Psalm 100.
Jubilate Deo, omnis terra

Anglican chant by Thomas Attwood (1765–1838)

Born in 1765, Thomas Attwood was a chorister in the Chapel Royal whose musical abilities were recognized by the Prince of Wales (George IV). The Prince sent him abroad to study in Italy and in Vienna under Mozart. In 1796, he was appointed organist of St. Paul’s Cathedral and composer to the Chapel Royal. He later was appointed organist of George IV’s private chapel in Brighton.

Attwood composed numerous anthems, services, and chants. The hymn tune ATTWOOD is in our Hymnal (#371) with John Dryden’s translation of the ancient hymn “Veni Creator Spiritus.” ATTWOOD was composed at the request of the Bishop of London in 1831, to be used in an ordination service on Trinity Sunday, 1831.

Upon his death in 1838, Attwood was buried in the crypt beneath the organ in St. Paul’s.

Below is Psalm 100 sung to one of Attwood’s many chant settings by the Guildford Cathedral Choir, directed by Barry Rose. This recording is from a Choral Evensong in 1972.

Anglican chant setting by Jonathan Bielby (born 1944)

Now retired from full-time playing, Jonathan Bielby was organist at Wakefield Cathedral for over 40 years. Below is Psalm 100 sung to one of his chant settings by the Wakefield Cathedral Choir, conducted by Thomas Moore.

Genevan Psalter setting by Claude Goudimel (1510–1572), sung in Japanese

Organist Masaaki Suzuki has established an international reputation as the conductor of the Bach Collegium Japan. His love of late Renaissance and early Baroque music and his deep Christian faith generated an interest in the Reformation-era settings of the psalms published in the Genevan Psalter. Here is a recording of Psalm 100 as set by French composer and music theorist Claude Goudimel (1514?–1572). Suzuki is at the organ, joined by members of the Bach Collegium Japan.

Chandos Jubilate by George Frideric Handel (1685–1757)

While serving as composer in residence to James Brydges, 1st Duke of Chandos, Handel composed eleven anthems for use in the Duke’s chapel. Similar in scale and structure to Bach’s cantatas, these works are known collectively as the Chandos Anthems.

The first of these works presents the complete text of Psalm 100 as presented in the Book of Common Prayer. This Psalm is one of the canticles for use in Morning Prayer, designated with the Latin of the opening words, Jubilate Deo, or more simply Jubilate. Known as the Chandos Jubilate, the formal designation of this work is Chandos Anthem No. 1 in D major, “O Be Joyful in the Lord” (HWV 246).

The performance below was recorded in 1987 by The Sixteen, directed by Harry Christophers. The soloists are Lynne Dawson, soprano; Ian Partridge, tenor; and Michael George, bass.