Gerald Moultrie (16 September 1829 in Rugby Rectory, Warwickshire – 25 April 1885 in Southleigh, England) was a Victorian public schoolmaster and Anglican hymnographer.
His father, John Moultrie was also a hymn writer. He was educated at Rugby School and Exeter College, Oxford.[1] He received his BA in 1851 and his MA in 1856 from Oxford. Taking Holy Orders, he held a number of positions. He became Third Master and Chaplain in Shrewsbury School; Chaplain to the Dowager Marchioness of Londonderry (1855–59); Curate of Brightwalton (1859); and of Brinfield, Berkshire (1860); Chaplain of the Donative of Barrow Gurney, Bristol (1864); Vicar of Southleigh (1869); and Warden of St. James' College, Southleigh (1873). He wrote multiple hymns, along with some hymn translations, including Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence. He published several hymn books among which the Cantica Sanctorum (1850), Hymns and Lyrics for the Seasons and Saints' Days of the Church (1867).He died on 25 April 1885 in Southleigh, England, aged 55.
Moultrie's published works include:
Moultrie composed hymns[6] of traditional Christian piety based on devotion to Mary the mother of Jesus, the Angelic Hosts and the Communion of Saints at the Eschaton in the vein of High Church reverence for the transcendent prevalent in the celebration of liturgy in his time. A sampling includes
The lyrics for which he is most renowned are his translation from the Greek of the Offertory chant of the Cherubic Hymn taken from the 4th century AD Byzantine Divine Liturgy of St. James, popularly known by the first line of the first verse "Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence" arranged by Ralph Vaughan Williams to the tune Picardy.