Publisher Desc.  Henry Alford who wrote the hymn-text to this popular work was educated at Trinity College at Cambridge. He took holy orders in 1833, was Vicar of Aymeswold, Leicestershire for 18 years, and was Dean of Canterbury in 1857. The hymn-tune was originally composed by Sir George J. Elvey (1816-1893) and published in Thorne's A Selection Of Psalm and Hymn Tunes (1858) for the hymn, Hark, The Song Of Jubilee. Elvey's tune was subsequently set to Alford's words in Hymns Ancient and Modern (1861). Elvey was the organist of St. George's chapel in Windsor from 1835 to 1882 hence the name of the tune; St. George's Windsor. This is a great harvest hymn usually sung in the United States at Thanksgiving. When one examines the parts, it is obvious they have a melodic contour. This characteristic makes the melodies easy for young part readers to hold their parts against the other parts as they sing.