A Lovely Anthem Courtesy of BBC1
For Sunday, April 26, 2026
The Lord is My Shepherd, Goodall
By David Jolliffe
Though we may not always be aware of it, many of us have learned a famous piece of music almost by osmosis, having become attuned to it by its use as a theme introducing a television program. When we hear the Rondeau from Jean-Joseph Mouret’s Sinfones de Fanfare, we might think, “Ah, yes, it’s Masterpiece Theater,” and we expect to see Alistair Cooke appear on our TV screen. When we hear the overture to Giochino Rossini’s William Tell, we might call up images of the Lone Ranger—or maybe the old commercial for Lark cigarettes, which converted the Rossini tune to “Have a Lark, Have a Lark, Have a Lark today.” And if you hear Charles Gounod’s “Funeral March of the Marionettes” and you don’t immediately think of “Alfred Hitichcok’s Presents”—well, you didn’t watch enough television in the 1950s and 1960s.
At the 11 a.m. service on April 26, the St. Paul’s adult choir will offer a beautiful anthem that also has a “television” past: Howard Goodall’s “The Lord is My Shepherd.” A contemporary and prolific English composer—he has written for the musical theatre and a variety of choirs—Goodall wrote the piece when he was commissioned to create a theme song for the The Vicar of Dibley, a comedy series that ran on BBC1 from 1994 to 2000 on and is still available on streaming services. Here’s an International Movie Data Base description of the series: When their elderly vicar passes away, congregation members in Dibley are surprised to find that a woman has been assigned to their parish. And not just any woman -- Geraldine Granger is outgoing, vivacious and fun-loving, as well as caring and committed to her flock. However, her ebullient ways do not initially endear her to the head of the Parish Council, an old-fashioned gentleman farmer who's not a fan of change. Hilarity ensues as Geraldine tries to win over the stodgy council members while staying true to herself and her pastorate.
Goodall’s lyrics come from English translations of verses 1, 2, 4, and 6 of Psalm 23:
The Lord is my shepherd
I shall not want
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures
He leadeth me beside the still waters
Yea, though I walk
Through the valley
Of the shadow of death
I will fear no evil
Yea, though I walk
Through the valley
Of the shadow of death
I will fear no evil
For You are with me
You will comfort me
You are with me
You will comfort me
Surely goodness and mercy
Shall follow me
All the days of my life
And I will dwell in the house
Of the Lord forever
Forever
For this choral interpretation, Goodall selected verses from more than one translation of Psalm 23. The translations of verses one and two (Psalm 23:1–2) are taken from the King James Version of the Old Testament; The translation of the fourth verse (Psalm 23:4) is from the New King James Version. The translation of Psalm 23:6 used here occurs in both of these versions of the Bible. In sum: Goodall’s anthem is an ideal choice for the day we Episcopalians have come to call “Good Shepherd Sunday.”