The Revised English Hymnal

The English Hymnal was being revised for only the fourth time in its 120 year history when it was noted that tunes did not exist for the 5656 meter with no anacrusis. The Revd Fr Jonathan Goodall had a recollection of Lark in the Clear Air and found himself wanting to sing the words to Peter's Alkham Valley, which he had first known when serving as a priest in Westminster Abbey in the '90s.

An adaption was made by Sarah Goodall with the first strain being a direct quotation from Alkham Valley and the last two bars being the most easily reminiscent phrase of Lark in the Clear Air. The second strain has had to adapt to the constraints of the meter and form of the text.

The adaption keeps the elegant Irish lilt of the air, and Peter's rich use of it, and is very evocative of the natural background to the Celtic-inspired text.

The following tune name and ascription should appear in the book:

Alkham Valley
5656

from an orchestral suite by Peter Thorrington Cork 1926-2012
adapted by Sarah Goodall b 1962

 		The Revised English Hymnal The Revised English Hymnal

The Revised English Hymnal Full Music Edition was published on 06/12/2023 with ISBN 9781786220059 costing £35!


A Suite of Carols

Tim Thorne, The Music Librarian at Oxford University Press, wrote to say that they are making the vocal score of "A Suite of Carols" available again.

This was possibly one of Peter's earliest works and the certainly the first that he had published, just 70 years ago now! It was dedicated to his Parents and the musical score was for Mixed Voices and Strings or Piano. The three carols were "The First Tree In The Greenwood", "The Bells of Paradise" and "Sir Christemas". The cost in 1956 was 3s 6d net. It will probably cost a little more now.

The aim now seems to be to hire out sets of the score for choirs to use. If you visit the Oxford University Press website, you will see that they are available with the ISBN 9780193355514.


Changes to this website

You may have noticed that when you clicked on the Entry Portal to move to the website pages you were directed to this page, 'News & List' rather than the Home page. Perhaps the biggest surprise is that anything has changed at all for I have not updated the website for years! I hope that, at least, will change.

Like most other website editors, I have decided to reduce the width of future pages by at least a quarter (over 1200 pixels to less than 900 pixels) to give those using a smart 'phone in landscape a chance to view a page without any horizontal scrolling. That also fixes the number of main pages to a total of six and they will all be renamed in due course. Another change is that the page being viewed will be seen in a frame that always shows the header and footer and which also will automatically try to adjust its vertical size to the window space available on your device.

So what is the '& List' on this page? Since there is never very much news, the full list of every piece of music composed by Peter will move from the current 'Composer' page to just below the news. Each piece will need more than a single line on the narrower page. They will slowly be added and so the present 'Composer' page will remain for some time.

The long term names and plans for the six main pages are:

News & List replaces Home and lists all of Peter's compositions.
School Days replaces Teacher but is otherwise very similar.
Radio Times replaces Composer and lists compositions written for radio, whether transmitted or not.
Library Notes replaces Friends. Peter wrote many library pieces to be used in films and on television.
Peter's Own replaces Biography. Pieces that Peter wrote for himself and were not commissioned.
Life & Death replaces both Biography and Memorial.

The immediate plan is to add the new pages, when possible, but to allow access to the old pages as well. The old pages will gradually be reduced in size as their content is moved onto the newer pages. To access the old pages click on 'Memorial' and then any page that is shown. Any page should enable you to return 'News & List' and other newer pages.

Peter Cork's compositions

Peter composing in his Folkstone garden Peter composing in his Folkstone garden The earliest of Peter's music scores appear to date from 1946, when he would have been 20 years of age. The first published score, "A Suite Of Carols", is dated Christmas 1956 and is dedicated 'To My Parents'.

Peter was actively composing for well over 60 years and has amassed a good number of scores. A first attempt to list them chronologically failed because the majority are not dated, although there are often clues to give an indication of the approximate date.

