Edward Harwood

• Name — Edward Harwood • Born — 1707 • Birthplace — Hoddlesden, Lancashire • Died — 1787 • Occupation — Composer of hymns, anthems and songs

Edward Harwood was born at Hoddlesden, near Darwen, Lancashire, in 1707. His early training was as a hand-loom weaver, but he subsequently became a professional musician in Liverpool. His first collection of psalmody, A set of hymns and psalm tunes, was published in London in 1781, and a second collection, entitled A Second Set of Hymns and Psalm Tunes was published at Chester in 1786. Both collections were widely well-received. He died a year after publishing his second collection, in 1787.

Harwood's setting of Pope's ode Vital spark of heav'nly flame was first published in Harwood's A set of hymns and psalm tunes: it is written in the style of a glee, and in the original publication is written for the most part for three voices (two trebles and bass), with a fourth (tenor) part being added for the last few bars only. It was, however, often arranged for the more usual four part-choir. The piece was extremely popular in the first half of the 19th century, being widely sung among Anglicans, Methodists and dissenters, and Lightwood noted in 1935 that it 'certainly had a long and prosperous run, and even now it is not quite extinct'. However, it was not always a great favourite with the clergy, whose objections were mainly to do with the text, which is not explicitly religious (also, it's a poem written by a Catholic, after the last words of the Emperor Hadrian).