Veni Creator Spiritus

(Lat.: ‘Come Creator Spirit’).

A hymn in the Roman rite sung at Whitsuntide and at other solemnities. It first appears in a 10th-century MS; its melody has served as the basis for many masses, including a six-voice one by Palestrina. Mahler set the words in his Eighth Symphony.

‘Veni creator spiritus’, first line of a Latin hymn for Whitsun believed to have been written in the 9th c. by Hrabanus Maurus, Abbot of Fulda and later Archbishop of Mainz. Luther's translation begins ‘Komm, Gott Schöpfer, Heiliger Geist’, and English adaptations include Cosin's ‘Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire’ and Dryden's ‘Creator Spirit by whose aid!’ There is also a German translation by Goethe, dated 10 April 1820, beginning ‘Komm, Heiliger Geist du Schaffender’.

The Latin text of the hymn provided Gustav Mahler with the words for the first movement of his 8th Symphony (1906, performed 1910).

Veni Creator Spiritus ("Come creator Spirit") is a hymn normally sung in Gregorian Chant. It is believed to have been written by Rabanus Maurus in the 9th century. The hymn is normally associated with the Roman Catholic Church, where it is performed during the liturgical celebration of the feast of Pentecost (at both Terce and Vespers). It is also sung at occasions such as the entrance of Cardinals to the Sistine Chapel to elect a new pope, as well as the consecration of bishops, the ordination of priests, the dedication of churches, the celebration of synods or councils, the coronation of kings and other solemn events. The hymn is also widely used in the Anglican Church, and appears for example in the Ordering of Priests and in the Consecration of Bishops in the Book of Common Prayer, 1662. It is translated to several languages; one English example is Creator Spirit! by whose aid, written 1690 by John Dryden and published in The Church Hymn book 1872 (n. 313).

Gustav Mahler set the Latin text to music in Part I of his Symphony No. 8 in E-flat major. The text has been set for chorus and orchestra by Cristobal Halffter. A motet for women's voices to the text was among the last works of Hector Berlioz.

See also

Latin Wikisource has original text related to this article: Veni, Creator Spiritus

English Wikisource has original text related to this article: Veni, Creator Spiritus

Wikisource has the text of the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia article Veni Creator Spiritus.

• List of papal conclaves

References

• Pastoral Commentary by Pope John Paul II

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