Edward Harwood (of Darwen)
Encyclopedia
Edward Harwood (1707–1787) was an English
composer
of hymn
s, anthem
s and song
s. His setting of Alexander Pope
's The Dying Christian (Vital spark of heav'nly flame) was enormously popular at one time and was widely performed at funerals.
, near Darwen
, Lancashire
, in 1707. His early training was as a hand-loom weaver, but he subsequently became a professional musician in Liverpool
. His first collection of psalmody
, A set of hymns and psalm tunes, was published in London in 1781, and a second collection, entitled A Second Set of Hymns and Psalm Tunes was published at Chester
in 1786. He died in 1787.
ode Vital spark of heav'nly flame was first published in Harwood's A set of hymns and psalm tunes: it is written in the style of a glee
, and in the original publication is written for the most part for three voices (two trebles and bass), with a fourth (tenor) part being added for the last few bars only. It was, however, often arranged for the more usual four part-choir.
The piece was very popular in the first half of the 19th century, being widely sung among Anglicans, Methodists and dissenters, and Lightwood noted in 1935 that it 'certainly had a long and prosperous run, and even now it is not quite extinct'. However, it was not always a great favourite with the clergy, whose objections were mainly to do with the text, which is not explicitly religious (also, it's a poem written by a Catholic, after the last words of the Emperor Hadrian).
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
of hymn
Hymn
A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
s, anthem
Anthem
The term anthem means either a specific form of Anglican church music , or more generally, a song of celebration, usually acting as a symbol for a distinct group of people, as in the term "national anthem" or "sports anthem".-Etymology:The word is derived from the Greek via Old English , a word...
s and song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
s. His setting of Alexander Pope
Alexander Pope
Alexander Pope was an 18th-century English poet, best known for his satirical verse and for his translation of Homer. He is the third-most frequently quoted writer in The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, after Shakespeare and Tennyson...
's The Dying Christian (Vital spark of heav'nly flame) was enormously popular at one time and was widely performed at funerals.
Biography
Edward Harwood was born at HoddlesdenHoddlesden
Hoddlesden is a village in the unitary borough of Blackburn with Darwen, in Lancashire, England. The village has a population of approximately 1,300. It is in the borough's East Rural ward, and is situated east of Darwen...
, near Darwen
Darwen
Darwen is a market town and civil parish located within Lancashire, England. Along with its northerly neighbour, Blackburn, it forms the Borough of Blackburn with Darwen — a unitary authority area...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, in 1707. His early training was as a hand-loom weaver, but he subsequently became a professional musician in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
. His first collection of psalmody
West gallery music
West Gallery Music, also known as "Georgian psalmody" refers to the sacred music sung and played in English parish churches, as well as nonconformist chapels, from 1700 to around 1850...
, A set of hymns and psalm tunes, was published in London in 1781, and a second collection, entitled A Second Set of Hymns and Psalm Tunes was published at Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
in 1786. He died in 1787.
Vital Spark
Harwood's setting of Pope'sAlexander Pope
Alexander Pope was an 18th-century English poet, best known for his satirical verse and for his translation of Homer. He is the third-most frequently quoted writer in The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, after Shakespeare and Tennyson...
ode Vital spark of heav'nly flame was first published in Harwood's A set of hymns and psalm tunes: it is written in the style of a glee
Glee (music)
A glee is an English type of part song spanning the late baroque, classical and early romantic periods. It is usually scored for at least three voices, and generally intended to be sung unaccompanied. Glees often consist of a number of short, musically contrasted movements and their texts can be...
, and in the original publication is written for the most part for three voices (two trebles and bass), with a fourth (tenor) part being added for the last few bars only. It was, however, often arranged for the more usual four part-choir.
The piece was very popular in the first half of the 19th century, being widely sung among Anglicans, Methodists and dissenters, and Lightwood noted in 1935 that it 'certainly had a long and prosperous run, and even now it is not quite extinct'. However, it was not always a great favourite with the clergy, whose objections were mainly to do with the text, which is not explicitly religious (also, it's a poem written by a Catholic, after the last words of the Emperor Hadrian).