Thanks for being a Hymnary.org user. You are one of more than 10 million people from 200-plus countries around the world who have benefitted from the Hymnary website in 2024! If you feel moved to support our work today with a gift of any amount and a word of encouragement, we would be grateful.

You can donate online at our secure giving site.

Or, if you'd like to make a gift by check, please make it out to CCEL and mail it to:
Christian Classics Ethereal Library, 3201 Burton Street SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546
And may the promise of Advent be yours this day and always.

Click here to donate to Hymnary.org I have already donated. Please don't show this to me again

SPIRITUS VITAE

Composer: Mary J. Hammond

Born: 1878, England. Died: January 23, 1964, Hilligdon Nursing Home, St. Albans, Hertfordshire, England. Near the end of her life, Hammond lived in Harpenden, Hertfordshire. --www.hymntime.com/tch/ Go to person page >

^ top

Tune Information

Title: SPIRITUS VITAE
Composer: Mary J. Hammond (1920)
Meter: 9.8.9.8
Incipit: 17564 32551 12353
Key: D Major
Copyright: Public Domain in the US
^ top

Notes

The name SPIRITUS VITAE derives from the Latin translation of Bessie P. Head's text "O Breath of Life, " for which Mary Jane Hammond (b. England, 1878; d. St. Albans, Hertfordshire, England, 1964) composed the tune around 1914. That text and SPIRITUS VITAE were first published in Heavenly Places and Other Messages (1920). Little is known about Hammond except that she lived in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, toward the end of her life and died at the Hillingdon Nursing Home in nearby St. Albans.

One of few tunes that begin on their highest tone, SPIRITUS VITAE virtually repeats lines 1 and 2 in lines 3 and 4, with only a cadential change. Antiphonal performance is appropriate if the entire psalm is sung. The setting with the melody in the tenor, composed by Emily R. Brink (PHH 158) in 1987, is well suited for a choral stanza or as an alternate organ setting.

--Psalter Hymnal Handbook, 1988

^ top

Timeline

^ top

Arrangements

Organ Solo

  • The Organ Portfolio Volume 83 Number 5 May June 2020: The Service Music Anthology for the Church Organist
    Composer/Editors Carson Cooman; Jared M. Salyards
    Published By: Lorenz Publishing Company (2020) pp. 14
  • The Organist's Library Volume 69
    Composer/Editor Jared M. Salyards
    Published By: Lorenz Publishing Company (2020) pp. 48

Voices: Vocal Solos and Duets

  • Hale & Wilder: Favorite Duets and Solos
    Composer/Editors Robert Hale; Dean Wilder
    Published By: Word Music Group, LLC (1981) pp. 98
More arrangements^ top

Media

The Cyber Hymnal #4704
Text: O Breath of Life
  • Adobe Acrobat image (PDF)
  • Noteworthy Composer score (NWC)
  • XML score (XML)
The Cyber Hymnal #15419
Text: O Frym’ E Jetës, Ti Përshkona
  • PDF (PDF)
  • Noteworthy Composer Score (NWC)
Psalter Hymnal (Gray) #28
Text: O LORD My Rock, in Desperation
  • Bulletin Score (PDF)
  • Bulletin Score (melody only) (PDF)
  • Full Score (PDF, XML)
Worship and Rejoice #328
Text: O Breath of Life
^ top

Instances

Instances (1 - 24 of 24)
Text

Ancient and Modern #615a

Ancient and Modern #615a

Christian Worship #28B

Christian Worship #28B
TextPage Scan

Community of Christ Sings #486

Community of Christ Sings #486
Text

Complete Anglican Hymns Old and New #476

Complete Anglican Hymns Old and New #476

Complete Mission Praise #488

Complete Mission Praise #488

Hymns for Today's Church (2nd ed.) #43

Hymns for Today's Church (2nd ed.) #43
Text

Hymns for Today's Church (2nd ed.) #237

Hymns for Today's Church (2nd ed.) #237

Praise! psalms hymns and songs for Christian worship #541

Praise! psalms hymns and songs for Christian worship #541
Text InfoTune InfoScoreAudio

Psalter Hymnal (Gray) #28

Psalter Hymnal (Gray) #28
Text

Sing Joyfully #152

Sing Joyfully #152

Singing the Faith #391

Singing the Faith #391

The Book of Praise #384

The Book of Praise #384

The Christian Life Hymnal #339

The Christian Life Hymnal #339
TextScoreAudio

The Cyber Hymnal #4704

The Cyber Hymnal #4704
TextScoreAudio

The Cyber Hymnal #15419

The Cyber Hymnal #15419
Text

The Irish Presbyterian Hymnbook #475b

The Irish Presbyterian Hymnbook #475b
Text

The Worshiping Church #299

The Worshiping Church #299
Text

Together in Song #409

Together in Song #409

Together in Song #495

Together in Song #495
TextPage Scan

Trinity Hymnal (Rev. ed.) #341

Trinity Hymnal (Rev. ed.) #341
TextPage Scan

Trinity Psalter Hymnal #395

Trinity Psalter Hymnal #395
Text

Voices United #202

Voices United #202

Voices United #203

Voices United #203
TextScoreAudioPage Scan

Worship and Rejoice #328

Worship and Rejoice #328
Include 6 pre-1979 instances
All instances^ top
Suggestions or corrections? Contact us
It looks like you are using an ad-blocker. Ad revenue helps keep us running. Please consider white-listing Hymnary.org or getting Hymnary Pro to eliminate ads entirely and help support Hymnary.org.