CHRIST CHURCH CHRISTIANA HUNDRED Lent in Music LENT 2021: THE WAY www.christchurchde.org/lent

Week of 3/10-3/16: The Way of the Spirit “By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” – Galatians 5:22-23

The Spirit of God is from the very beginning: brooding over the waters of the earth and ultimately being breathed by God into humankind, thereby giving life to our mortal bodies. It is the Christian belief that not only does the Spirit provide wisdom and understanding, strength and consolation, but the Spirit’s presence in one’s life is marked by the characteristics enumerated in the letter to the Galatians: love, joy, peace, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The gift of the Spirit is often thought of as being “conferred” at Holy Baptism, just as at the Baptism of Christ, and at various rites of ordination in the Church. The great plainsong chantVeni Creator Spiritus is the invocation of the Spirit most frequently heard and best known. In this recording, we hear French composer Maurice Duruflés setting of this chant interspersed by the chant itself, sung in Latin. Duruflé, renowned Titulaire Organist at St. Etienne du Mont, Paris, had a deep reverence for plainsong in the life of the Church and, in his music, captured the spirit of that plainsong, wrapping it in beautiful harmonies that are signatures of his style and which are fully representative of the text itself. This performance is not a liturgical one, rather a concert one, presented by organist Peter Dyke at Hereford Cathedral, UK. The text in English is below, and the plainsong chant and text can be found in the Hymnal 1982, 504: Durufle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYu0SiCdjU8 Plainsong, Mode 8; Maurice Duruflé (1902-1986) Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire, and lighten with celestial fire. Thou the anointing Spirit art, who dost thy sevenfold gifts impart. Thy blessèd unction from above is comfort, life, and fire of love. Enable with perpetual light the dullness of our blinded sight. Anoint and cheer our soiled face with the abundance of thy grace. Keep far our foes, give peace at home: where thou art guide, no ill can come. Teach us to know the Father, Son, and thee, of both, to be but One, that through the ages all along, this may be our endless song: praise to thy eternal merit, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Listen as well to this setting of a similar invocation of the Spirit in Wolfgang Mozart’s Op. 47 setting of Veni Sancte Spiritus. This setting was appointed specifically as the Antiphon for the used at the Vespers of . Spirited, typically Mozart in both timbre and orchestration, it is a brief celebratory work full of joy and light. Hear the Concentus Musicus conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Mozart: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BX1_4KZd3ZU Veni Sancte Spiritus W. A. Mozart (1756-1791) Veni sancte Spiritus: Come Holy Spirit: Reple tuorum corda fidelium: fill the hearts of your faithful, et tui amoris in eis ignem accende. and kindle your love in them. qui per diversitatem linguarum cunctarum You have gathered the nations gentes in unitate fidei congregasti. together in the unity of faith. Alleluia. Alleluia.