The list that follows will eventually include the title of each piece of music that Peter has written, all listed in alphabetical order. It will also include as many of the following as possible: the date it was written, the instruments or human voices for whom it was written, the name of any collection of other pieces intended to be played or sung as part of the same programme. I do not intend to include links in this list but will suggest the page of the website where further details may be found.


List of Peter Cork's compositions in alphabetic order

A Cockney Dance in Stepney - song from the musical story "Half-Way up the Mountain" dated July 1975 - for piano and female voices of the Stepney Girls - more information on the School Days page.

A CONTRAST OF WALTZES - dated January 1994 - for orchestra.

COCKNEY TUNE - a song of London defiance at the Blitz - in the Standard Music Library - pre 1968 - more information on the Library Notes page.

DANCING IN THE MOONLIGHT - song from the musical story "The Bells of Craxminster" Act 3 Scene 2 - for piano and female voices of the Full Company - dated April to August 1971 - more information on the School Days page.

DARLING GERTIE - a Music Hall waltz - in the Bruton Music Library - pre 1978 - more information on the Library Notes page.

DOWN LIMEHOUSE WAY - a late Twenties Blues - in the Standard Music Library - pre 1968 - more information on the School Days page.

FIRST WALTZ - waltz from "A Contrast of Waltzes" - for orchestra - dated January 1994.

FOR YEARS IN OUR LIVES - song from the musical story "The Bells of Craxminster" Act 2 - for piano and female voices of the Aunts and Neighbours - dated April to August 1971 - more information on the School Days page.

GOLD AND AMBER - an Edwardian waltz - in the Bruton Music Library - pre 1978 - more information on the Library Notes page.

HIDE AND SEEK - song from the musical story "The Bells of Craxminster" Act 3 Scene 1 - for piano and female voices of the Children - dated April to August 1971 - more information on the School Days page.

HOW SILVER THE MOON - an Edwardian waltz - for small orchestra - before 1968 - more information on the Library Notes page.

HUNTINGDON - song from the musical story "The Bells of Craxminster" Act 1 Scene 2 - for piano and female voices of the Full Company - dated April to August 1971 - more information on the School Days page.

I feel that James is near - song from the musical story "The Bells of Craxminster" dated April - August 1971 - Act 3 Scene 1 - for piano and female voices of Mrs Brice and Full Company - more information on the School Days page.

I'm Sarah Gossett. Miss Sarah Gossett - song from the musical story "The Bells of Craxminster" dated April - August 1971 - Act 1 Scene 2 - for piano and female voices of Rose, Sarah and children - more information on the School Days page.

In our land beyond the sun - song from the musical story "The Bells of Craxminster" dated April - August 1971 - Act 3 Scene 1 - for piano and female voices of Ram and Darius - more information on the School Days page.

LONELINESS - duet from the musical story "The Bells of Craxminster" - Act 1 Scene 1 - for piano and female voices of Mrs Brice and Antonia also reprised in Act 3 Scene 1 by the Full Company - dated April to August 1971 - more information on the School Days page.

MARCHING DOWN THE MALL - an Edwardian march for the Coronation - in the Standard Music Library - pre 1968 - more information on the Library Notes page.

MY DUSKY SPANISH ROSE - a Tango from the days of Valentino - in the Standard Music Library - pre 1968 - more information on the Library Notes page.

MY HEART IS YOURS ALONE - a love song from operetta - in the Standard Music Library - pre 1968 - more information on the Library Notes page.

OFF FOR A RIDE IN A HAY-CART - song from the musical story "The Bells of Craxminster" Act 1 Scene 2 - for piano and female voices of the Full Company - dated April to August 1971 - more information on the School Days page.

OFF TO THE BOER WAR - a Victorian patriotic march - in the Bruton Music Library - pre 1978 - more information on the Library Notes page.

ON SYNCOPATION AVENUE - a piano solo from the Thirties - in the Standard Music Library - pre 1968 - more information on the Library Notes page.

PARTING FROM YOU - a song from the Great War - in the Standard Music Library - pre 1968 - more information on the Library Notes page.

