Over the last 70 years, ST VENANTIUS has fallen out of favor. One reason might be that many harmonizations of it are “chunky.” I was pleased to see the Brébeuf Hymnal adopted the harmonization by Dom Gregory Murray (probably the finest ever created for ST VENANTIUS). This morning, I created this pipe organ recording. The Christmas & Epiphany hymns by Bishop Venantius Fortunatus—who lived in the sixth century—are both alphabetical acrostics. Monsignor Ronald Knox, when he translated those hymns, created a dazzling alphabetical acrostic using English! In the NEW WESTMINSTER HYMNAL, Bishop Venantius’ hymns are paired with this melody.