Heavenly King, Comforter

This is actually a liturgical hymn, a sticheron which is sung on Pentecost at the aposticha of Vespers, and at the end of the Praises (Psalms 148-150) at Matins. In our churches, it is normally sung to the Tone 6 samohlasen melody.

The text is very well-known, as has become incorporated into the usual beginning prayers said at the beginning of most services, where it is often chanted to the usual psalm tone.

It is included here with the spiritual songs for two reasons:

In many older books, it is appointed to be sung by the priest and people, kneeling, at the beginning of the Divine Liturgy on Pentecost Monday (since kneeling is forbidden from Pascha to Pentecost). Today, when Pentecost Monday is often not observed as a major feast day (the Day of the Holy Spirit), this hymn may be moved back to the start of the Divine Liturgy on Pentecost itself. This accounts for its place on page 203 in our Divine Liturgies book, where it is labelled as a "Special Hymn" at the start of the music for Pentecost Sunday.
In some parishes, an invocation to the Holy Spirit is sung before the sermon or homily, and this hymn is occasionally used for that purpose. (The other hymn often sung at this point in the service is The Holy Spirit shall come upon you.)

For the Slavonic version, see Carju Nebesnyj, Ut’išitel’u.