May 28, 2023

The prelude is a setting of "Veni, Creator Spiritus", which is hymn 502 in our hymnal. It is "plainsong", or sometimes called "Gregorian chant", all from the 6th and 7th centuries and the Roman Church of course, and all originally having Latin texts.  This is a setting many people like and one I have played many times for Pentecost; it is by the contemporary American, Wilbur Held.

Our processional hymn is 47, "On this day, the first of days", also having a text translated from the Latin, but a tune dating back to somewhere in the 17th-18th centuries.  The hymn relates to the day's reading from 1st Corinthians.

Our 19th-20th century Gospel hymn, 508, is an old favorite of many people-- "Breathe on me, Breath of God, fill my life anew".  It is a beautiful hymn.

The anthem is a William H. Harris (English, 1883-1973) setting of "Come down, O Love Divine", which is 516 in our hymnal but with a different tune.  Both are wonderful melodies!

Our communion hymns for this Pentecost Sunday are 511 and 531, both being very easy tunes to sing.  "Holy Spirit, ever living as the Church's very life", 511, is the more recently composed, being a melody by the 20th century Cyril Vincent Taylor.  In case we don't get to sing 531, you might meditate on the great text.  

Closing, we will sing hymn 48, "O day of radiant gladness", a very familiar hymn and one most appropriate for the celebration of Pentecost.

The postlude will be the Max Reger (German, 1873-1916) "Come, O Come, Thou Quickening Spirit". I have written about Mr. Reger several times.  Some of his music is very long indeed and very complex.  This piece is short but typically "Max Reger" in the use of dissonance and harmonic progressions that are not expected.