A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Lo, he comes with the clouds descending

LO, HE COMES WITH CLOUDS DESCENDING, the first line of the hymn which is usually sung to the tune called Helmsley, or Olivers. This tune claims a notice on account of the various opinions that have been expressed respecting its origin. The story runs that Thomas Olivers, the friend of John Wesley, was attracted by a tune which he heard whistled in the street, and that from it he formed the melody to which were adapted the words of Cennick and Wesley's Advent hymn. The tune heard by Olivers is commonly said to have been a Hornpipe danced by Miss Catley in the 'Golden Pippin,' a burlesque by Kane O'Hara, but this seems inconsistent with chronology. The hymn-tune appeared first, as a melody only, in the second edition of Wesley's 'Select Hymns with Tunes annexed,' 1765, under the name of 'Olivers,' and in the following form:

In 1769 an improved version, in three parts, was published by the Rev. Martin Madan in the Lock 'Collection of Hymn and Psalm Tunes.' It is there called 'Helmsley,' and under that name became widely popular.

But at this time the 'Golden Pippin' was not even in existence. O'Keeffe, who possessed the original MS., tells in his 'Recollections' that it was dated 1771. The burlesque, in three acts, was produced at Covent Garden in 1773: it failed at first, but obtained some success when altered and abridged. The source from whence 'Olivers' was derived seems to have been a concert-room song commencing 'Guardian^[1] angels, now protect me,' the music of which probably originated in Dublin, where it was sung by a Mr. Mahone, and no doubt also by Miss Catley, who resided in the Irish capital from 1763 to 1770. The melody of 'Guardian Angels' is as follows:

This melody was not in the 'Golden Pippin' as originally written, but (adapted to the words of the burlesque) was introduced into it in 1776 in the place of a song by Giordani, and was sung by Miss Catley in the character of Juno. The published score of the 'Golden Pippin' does not contain any hornpipe, but such a dance may have been interpolated in the action of the piece. It will be noticed that the resemblance between 'Olivers' and 'Guardian angels' extends only to the first part of the tune, the second part being wholly different. On the other hand, the hornpipe corresponds with the hymn-tune throughout, and with 'Helmsley' more closely than with 'Olivers.' In 1765, when the latter was published, Miss Catley was in Ireland, and did not return to London until five years afterwards, and if the hornpipe was not of earlier date than the 'Golden Pippin,' it seems to follow that instead of the hymn-tune having been derived from the hornpipe, the latter was actually constructed from the hymn-tune, which by that time had become a great favourite.

[ G. A. C. ]

1. The same words, under the title of 'The Forsaken Nymph,' had been set by Handel, some years before, to a totally different air.