Come Down, O Love Divine

Rutter, John (b. 1945)

Voicing:
Mixed Choir → SSAATTBB

Accompaniment:
Unaccompanied

Occasion:
Proper of Time → Easter Season → Pentecost Sunday → General
Ritual Masses → For the Conferral of the Sacraments of Christian Initiation → For the Conferral of Confirmation
Ritual Masses → For the Conferral of Holy Orders → For the Ordination of a Bishop
Ritual Masses → For the Conferral of Holy Orders → For the Ordination of Priests
Ritual Masses → For the Conferral of Holy Orders → For the Ordination of Deacons

Publication Information:
Oxford University Press — A436 (1999)
ISBN 0-19-350491-X

Text Information:
Reference: Bianco da Siena (d. c. 1434); Transl. R. F. Littledale (1833–1890)

Lyrics:

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—Come, Holy Spirit)

And so the yearning strong,
With which the soul will long,
Shall far outpass the pow’r of human telling;
For none can guess its grace,
Till he become the place
Wherein the Holy Spirit makes his dwelling.

Notes: Actually SATB/SATB (two choirs) with soli [or subsections].
Submitted by: Brian Luckner Added: Feb 12, 2022