Dear Lord and Father of Mankind (“Repton”)

“Dear Lord and Father of Mankind” is a hymn text by the American Quaker poet John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892) that is customarily sung to either of two tunes. In the US, the tune “Rest” by the English organist and teacher Frederick Charles Maker (1844-1927) is more popular, while in the UK, “Repton” by the English composer, teacher, and music historian Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry (1848-1918) is prevalent.

This arrangement is based on Parry’s tune, which he wrote for the contralto aria, “Long since in Egypt’s plenteous land,” in his 1888 oratorio, Judith. In 1924, George Gilbert Stocks, director of music at Repton School (Repton, Derbyshire, UK), paired it with Whittier’s “Dear Lord and Father of Mankind” in a hymnbook supplement of tunes for use in the school’s chapel.

In this arrangement, an original introduction precedes three verses of the tune — presented by trumpet, trombone, and tuba/horn, respectively, in the original key of Eb major — then recurs with modulation to a presentation by the full ensemble in F major followed by a short, original ending.

Score, parts (Bb tpt. 1, Bb tpt. 2, F horn, tbn, tuba) — $12.99