In this hymn Ralph Vaughan Williams combined John Bunyan’s words with a folk song [Welcome Sailor] he collected from Mrs. Harriet Verrall of Monk’s Gate, West Sussex [near Horsham]. RVW did invaluable and incomparable work [together with a couple of others] in preserving English folk song and also compiling the English Hymnal where I believe more than we suspect are to be found. The arrangement below was created for a Clergy Conference in the early 1990s to demonstrate different ways in which classic hymnody could be tackled. Below, I have included Bunyan’s timeless words, which are not politically correct. If you are inclined to sing and dance to the setting below, and want more inclusive language, you may like to find your own PC words. I didn’t know that Maddy Prior, a most wonderful musician, had done something similar. I have led a very sheltered life and was not aware of such progressive music at that time.

Who would true valour see,
Let him come hither;
One here will constant be,
Come wind, come weather;
There’s no discouragement
Shall make him once relent
His first avowed intent
To be a pilgrim.

Whoso beset him round
With dismal stories
Do but themselves confound;
His strength the more is,
No lion can him fright;
He’ll with a giant fight;
But he will have a right
To be a pilgrim.

Hobgoblin nor foul fiend
Can daunt his spirit;
He knows he at the end
Shall life inherit,
Then fancies fly away,
He’ll fear not what men say;
He’ll labour night and day
To be a pilgrim.