Norman Gilbert: Pastorale on Rockingham “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross.”

Last Wednesday, was Ash Wednesday, which was the first day of Lent. It set the tone for all Lenten services for the coming weeks. The keynote of this season is penitence, with its notion of fasting and the Christian’s desire for reconciliation with God. Often the Commination Service is read with its call to repentance, and the Seven Penitential Psalms may be sung. The Collect of the Day prayed for “new and contrite hearts” – it is used throughout Lent. Bible readings for the day may have included Joel 2:12-17, which records the prophet’s call to fasting and repentance and the Gospel (Matt. 6:16-21) which gives our Lord's rules about fasting.

Written by Isaac Watts in 1707, "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" revolutionised English worship by introducing personal, emotive "hymns of human composure." Based on Galatians 6:14, the text explores the paradox of the "wondrous" cross, transforming a symbol of execution into one of divine love. This hymn declares that all earthly pride pales before Christ’s sacrifice, concluding that such "love so amazing" claims the worshipper’s entire soul, life, and devotion.

In the United Kingdom, the hymn is usually linked to the tune "Rockingham." Adapted in 1790 by Edward Miller - a former flautist for Handel and organist at Doncaster Parish Church -the tune was named after his patron, the Marquis of Rockingham. Its noble "Long Metre" structure provides a foundation for Watts’ poetry, creating a meditation on sacrificial love that fits perfectly with the call to repentance on Ash Wednesday.

Norman Gilbert (1912–1975) was a British composer and educator whose work is characterised by craftsmanship, melodic appeal, and approachability. Born in Halifax and raised in Yorkshire, Gilbert developed his musicianship as a student of Sir Edward Bairstow at York Minster. His early career saw him serving as an organist in St. John's Church, Halifax and St. Paul's Church, Llandudno before his life was interrupted by military service during World War II. Following demob, he began a long and influential career in music education, most notably serving as the Music Master at Headlands Grammar School in Swindon for some 25 years.

His compositional style was rooted in a clear, English pastoral sensibility that favoured rhythmic vitality and singable lines over the complex abstractions of the mid-20th-century avant-garde. Gilbert possessed a particular gift for choral writing, frequently arranging traditional folk songs and religious texts with sophisticated yet approachable harmonies. This "common touch" made his music a staple for school choirs, amateur ensembles, and community festivals, ensuring that high-quality repertoire remained inclusive for musicians of all skill levels.

Gilbert was a respected contributor to the organ and piano repertoire. Among the earliest is Postlude in A (1938, J.B. Cramer), followed by the expansive Psalm Rhapsody (1953, Novello). He contributed an Epilogue for An Album of Praise (1958, OUP), and in 1960 issued Pieces for Four Seasons - a cycle embracing Fantasia for Christmas, Interlude for Lent, Paean for Easter, and Veni Creator for Whitsun (1959, Novello). His affinity with hymn tunes is evident in Sortie on “Laus Deo,” (1956, Novello). Later he returned to pastoral idiom with the Pastoral Prelude (1972, J.B. Cramer). Norman Gilbert died in Swindon in 1975.

The Pastorale on Rockingham is a meditation on this powerful, well-loved tune. It was published in 1956, included in Novello’s Festal Voluntaries series volume for Lent, Passiontide, and Palm Sunday.

Norman Gilbert’s pastoral style is ideal for the introspective mood of the Lent season. By evoking quiet reflection or landscape, the composition captures the themes of penitence, reliance on God, and the enduring faith inherent in the original hymn. The tune is presented with restrained clarity, adhering strictly to an unchanged triple‑meter framework in 3/4 time. The melody is sometimes hidden in the accompanying figurations, which are subject to subtle modulations. The score designates the tempo as Andante which reinforces its measured, flowing character. Registration on both manuals calls for 8' and 4' stops, using strings on the Swell and soft diapasons on the Great, all supported by a soft pedal. It is a pity that it has not gained a strong foothold in the standard organ repertoire,

Listen to Norman Gilbert’s Pastorale on Rockingham on YouTube, here. It was recorded by Dan Werning on his Hereford Cathedral (England) Father Willis Hauptwerk virtual organ.