God grant with grace (Psalm 67:1-2) - Thomas Tallis

God grant with grace (Psalm 67:1-2) – Thomas Tallis

Archbishop Matthew Parker (1504-1575) (Image via Wikipedia)

¹God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah.

²That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations.

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[Psalter text by Archbishop of Canterbury Matthew Parker:]

God grant with grace, he us embrace,
in gentle part bless he our heart.
With loving face shine he in place,
his mercies all on us to fall.
That we thy way may know all day,
while we do sail this world so frail.
Thy health’s reward is nigh declared,
as plain as eye all gentiles spy.

—

God grant with grace (published in 1567), also known as “Tallis’s Canon,” the eighth of nine tunes contributed by Thomas Tallis (1505-1585) for Archbishop Parker’s Psalter. As Parker described it, “The eyghte goeth milde: in modest pace.”

Thomas Tallis: Tunes for Archbishop Parker's Psalter