For Pentecost Sunday. Part 1 of Mahler’s 8th Symphony follows the text of the hymn “Veni, Creator Spiritus.” Sir Georg Solti conducts the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, with the Vienna concert choir and the Vienna Opera choir.
Category Archives: Sacred
Easter Music & Choral Finale & Mahler 2nd
Gustav Mahler, Symphony No. 2 “Resurrection,” Finale with Vocal Score. Conducted by Maris Jansons, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Netherlands Radio Choir, soloists Bernarda Fink and Ricarda Merbeth.
Good Friday Chant & Crux Fidelis
“Crux Fidelis,” a Gregorian chant for Good Friday, chanters here unknown.
Crux fidelis, inter omnes
Arbor una nobilis,
Nulla talem silva profert,
Fronde, flore, germine.
Dulce lignum, dulces clavos,
Dulce pondus sustinet.
Pange, lingua, gloriosi,
Proelium certaminis,
Et super Crucis trophaeo,
Dic triumphum nobilem,
Qualiter Redemptor orbis,
Immolatus vicerit.
Crux fidelis, inter omnes
Arbor una nobilis:
Nulla talem silva profert,
Fronde, flore, germine.
De parentis protoplasti,
Fraude Factor condolens,
Quando pomi noxialis,
Morte morsu corruit,
Ipse lignum tunc notavit,
Damna ligni ut solveret.
Dulce lignum, dulces clavos,
Dulce pondus sustinet.
Hoc opus nostrae salutis,
Ordo depoposcerat,
Multiformis proditoris,
Ars ut artem falleret,
Et medelam ferret inde,
Hostis unde laeserat.
Crux fidelis, inter omnes
Arbor una nobilis:
Nulla talem silva profert,
Fronde, flore, germine.
Aequa Patri Filioque,
Inclito Paraclito,
Sempiterna sit beatae
Trinitati gloria,
Cuius alma nos redemit,
Atque servat gratia.
Amen.
Faithful Cross, among all,
You are the noblest tree,
No forest produces anything similar,
In leaf, flower, or seed.
Sweetest wood and sweetest nails,
Sustaining the sweetest weight.
Sing, my tongue, the glory,
Of the victorius fight,
And the trophy conquested on the Cross.
Tell of the noble triumph,
The Redeemer of the world,
Overcame by immolating himself.
Faithful Cross, among all,
You are the noblest tree:
No forest produces anything similar,
In leaf, flower, or seed.
Our first father,
Was defrauded into misery,
When that fatal apple
He ate and died.
This good tree [of the Cross], then, had
To compensate for that tree of evil.
Sweetest wood and sweetest nails,
Sustaining the sweetest weight.
This was the work of our salvation
Planned willingly;
So that the artfull Traitor [Satan]
Would be defeated in his art;
And thenceforth the instrument of our cure,
Would cause the enemy defeat.
Faithful Cross, among all,
You are the noblest tree:
No forest produces anything similar,
In leaf, flower, or seed.
Equal glory to the Father, Son
And the illustrious Paraclite;
Be given eternally
In Trinitarian glory.
Because He redeemed us,
And conserves us in grace.
Amen.
Holy Thursday & Byzantine Chant
“Today He Is Hung upon the Tree,” The Boston Byzantine Choir, St. Mary’s Orthodox Church, Cambridge, Massachusetts,
Today He is Hung upon the Tree
He who suspended the earth upon the waters.
Today He is Hung upon the Tree
He who suspended the earth upon the waters.
Today He is Hung upon the Tree
He who suspended the earth upon the waters.
A Crown of Thorns crowns him Who is the King of the Angels
He is wrapped about with the purple of mockery, who wrapped the Heavens in clouds.
He was struck who freed Adam in the Jordan
He was transfixed with nails, who is the The Bridegroom of the Church
He was pierced with a spear, Who is the Son of the virgin.
We worship Thy passion, O Christ.
We worship Thy passion, O Christ.
We worship Thy passion, O Christ.
Show us also Thy glorious resurrection.
Palm Sunday Hymn & Ride On, Ride On
“Ride On, Ride On in Majesty,” St. Mary-le-Tower Church, Ipswich.
Pulcherrima Rosa & Jan Garbarek & The Hilliard Ensemble
Pulcherrima Rosa, 15th Century Motet, sung by the Hilliard Ensemble with Jan Garbarek accompanying on tenor sax, Jesus College, Cambridge (1994). There was a whole album with Jan Garbarek and Hilliard called Officium, on ECM records. Youtubes with anything from that label are blocked, but fortunately we have this live performance.
“Pulcherrima Rosa” (The Most Beautiful Rose)
Pulcherrima rosa de spina floruit
Ex flore germinosa lilium genuit
Servans pudorem ex virgineo more
Peperit factura factura factorem.
Virgo singularis te nulla dignior
Fulgens stella maris luna lucidior
Sic succuristi regina mundo tristi
Eve matris sic quae noxam que solvisti.
Esto nobis grata tis aput filium
Mater advocata post hoc exilium
Nos per iuvamen pater natus ac flamen
Tuum mater virgo solvat omnes.
Amen.
Most Beautiful Rose, blooming from a thorn
From the budding flower, a Lily born
Serving modestly and in a Virginal way
The created one bore The Creator
Unique Virgin, no-one is worthy of you
Gleaming Star of The Sea, Light and The Moon
Serving modestly and in a Virginal way
The created one bore The Creator
Such succour Queen of this sad World
And Mother of Eve who lightens our punishment
Serving modestly and in a Virginal way
The created one bore The Creator
Freely for us, beside your Son, Mother and witness
After this Earthly exile
Serving modestly and in a Virginal way
The created one bore The Creator.
Amen.
Salve Regina
Salve Regina (Hail Holy Queen) chanted by the Monastic Choir of the Abbey of Notre-Dame Fontgombault.
Salve, Regina, mater misericordiae:
Vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra, salve.
Ad te clamamus, exsules, filii Evae.
Ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes
in hac lacrimarum valle.
Eia ergo, Advocata nostra,
illos tuos misericordes oculos
ad nos converte.
Et Iesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui,
nobis, post hoc exsilium ostende. O clemens: O pia: O dulcis
Virgo Maria.
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears! Turn, then, O most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
Bach & Adagio & Easter
J.S. Bach, Adagio from Easter Oratorio (BWV 249). Kai Rapsch (oboe) with Salzburg Orchester Solisten, recorded in Lienz, Austria.
Good Friday Music & Orthodox Hymn
Megaloschemos II (Bulgarian Orthodox Hymn).
What Do You Do for an Encore? 