George Herbert

I have added another piece to my on-going Saints series. This time George Herbert.

Have a listen here

Herbert isn't regarded as a saint, yet the Anglican church celebrates his life on February 27th. 
Where the other pieces in this series have focused on more "mystical" elements, the George piece is far more earthy. 

On listening to the completed piece, an intensely strong memory of reading A Country Parson flooded back to me, accompanied by pictures from Percy Dearmer's Some English Altars.  A chilly Christchurch morning and stained glass.

Here is one of his poems.

THE WINDOWS.

LORD, how can man preach thy eternall word ? 
        He is a brittle crazie glasse : 
Yet in thy temple thou dost him afford 
        This glorious and transcendent place, 
        To be a window, through thy grace. 

But when thou dost anneal in glasse thy storie, 
        Making thy life to shine within 
The holy Preachers, then the light and glorie 
        More rev'rend grows, and more doth win ; 
        Which else shows watrish, bleak, and thin. 

Doctrine and life, colours and light, in one 
        When they combine and mingle, bring 
A strong regard and aw :  but speech alone 
        Doth vanish like a flaring thing, 
        And in the eare, not conscience ring.