Ernest Sands
SANDS, Ernest. b. 1949; d. Oswestry, 11 April 2016. A bucolic, witty and charismatic priest and composer, ‘Ernie’ Sands sprang to fame and ultimately (in the USA) notoriety as the composer of ‘Sing of the Lord’s goodness’* described by one critic as ‘a rip-off from Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five”’. A founder member of the St Thomas More Group*, Sands had a number of pieces published in the UK and USA in group song collections. ‘Sing of the Lord's goodness’* was chosen for the enthronement in 1991 of the Archbishop of Canterbury, George Carey. An eclectic, Sands can move from a raunchy cabaret style to one resembling Fauré (‘May the choirs of angels’ – a hymn used at funerals). Though he appears...
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. "Ernest Sands."
The Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology. Canterbury Press. Web. 13 Jul. 2025.<
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. "Ernest Sands."
The Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology. Canterbury Press, accessed July 13, 2025,
http://www.hymnology.co.uk/e/ernest-sands.