Blessed be the God and Father by S S Wesley

Born in London, Samuel Sebastian Wesley was the eldest child in the composer Samuel Wesley's second family.  Samuel Sebastian was the grandson of Charles Wesley.  His middle name derived from his father's lifelong admiration for the music of Bach.

After singing in the choir of the Chapel Royal as a boy, Samuel Sebastian embarked on a career as a musician, and was appointed organist at Hereford Cathedral in 1832. He moved to Exeter Cathedral three years later, and subsequently held appointments at Leeds Parish Church, Winchester Cathedral and Gloucester Cathedral.

Famous in his lifetime as one of his country's leading organists and choirmasters, he composed almost exclusively for the Church of England, which continues to cherish his memory. His better-known anthems include Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace and Wash me throughly. He also wrote several rather late examples of verse anthems, such as Blessed be the God and Father, which contrast unison and contrapuntal sections with smaller, more intimate passages for solo voice or voices.  Several of his compositions for solo organ have enduring value and continue to be played in recitals.

Blessed be the God and Father was composed for Easter Sunday evensong at Hereford Cathedral, 1834, when only trebles and a single bass voice were available.