Lord behold us with thy blessing (re-release) - arr. for piano by Peter Duckworth

This hymn, for me, raises mixed emotions. First, I have only ever heard it in a school context. Like the boys of Rugby School, we sang it at the start of every term in our county grammar. Secondly, even now it inspires in me a faint chill at the memory of the rivalries, put-downs and classroom politics that lay ahead. But that apart, it is a rollicking good tune, and it is good to think that, not so very long ago, someone cared enough to give us into the hands of the Lord at the start of each term. Now, sadly, we worship other gods.
The author of this hymn, Henry J. Buckoll, was himself a Master of Rugby School in the 1800s. It can be sung to various tunes but this one, in my view, composed by William L. Viner (1790-1867), is the best. It is called 'Dismissal', for the simple reason that there was another hymn like it that was sung by pupils at the end of school term, called 'Lord, dismiss us with thy blessing'.