Litany to the Holy Spirit

02:26 duration|Composed in 2018|Published by August Press|Difficulty: Easy|First performed: November 2018

Commissioned by Choir & Organ magazine for Daniel Hyde and the choir of St. Thomas Fifth Avenue Church in New York, the composer focusses his compositional skills on a classic Robert Herrick devotional poem.

Litany to the Holy Spirit – sung by Ely Cathedral Girl Choristers

Litany to the Holy Spirit – sung by Ely Cathedral Girl Choristers

Text

In the hour of my distress,
When temptations me oppress,
And when I my sins confess,
Sweet Spirit, comfort me!

When I lie within my bed,
Sick in heart and sick in head,
And with doubts discomfited,
Sweet Spirit, comfort me!

When the house doth sigh and weep,
And the world is drowned with sleep,
Yet mine eyes the watch do keep,
Sweet Spirit, comfort me!

Robert Herrick (1591-1674)