This melody is used in numerous clocks and carillons around the world. It was originally composed for the new clock at Great St. Mary’s, the University Church of Cambridge—though it is no longer possible to determine exactly who composed it. In 1851, the carillon was adopted for the clock tower at the Palace of Westminster in London.
Occasionally, there is mention of inspiration drawn from George Frideric Handel’s “Messiah” (1742), specifically the 5th and 6th measures of the song “I Know That My Redeemer Liveth, Part III.”