John Darwall

Who was John Darwall?

John Darwall was an English clergyman and hymnodist.

Born in the village of Haugh­ton in Staffordshire, Darwall was educated at Manchester Grammar School and at Brasenose College, Oxford, grad­u­at­ing in 1756. He then became curate and later vicar of St Matthew's Parish in Walsall. In 1766 he married to Mary Whateley, his second wife, a published poet who ran a printing press and also wrote hymns. He died on 18 De­cem­ber 1789 at Walsall in the West Mid­lands. He was buried at the Bath Street Bur­i­al Grounds.

He is probably best known for his setting of Psalm 148, known as DARWALL 148, which is most often sung to the words "Rejoice the Lord is King" or "Ye holy angels bright". It was first sung at the inauguration of a new organ in 1773.

Darwall also wrote many tunes for the New Version of Nahum Tate and Nicholas Brady, as well as poetry published in The Gentleman's Magazine.