favourite since schooldays". It was also sung at her funeral in 1997.

Lyrics
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.

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/i/v/ivow2the.htm
http://www.easybyte.org/ -- free sheet music site

Answer 2

Gustav Holst Jupiter

Answer 3

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
In the "Jupiter" movement of Gustav Holst's "The Planets," is that really pretty melody in the middle a hymn?
If you're familiar with this piece, you probably remember that beautifully haunting melody about 2 or 3 minutes into the song... The structure of the melody really sounds like a hymn - is it? Which hymn? I'm asking because I would love to find it in either my Presbyterian or Lutheran hymnal...

Answer 4

Jupiter Gustav Holst

Answer 5

I don't think that it is in a formal hymn, but the melody can easily be used for a hymn, there was an arrangement that I heard of a hymn text that was set to that melody in SATB format.

Answer 6

Well, I'm glad I'm not the only one who loves, or even has heard of, the Planets. I was at 3 min 6 secs when the melody (I think the one you refered to) played, by the way. It sounds more like a ballad to me, but I'm not good at judging music like that.

Answer 7

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Yes! And I laughed so hard, the guy turned red in the face when the crowd gathered. He took leave very quickly.