PICNIC TIME - song from the musical story "The Bells of Craxminster" Act 2 - for piano and female voices of the Full Company - dated April to August 1971 - more information on the School Days page.

SAVOYYARDS IN ARCADIA - a number from Edwardian operetta - in the Bruton Music Library - pre 1978 - more information on the Library Notes page.

SECOND WALTZ - waltz from "A Contrast of Waltzes" - orchestra - dated January 1994.

SHE WILL BE MY SWEETHEART - a sentimental Music Hall song - in the Bruton Music Library - pre 1978 - more information in the Library Notes page.

SKYLINE OF MANHATTAN - an evocation of the New York scene in the Thirties - in the Standard Music Library - pre 1968 - more information on the Library Notes page.

STEPPING OUT TO RAGTIME - a rhythmic number in the 'new style' - for orchestra - before 1968 - more information on the Library Notes page.

STRANGE ENCHARTMENT IN THE WOODS - song from the musical story "The Bells of Craxminster" Act 3 Scene 1 - for piano and female voices of the Full Company - dated April to August 1971 - more information on the School Days page.

STRUMMING THE IVORIES - a Ragtime number - in the Bruton Music Library - pre 1978 - more information on the Library Notes page.

SUMMER-TIME WEATHER - song from the musical story "The Bells of Craxminster" Act 1 Scene 1 - for piano and female voices of the Brice family - dated April to August 1971 - more information on the School Days page.

SWEET ALICE, WHERE ARE YOUR PRETTY FLOWERS - a Victorian ballad - in the Bruton Music Library - pre 1978 - more information on the Library Notes page.

SWEET MUSIC AND YOU - a Ballad in Swing style from the end of the decade - in the Standard Music Library - pre 1968 - more information on the Library Notes page.

THE BELLS OF CRAXMINSTER - a musical story in 3 Acts for piano and female singers - dated April to August 1971 - more information on the School Days page.

THE GIRL ON THE SILVER SCREEN - a waltz to accompany the Silent Movies - in the Standard Music Library - pre 1968 - more information on the Library Notes page.

THEODORE - song from the musical story "The Bells of Craxminster" Act 1 Scene 1 - for piano and female voices of Antonia and the Brice family and reprised in Act 3 Scene 2 by the Full Company - dated April to August 1971 - more information on the School Days page.

THE ROSE AND THE HONEYSUCKLE - a song from Edwardian Musical Comedy - for small orchestra - before 1968 - more information on the Library Notes page.

TIME GOES BACKWARDS - song from the musical story "The Bells of Craxminster" Act 3 Scene 1 - for piano and female voices of Antonia, Sarah, Rose, Aunts, Neighbours and Village Ladies - dated April to August 1971 - more information on the School Days page.

WALKING OUT IN WAPPING - a lively song - in the Bruton Music Library - pre 1978 - more information on the Library Notes page.

WE ARE RADIANT BEINGS FROM BEYOND THE SUN - duet from the musical story "The Bells of Craxminster" Act 1 Scene 2 - for piano and female voices of Ram and Darius - dated April to August 1971 - more information on the School Days page.

WEDDING OF THE BRIGHT YOUNG THING - A number from the early Twenties on Standard Music Library - pre 1968 - more information on the Library Notes page.

WHAT A NASTY LITTLE GIRL YOU ARE - duet from the musical story "The Bells of Craxminster" Act 2 - for piano and female voices of Caroline and Emma - dated April to August 1971 - more information on the School Days page.

What dear little girls they are - song from the musical story "The Bells of Craxminster" dated April - August 1971 - Act 1 Scene 1 - for piano and female voices of the Aunts and Neighbours - more information on the School Days page.

What ever has happened to Sarah Gossett? - song from the musical story "The Bells of Craxminster" dated April - August 1971 - Act 1 Scene 2 - for piano and female voices of Rose, Sarah and Company - more information on the School Days page.

Where is the life we used to know? - song from the musical story "The Bells of Craxminster" dated April - August 1971 - Act 2 - for piano and female voices the Full Company - more information on the School Days page.