Jerusalem

"And did those feet in ancient time" is a short poem by William Blake from the preface to his epic Milton a Poem. The short poem was first printed ca. 1808. Today, it is best known as the anthem "Jerusalem", with music written by Sir Hubert Parry in 1916.

The poem was inspired by the apocryphal story that a young Jesus, accompanied by his uncle Joseph of Arimathea, a tin merchant, traveled to what is now England and visited Glastonbury during the unknown years of Jesus. The legend is linked to an idea in the Book of Revelation (3:12 and 21:2) describing the Second Coming, wherein Jesus establishes a new Jerusalem. The Christian Church in general, and the English Church in particular, has long used Jerusalem as a metaphor for Heaven, a place of universal love and peace.

In the most common interpretation of the poem, Blake implies that a visit by Jesus would briefly create heaven in England, in contrast to the "dark Satanic Mills" of the Industrial Revolution. Blake's poem asks four questions rather than asserting the historical truth of Christ's visit. Thus the poem merely implies that there may, or may not, have been a divine visit, when there was briefly heaven in England.

And did those feet in ancient time

William Blake, ca. 1808

And did those feet in ancient time.
Walk upon England's mountains green:
And was the holy Lamb of God,
On England's pleasant pastures seen!

And did the Countenance Divine,
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here,
Among these dark Satanic Mills?

Bring me my Bow of burning gold;
Bring me my Arrows of desire:
Bring me my Spear: O clouds unfold!
Bring me my Chariot of fire!

I will not cease from Mental Fight,
Nor shall my Sword sleep in my hand:
Till we have built Jerusalem,
In England's green & pleasant Land

Near the close of the 1981 film Chariots of Fire, “Jerusalem” is sung at the funeral for Harold Abrahams. The line from the poem "Bring me my Chariot of fire!" draws on the story of 2 Kings 2:11, where the Old Testament prophet Elijah is taken directly to heaven: "And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven." The phrase has become a byword for divine energy, and inspired the title of the 1981 film. The phrase "chariots of fire" refers to 2 Kings 6:16–18.

“Jerusalem” sung in the film Chariots of Fire (1981)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vxlX5wyEQs

Although the music was composed as a unison song, "Jerusalem" has been adopted by many churches and is frequently sung as an office or recessional hymn in English cathedrals, churches and chapels on St George’s Day. It is also sung in some churches on Jerusalem Sunday, a day set aside to celebrate the holy city, in Anglican churches throughout the world and even in some Episcopal churches in the United States.

However, some clergy in the Church of England have said that the song is not technically a hymn as it is not a prayer to God (which they claim hymns always are, though many counter-examples may be found in any hymnal). Consequently, it is not sung in some churches in England.

Despite this, it was sung as a hymn during the Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton in Westminster Abbey.

“Jerusalem” sung at the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (Prince William and Catherine Middleton), Westminster Abbey, April 29, 2011. BBC Television.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rib95MMfwY

Parry's tune is so well liked that the song is sung not only in many schools, especially Public schools in Great Britain, and is also the hymn for several private schools in Australia, New Zealand, New England and Canada. "Jerusalem" was chosen as the opening hymn for the London Olympics 2012, although “God Save the Queen” was the anthem sung during the raising of the flag in salute to the Queen. Some attempts have also been made to increase its use elsewhere with other words. The Church of Scotland debated altering the words of the hymn to read “Albion” instead of England to make it more locally relevant. A widely published alternative hymn text for the tune is Carl P. Daw’s O day of peace that dimly shines of 1982.

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