[Magdalen] Stuttgart

[cantor03 at aol.com]

My professional organization used to have an annual meeting alwaysat Chicago's Palmer House Hotel over the first weekend in December.They still have a meeting on that date, but now vary the location of themeeting.
I always used that meeting as an excuse to head over to Scott K's AscensionChurch (and once in awhile to Saint Luke's, Evanston) for their SolemnHigh Mass for the First Sunday of Advent.
Ascension at that time always had the custom of using "Come ThouLong Expected Jesus" to the Stuttgart tune.  I still expect that that hymnwill kick off Advent, wherever I am, though that is not always the case.
The plainchant Propers are wonderfully elegant for Advent in generaland especially for the First Sunday of Advent, so all in all it wasalways a treat to go to Chicago at that time, over and beyond theprofessional aspects.
Further, this meeting gave me an opportunity to ride all three of thegrand passenger streamliners back in the day.  This included theMilwaukee Road Hiawatha, the Omaha Road 400, and my personalfavorite, the Burlington Zephyr.  The latter hugged the east bank ofthe most picturesque section of the Mississippi before making thecut across Illinois at Savannah, Ill.
E'en so, Lord Jesus, quickly come!


David Strang.