Veni, Sancte Spiritus
SATB divisi choir, unaccompanied
Motet
Commissioned by the University of North Texas A Cappella Choir, Allen Hightower, conductor, for their performance at the 2025 National Conference of the American Choral Directors Association, Dallas, TX
In memory of Tony Leach, a great musician, educator, and champion of Black music
Veni, Sancte Spiritus had a very intentional genesis. As the closer of the UNT A Cappella Choir’s ACDA set, I chose to combine not only the themes of the previous two songs but also some of the music. Simply speaking, Der Geist hilft unsrer Schwachheit auf by Johann S. Bach is about the Holy Spirit, and Come to the Woods by Jake Runestad is an invitation. R. Nathaniel Dett has been a compositional inspiration for many years where his use of Black folk music permeated his music in rather direct ways. As a result, the first Negro spiritual to come to mind was Every Time I Feel the Spirit. The song begins in the same ending key of the Runestad by hiding the spiritual as a chant. There are then snippets and other inspirations of the spiritual throughout. The melody of the slow section uses the first nine pitches of the Bach which also shares some notes with a recurring motive in the Runestad. Veni, Sancte Spiritus is yet another way to show how the music of the enslaved Africans in America were great songs in and of themselves and can serve as inspiration for new songs for years to come.
Performance note: The wind sounds at the beginning served as a connector to the Runestad and may be omitted.
Come, Holy Spirit,
and send out from heaven
the ray of your light.
In labor, rest,
in heat, temperateness,
in tears, solace.
O most blessed light,
fill the inmost heart
of your faithful.
Veni, Sancte Spiritus,
et emitte caelitus
lucis tuae radium.
In labore requies,
in aestu temperies,
in fletu solatium.
O lux beatissima,
reple cordis intima
tuorum fidelium.
Minimum of 10 scores
Digital score only (PDF)
No physical copies will be mailed.
All orders must include a score for every person including choristers, accompanist/collaborative pianist, and conductor. Upon receipt of payment, a score will be emailed within 3-5 business days. All choral orders must be for a minimum of 10 scores. All solo-vocal orders are for 2 scores (vocalist and accompanist/ collaborative pianist).