[Magdalen] Whither Pentecost Sequence.

[Cantor03 at aol.com]

One of the four or five traditional Sequence hymns to be sung on
feastdays and special occasions is the Veni Sancte Spiritus of
the Western Pentecost Liturgy.  Sequences are to be sung either
before the Alleulia (if used) or before the Gospel of the  Eucharist.
 
TEC Hymnal of 1982 preserves the Pentecost Sequence Hymn
("Come Thou Holy Spirit Bright"  - # 226)  It is rather long and  in
chant form.  I suppose many parishes consider it too difficult and  skip
it altogether, and that's a shame.
 
When I was singing in choirs, we had fun with the Pentecost Sequence
by singing alternate verses in regular meter, then the syncopated  version
in the Hymnal, and finally in "organum" where one group parallels the
tune two or three full steps higher or lower.  It certainly wasn't a  bore.
 
The Pentecost Sequence is obligatory in the Roman Catholic Liturgy
for the day, but in my experience it is rarely sung.  I'll bet they  sing
it at Saint Peter's, however, and I'll be watching EWTN to see!
 
 
 
David Strang - putting on his liturgical police  hat.