Reflection in words & music - Sunday 24th May 2026

Join The Revd Canon Dr Alison Joyce, Rector of St Bride's, and St Bride's Choir for this week's reflection in words and music. This week we celebrate the feast of Pentecost. Our reading from the Acts of the Apostles describes the coming of the Holy Spirit, empowering all who received it to begin the work of making disciples of all nations. The choir opens our reflection with the celebrated motet 'Dum complerentur' by Palestrina. It is a vivid musical evocation of the Pentecost ‘rushing wind’, with cascading ‘Alleluias’ suggesting the Spirit’s movement, while the panoply of musical ideas mirrors the Spirit that ‘blows where it wills’. And speaking of blowing winds, Alison begins her reflection by recalling the time when, to her great surprise, a tornado struck her home in Birmingham when she was working in her study. We close with the hymn "Come down, O Love Divine" by the 15th century Jesuit poet Bianco da Siena. Information about our weekly Sunday services in St Bride's of Choral Eucharist at 11am (www.stbrides.com/worship-music/wo…horal-eucharist/) and Choral Evensong at 5:30pm (www.stbrides.com/worship-music/wo…choral-evensong/) can be found on the website. Find out what's happening at St Bride's at www.stbrides.com/whats-on If you enjoy listening, please leave a comment below or subscribe to our channel. It is great to get your feedback. SUPPORT ST BRIDE'S ================== We are hugely grateful for people's generosity which we wholly rely on to continue our work, maintain our wonderful architectural heritage and support world-class music-making. People are often surprised to learn that St Bride's receives no external funding. If you would like to make a donation, you can do so at www.justgiving.com/stbrideschurchfleetstreet