Songs For All Seasons

Today is Pentecost in the Christian calendar, a Christian holiday which takes place on the 49th day (50th day when inclusive counting is used) after Easter. It commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles of Jesus while they were in Jerusalem celebrating the Feast of Weeks, as described in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 2:1–31). Pentecost is one of the Great feasts in the Eastern Orthodox Church, a Solemnity in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church, a Festival in the Lutheran Churches, and a Principal Feast in the Anglican Communion. Many Christian denominations provide a special liturgy for this holy celebration. The poem I have set for this sacred day is called Pentecost (or Whitsunday) by John Keble. John Keble (25 April 1792 – 29 March 1866) was an English Anglican priest and poet who was one of the leaders of the Oxford Movement. Keble College, Oxford, is named after him. His father was vicar of Coln St...

It has been a month since I last posted - I didn't mean to leave it so long, but the new day job is a lot busier than the old one!!  I should have posted today's Song of the Day on May 29th - it is for Ascension Day. Ascension Day is a Christian remembrance of the bodily Ascension of Jesus into Heaven. Following the account of Acts 1:3 that the risen Jesus appeared for 40 days prior to his Ascension, Ascension Day is traditionally celebrated on a Thursday, the fortieth day of Easter according to inclusive counting, although some Christian denominations have moved the observance to the following Sunday, sometimes called Ascension Sunday.  The observance of this feast is of great antiquity. Eusebius seems to hint at the celebration of it in the 4th century. At the beginning of the 5th century, Augustine of Hippo says that it is of Apostolic origin, and he speaks of it in a way that shows it was the universal observance of the Catholic Church long before his time. The poem I...

Today's Song of the Day is one I actually should have posted on 25th March. 25th March in the Christian calendar is the Feast of the Annunciation, which commemorates the visit of the archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary, during which he informed her that she would be the mother of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  The poem I have set to celebrate this feast day is called The Annunciation by American poet Alfred Joyce Kilmer (1886 - 1918), known as Joyce Kilmer. As well as writing poetry, Kilmer was also a journalist, literary critic, lecturer, and editor. He is probably best known for his poem "Trees" which begins with the lines "I think that I shall never see / A poem lovely as a tree." Kilmer enlisted in the New York National Guard and was deployed to France with the 69th Infantry Regiment (the famous "Fighting 69th") in 1917. He was killed by a sniper's bullet at the Second Battle of the Marne in 1918 at the young age of 31. He was posthumously awa...