John Merbecke - Legacy

Legacy

In the first half of the 19th century, the Oxford Movement inspired renewed interest in liturgical music within the Church of England. John Jebb first drew attention to Merbecke's Prayer Book settings in 1841. In 1843, William Dyce published plain song music for all the Anglican services, which included nearly all of Merbecke's settings, adapted for the 1662 edition of the Book of Common Prayer then in use. During the latter half of the 19th century, many different editions of Merbecke's settings were published, especially for the Communion Service, with arrangements by noted musicians such as Sir John Stainer, Charles Villiers Stanford and Basil Harwood, Merbecke's Communion setting was very widely sung by choirs and congregations throughout the Anglican Communion until the 1662 Book of Common Prayer began to be supplanted by more modern liturgy in the late 20th century. It has also been adapted for the liturgy of many other denominations; the Roman Catholic Church used it for the new English language rite following the Second Vatican Council of 1962-65.

His complete Latin Church music was recorded by The Cardinall's Musick under the direction of Andrew Carwood in 1996.

A voluntary choir for young men and women at Southwark Cathedral in London is named the Merbecke Choir in his honour, because Merbecke's heresy trial had been partly held at the church in 1543.