Come down, O Love divine - John Rutter, The Cambridge Singers, Elin Manahan Thomas
13. 'Come down, O Love divine' - John Rutter
From the album ‘Mass of the Children’ and other sacred music of John Rutter
Composer John Rutter
Conductor John Rutter
Choir The Cambridge Singers
Soprano Elin Manahan Thomas
Buy, download or stream: https://smarturl.it/MassoftheChildren
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'Come down, O Love divine' was commissioned by the Musician's Benevolent Fund, in 1998, for their annual St Cecilia's Day service.
LYRICS:
Come down, O Love divine
Come down, O Love divine,
Seek thou this soul of mine,
And visit it with thine own ardour glowing;
O Comforter, draw near;
Within my heart appear,
And kindle it, thy holy flame bestowing.
O let it freely burn,
Till earthly passions turn
To dust and ashes in its heat consuming;
And let thy glorious light
Shine ever on my sight,
And clothe me round, the while my path illuming.
Let holy charity
Mine outward vesture be,
And lowliness become mine inner clothing;
True lowliness of heart,
Which takes the humbler part,
And o’er its own shortcomings weeps with loathing.
Veni, Sancte Spiritus.
And so the yearning strong,
With which the soul will long,
Shall far outpass the power of human telling;
For none can guess its grace,
Till he become the place
Wherein the Holy Spirit makes his dwelling.
Veni, Sancte Spiritus.
(English text translated from Bianco da Siena, d. 1434)
John Rutter, English composer and conductor, is associated with choral music throughout the world. His recordings with the Cambridge Singers (the professional chamber choir he set up in 1983) have reached a wide global audience, many of them featuring his own music in definitive versions. Among John’s best-known choral works are Gloria, Requiem, Magnificat, Mass of the Children, and Visions, together with many church anthems, choral songs and Christmas carols.
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