
At last, our same first volunteer singer goes further than requested, by singing John Milton's original words to the Rev James Moreton's new tune, Gladness, just as Moreton intended.
The volunteer (singing in C major) complains that it doesn't really fit the tune, nor (being a poem rather than a hymn) would all the verses fit comfortably to any tune.
He's an amateur, and he's done his best, changing the words or the tune slightly in places, and even on occasion composing just a little of his own music where Milton justifies it !
It's difficult to imagine how the congregation in Langport could ever have managed this, particularly in the original higher key of F major.
THE CLUE FOLLOWS HERE
HV Morton (pronounced exactly the sane same as Moreton) was a very famous travel writer in both Britain and the USA, from the 1920s to the 1960s and beyond, He wrote more than 30 books, with titles like "In Search of England", "In the Steps of St Paul", "A Stranger in Spain", and even "In Search of South Africa". In one of his books, this region is dealt with extensively. Pages 54 to 214 are devoted to it ! In fact, all the photographs are from the southern part of the region, pages 159 to 214 .
There is (based in Somerset) a society devoted to HV Morton, for anyone interested.
The photographs of the region are mainly in "Somerset psalm Reigate" and "Somerset psalm Milton", but 4 more are in "Somerset Missing Verses", and one in "Somerset words complete".