Used to go to Mt. Savior for Compline every now and then. The service is less than half and hour and the drive was about 50 minutes, but worth every moment. Have been singing this hymn with the kids for a few months now, before bed.
A tutor (professor) from my college knew the founder of Mt. Savior, Fr. Damasus. That tutor brought groups of students there several times a year, even though it was quite a haul from Annapolis MD to Pine City, NY. I was there for several days after I was received into the Church, it was Doubting Thomas Sunday, I remember, and very snowy still, as well as on one other occasion for several days. We went to all the offices. In those days there were at least twice as many monks as there are now. ( They used to run a dairy farm and sell cheese but switched to sheep and wool as less labor intensive.)
When we were allowed a room for a chapel at St. John's (my college) we decided to sing Compline, and the monks gave us their compline rite, including this hymn. Being college students, we had compline at eleven pm.
My dear friend Prudence Davis, now a Benedictine nun, negotiated an agreement with the Protestant prayer group on campus whereby they would come to compline and we would all attend their prayer meetings. This lasted for several years and truly united the Christian community on the campus.
The words for the hymn are
Now in the fading light of day Maker of all to You we pray That with you ever watchful love You guard and keep us from above.
Help and defend us through the night Danger and terror put to flight Never let evil have its way Preserve us for another day
Father almighty, this be done Through Jesus Christ, Our Lord Your Son, Whom in the Spirit we adore Who lives and reigns forevermore. Amen.
I don't have a text of the music, but I am sure if you listen a couple of times you will be able to sing it and teach it to anyone; it is really simple.
4 comments:
Thank you and bless you, dear Anne, for sharing this! It brings back wonderful memories, and is simply heavenly.
Hi Anne,
Do you have the words and music for this piece from Mt. Savior Compline? I wish I had them. ME
Thank you so much for this.
A tutor (professor) from my college knew the founder of Mt. Savior, Fr. Damasus. That tutor brought groups of students there several times a year, even though it was quite a haul from Annapolis MD to Pine City, NY. I was there for several days after I was received into the Church, it was Doubting Thomas Sunday, I remember, and very snowy still, as well as on one other occasion for several days. We went to all the offices. In those days there were at least twice as many monks as there are now. ( They used to run a dairy farm and sell cheese but switched to sheep and wool as less labor intensive.)
When we were allowed a room for a chapel at St. John's (my college) we decided to sing Compline, and the monks gave us their compline rite, including this hymn. Being college students, we had compline at eleven pm.
My dear friend Prudence Davis, now a Benedictine nun, negotiated an agreement with the Protestant prayer group on campus whereby they would come to compline and we would all attend their prayer meetings. This lasted for several years and truly united the Christian community on the campus.
The words for the hymn are
Now in the fading light of day
Maker of all to You we pray
That with you ever watchful love
You guard and keep us from above.
Help and defend us through the night
Danger and terror put to flight
Never let evil have its way
Preserve us for another day
Father almighty, this be done
Through Jesus Christ, Our Lord Your Son,
Whom in the Spirit we adore
Who lives and reigns forevermore. Amen.
I don't have a text of the music, but I am sure if you listen a couple of times you will be able to sing it and teach it to anyone; it is really simple.
"your" ever watchful love.
I know you knew that but still feel compelled to correct it.
Susan
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