Music for Pentecost Sunday Year B

Suggestions of hymns that are appropriate for the feast of Pentecost, Year B.

For suggestions for the 7th Sunday of Easter Year B click here. Music suggestions for Trinity Sunday Year B can be found here.

The morning Mass of Pentecost includes a Sequence. As on Easter Sunday, this is not optional and should at least be said, Obviously, the better solution is to sing it. The best known hymn version is ‘Holy spirit, Lord of light’ but there are other versions. See here for some suggestions. Further suggestions are given below.

Pentecost is unusual in that, like Easter, it has a specific vigil Mass. If your Mass takes place on a Saturday you may wish to consider using the readings from this Mass, at least in the simple form. There is also an extended form which has several readings, mirroring the Easter vigil.

If you don’t normally sing the Eucharistic Acclamations consider starting them today on this great feast of the church. Find some suggestions here and here.

Suggestions from the hymn books

Title	Ref	CFE	Laudate
Abba Father send your spirit		8	293
Baptised in water		67	407
Bread of life, hope of the world		95	78
Breathe on me breath of God		98	302
Christ be our light		891	883
Church of God, elect and glorious			825
Come down, O Love divine	G	125	303
Come Holy Spirit			304
Come, Holy Ghost, Creator, come	2	126	296
Eat this bread		151	633
Enemy of apathy		640	305
Father Lord of all creation		161
Gather your people	2		462
God beyond all names		227	686
God’s spirit is in my heart		227	864
Holy Spirit, come confirm us			311
Holy Spirit, Lord of light	S	261	301
I am the bread of life		272	629
In Christ there is no East or West	2	303	831
Jesus is Lord alleluia			294
Jesus is Lord, creation’s voice proclaims it	2	326	324
Litany of the spirit			295
Lord, you give the great commission		394	870
One bread, one body	2	578	832
One bread we break	2		626
Out of darkness		591	835
See us Lord about thine altar	2	631	648
Send forth your Spirit O Lord (Walker)	Ps		299
Send us as your blessing Lord		637
Shine, Jesus, shine		388	770
Song of the Holy Spirit			308
Spirit of God rest on your people			309
Spirit of God within me		665	310
Summoned by the God who made us	2	671	836
The gift of the Holy Spirit		693	894
The love of the Lord	E		905
The Spirit lives to set us free			771
The voice of God		718	108
Though the mountains may fall		739	785
Veni creator spiritus (Taize)			298
Veni Creator Spiritus plainchant		758	297
Veni Sancte Spiritus (plainchant)	S		300
Veni, sancte spiritus	S	759	307

Suggestions from other sources

Title	Ref	Composer	Publisher	Comments
A new heaven and earth		Marty Haugen	GIA	Refrain arranged for SATB with unison verses that have wordless harmony under them. Instrument parts included.
As grains once scattered	2	Bob Hurd	OCP	A very useful Communion piece.
Baptised with Fire		Paul Wellicome	SSG	From the collection of the same name. Sadly out of print but you may have a copy.
Christ our peace	2	Marty Haugen	GIA	Reflects the theme of unity and the Communion antiphon
Creator spirit by whose aid	G		OCP	A hymn asking the Holy Spirit to come to us. The tune is ‘Lasst uns erfreuen’.
Gathered in the love of Christ	2	Marty Haugen	GIA	A song which could be used as a gathering piece but will work equally well at communion. The verses can be sung by a cantor or by all.
Holy Spirit, heaven’s breath		Christopher Idle	Jubilate	The tune demo on the site makes it quite hard to pick out the melody.
Holy spirit truth divine		Longfellow	PD	Find the words on hymnquest.com
Living Spirit, holy fire		Lori True	GIA	A gentle setting of words by Ruth Duck. A tradtional hymn structure with harmony for lower voices on verse 4. The harmony, which continues with an optional descant, uses the phrase ‘Veni Sancte Spiritus’.
No one will ever be the same		John Bell	Iona	Is this what it will be like when the spirit comes? In the collection ‘Enemy of apathy’. Also from GIA.
O God who gathered waters		Diana Macalintal	OCP	This straight hymn is sung to ‘Finlandia’.
O spirit of the living Lord	S	Genevieve Glenn	OCP	Sung to ‘Winchester New’, and therefore known by everyone, this is a metrical adaptation of the sequence
One is the body	2	John Bell	Iona	In the collection of the same name.
Pentecost Sequence	S	Christopher Willcock	OCP	A setting that collapses the veses to shorten it. There is a refrain for the assembly.
Pentecost Sequence and Alleluia	S	Bob Hurd	OCP	A setting that sounds a bit like a traditional folk song though it is based on plainchant. The refrain is ‘Alleluia’ set to ‘O filii et filiae’ It could be used to accompany a long Gospel procession.
Psalm 103/104	Ps	Martin Foster	Bear Music	A lyrical setting of today’s psalm. On the same site is a version for the Vigil Mass.
Send forth your Spirit Lord	Ps	Paul Wellicome	SSG	From the collection ‘Baptised with Fire’. Sadly out of print but you may have a copy.
Send forth your spirit O Lord	Ps	Christopher Walker	OCP	A lively setting of psalm 103/4, easy to pick up. Arranged for SATB it also has a descant for the refrain. Instrument parts are available and this song would work well with guitars.
Send out your spirit		Bernadette Farrell	OCP
Send us out in the power		Janet Lunt	Jubilate	A modern hymn forth sending forth. It has it’s own tune which would need to be learnt but probably worth it. The recording is a little OTT in the 3rd verse but you don’t have to follow suit.
Song over the waters	1	Marty Haugen	GIA	Available in the collection ‘Shepherd me O God’. There is also a version arranged as a gathering rite, including a sprinkling song.
Spirit of God		Christopher Walker	OCP	Set to ‘Skye Boat Song’ so this would be easy to learn. Can include harmonies for voices and instruments.
Spirit of God within me		Scott Soper	OCP	This setting of words by Timothy Dudley Smith (which are in the hymn books) starts in unison, moves through two parts to four and finishes with a final verse in unison plus a descant. Solo instrument part is included.
There is one Lord	2		Taize	In ‘Music from Taizé volume 2.
Veni Sancte Spiritus	S	Nick Baty	Concept music	This simple setting of the sequence for Pentecost would also be suitable for singing at other times during the Mass. It would work well at communion as the refrain is very easy for the assembly to sing as they process.
Veni, Sancte Spiritus			Taize	In ‘Music from Taize’ volume 1
We are many parts		Marty Haugen	GIA	We are many parts but one body. Choir and instrument parts available but can be sung with just cantor and refrain.
Wisdom come softly		Martin Barry	GIA	Easier than it looks and well worth knowing.

Click here for suggestions for other Sundays