Anthem 41 - Come, dearest Lord

Welcome to Anthem 41 in my attempt to write a new choir anthem every week for a year. I’m Kevin Mulryne and I hope you will enjoy listening to my progress throughout 2024. Please do visit the website Anthem52.com, follow along on x.com - @realanthem52 or Instagram - @realanthem52 and send me a message to show@anthem52.com.

It feels like I'm on the 'home stretch' with the Anthem 52 project. It's been difficult at times but this week's composition came fairly easily. Once again, it's an Isaac Watts text. I was looking for some words that would lend themselves to a quieter, more serene anthem this week. It was the turn of the accompanied style and I have found it much easier to write loud anthems with organ accompaniment this year. I also wanted to break my own habit of writing the initial phrases of the vocal parts in a rising pattern. When I found these words included 'descend and dwell' that seemed to fit the bill nicely.

Here are the words I chose:

Come, dear­est Lord, des­cend and dwell
By faith and love in ev­ery breast;
Then shall we know, and taste, and feel
The joys that can­not be ex­pressed.

Come, fill our hearts with in­ward strength,
Make our en­larg­èd souls pos­sess,
And learn the height, and breadth, and length
Of Thine un­mea­sur­able grace.

By all the Church, through Christ His Son.