November 1: The Feast of All Saints

From Hymn melodies for the whole year from the Sarum services books:

On the Feast of All Saints (Nov. 1):

1st Ev. & Matt.: Jesu, salvator seculi, Redemptis  ... ... ... 25
Lauds & 2nd Ev.: Christe, redemptor omnium, Conserva ... ... ... 26

Here again we see the office hymn tunes from Christmas!   Interesting to note that the Matins Christmas hymn, and the Lauds and 2nd Evensong All Saints' hymn both start out with Christe, redemptor omnium!  Clearly, that's no accident.

Follow along with the full office here, at Breviary Offices, from Lauds to Compline Inclusive (Society of St. Margaret, Boston, 1885); interestingly, that breviary uses two different hymns than the ones prescribed by Sarum (although one uses one of these melodies).  I'll link-in via iFrame at the bottom of the post too.

Here's the score to melody #25, listed as the song for First Evensong of the Feast of the Nativity, Veni, Redemptor Gentium:

 
LLPB offers this mp3 for melody #25 sung to the words for Veni, Redemptor Gentium, the Evensong hymn for the Christmas Office.   Use the English words below (tr. Fr. Edward Caswall (1814-1878)) to sing Jesu, salvator seculi, Redemptis to this same melody for All Saints Day.


TPL has this says that Jesu, salvator seculi, Redemptis: is "attributed to Rabanus Maurus (776-856)."  Here are the Latin and English words - translation is by Fr. Edward Caswall (1814-1878) - from that link:

IESU, salvator saeculi,
redemptis ope subveni,
et, pia Dei genetrix,
salutem posce miseris.   

Coetus omnes angelici,
patriarcharum cunei
ac prophetarum merita
nobis precentur veniam.   

Baptista tui praevius
et claviger aethereus
cum ceteris apostolis
nos solvant nexu criminis.   

Chorus sacratus martyrum,
sacerdotum confessio
et virginalis castitas
nos a peccatis abluant.   

Monachorum suffragia
omnesque cives caelici
annuant votis supplicum
et vitae poscant praemium.   

Sit, Christe, tibi gloria
cum Patre et Sancto Spiritu,
quorum luce mirifica
sancti congaudent perpetim. Amen.   


GIVER of life, eternal Lord,
Thy own redeemed defend;
Mother of grace, thy children save,
and help them to the end.

Ye thousand thousand Angel hosts,
assist us in our need;
Ye Patriarchs, with the Prophet choir,
for our forgiveness plead.

Forerunner blest, and Thou who still
dost heaven's dread keys retain;
Ye glorious Apostles all,
unloose our guilty chain.

Army of Martyrs, holy Priests,
in beautiful array;
Ye happy troops of Virgins chaste,
wash all our stains away.

All ye who high above the stars
in heavenly glory reign,
may we through your prevailing prayers
unto your joys attain.

Praise, honor, to the Father be,
praise to His only Son;
praise, Holy Paraclete, to Thee,
while endless ages run.

Here's the score to Hymn 26, listed here as the tune for the Lauds and 2nd Evensong hymn, Christe, Redemptor omnium, Conserva:

LLPB provides an mp3 that matches this tune; the words on this audio file are those for the Christmas Matins hymn (which also begins Christe, Redemptor omnium, but from there continues on with a different text).   The Latin words to Christe, redemptor omnium, Conserva are from CPDL; sing G.H. Palmer's English translation below those for this All Saints' Day Lauds and 2nd Evensong hymn.

CHRISTE, redemptor omnium,
conserva tuos famulos,
beatae semper Virginis
placatus sanctis precibus.    

Beata quoque agmina
caelestium spirituum,
praeterita, praesentia,
futura mala pellite.    

Vates aeterni iudicis
apostolique Domini,
suppliciter exposcimus
salvari vestris precibus.    

Martyres Dei incliti
confessoresque lucidi,
vestris orationibus
nos ferte in caelestibus.    

Chori sanctarum virginum
monachorumque omnium,
simul cum sanctis omnibus
consortes Christi facite.    

Auferte gentem perfidam
credentium de finibus,
ut unus omnes unicum
ovile nos Pater regat.    

Sit Trinitati gloria,
vestrasque voces iungite
ut illi laudes debitas
persolvamus alacriter. Amen.     

O Christ! of all Redeemer dear,
Thy servants to protect be near;
Who to the pleading hearkenest
Of Mary, Ever-Virgin blest.

And ye, all-blissful hosts on high
Of heav'nly spirits, camping nigh,
Our past and present ills dispel,
From future perils guard us well!

Ye Prophets of the Judge adored,
And twelve Apostles of the Lord,
For us your ceaseless prayers outpour,
Salvation for our souls implore!

Martyrs of God, renown'd foi aye!
Confessors ranged in bright array!
Let all your orisons unite
To exalt us to the realms of light.

O sacred Virgin quires, may ye,
With Clerks of holy ministry,
And every Saint of Christ, obtain
That we his fellowship may gain.

From lands wherein thy faithful dwell
Drive far the traitorous infidel;
So we to Christ due hymns of praise
Henceforth with gladsome hearts may raise.

To thee, O Father, born of none,
And thee, O sole-begotten Son,
With holy Ghost, all glory be
From age to age eternally. Amen.

Here's a peek-in to the SSM Breviary entry for All Saints' Day; again, don't forget that the hymns are different here:

See also this entry, which contains the complete All Saints' Day Office in jpgs; here again, the hymns are not those prescribed by Sarum for today.

The Feast of All Saints is one of my favorite days of the entire year. I'm not exactly sure why, except that at my first High-Church Episcopal All Saints' Day service, I heard some spectacular music and the wonderful readings on the day - and both things have stayed with me ever since. (Of course, because of the Revised Common Lectionary, we're not hearing the BCP readings on All Saints' Day anymore; not hearing the terrific "Let us now sing the praises of famous men, our ancestors in their generations" from Ecclesiasticus this weekend will be a huge disappointment.)

Here is the Omnium Sanctorum page at Medieval Music Database, for your viewing pleasure. And here are all the mass chants from the Benedictines of Brazil.

The Introit, Gaudeamus Sanctorum omnium , is also very beautiful. Here's the mp3, and here's the score:

Here's the Offertory (mp3), Iustorum Animae; here's the chant score:

The words, from the Book of Wisdom, are these, in Latin and English:

Justorum animae in manu Dei sunt,
et non tanget illos tormentum mortis.
Visi sunt oculis insipientium mori,
illi autem sunt in pace.

The souls of the just are in the hand of God,
and the torment of death shall not touch them.
In the sight of the unwise they seemed to die;
but they are in peace.

Here is Stanford's Iustorum Animae, sung by the "Ust Singers" in a concert at "la Iglesia de La exaltacion de la Santa Cruz en Zaragoza." Pretty good, too.



The Orthodox have some really nice All Saints' Day icons; here's my favorite so far, called "Saints of Russia."