The Feast of the Annunciation: Audi filia

Audi filia is the tract for for the March 25th Feast of the Annunciation.  Here is a video of it sung by the Latin Mass Choir; I believe they are Australian.

 

I heard this sung tonight at St. Mary's, I believe by Ruth Cunningham - who gave it quite a lovely Eastern spin.  The text comes from Psalm 45:

Audi filia, et vide, et inclina aurem tuam: quia concupivit Rex speciem tuam. Vultum tuum deprecabuntur omnes divites plebis: filiae regum in honore tuo. Adducentur Regi virgines post eam: proximae ejus afferentur tibi. Afferentur in laetitia, et exsultatione: adducentur in templum Regis.

Hearken, O daughter, and behold, and incline your ear: for the king desires your beauty. All the rich among the people will implore your countenance: your maids of honor are the daughters of kings. Virgins will be brought to the king in her retinue; her companions will be taken to you. They will be brought with gladness and rejoicing: they shall be brought into the temple of the king.

Here's the chant score for the Annunciation tract:

Here's another version of the chant, using a different melody. This one's used as the Graduale (VII) from Commune Beatae Mariae Virginis (Common of the BVM), and is here sung by the Schola of the Hofburgkapelle, Vienna.

And then there's this beautiful thing, labeled "Audi Filia (St. Cecilia, Gradual)":




Back to Annunciation:   here's an mp3 of the Introit, Rorate cæli desuper (also sung as the Introit at Advent 4); here's the chant score:

The Annunciation Office is here.

Here's the "Gallery of Annunciation in Art" from Wikipedia, from which comes this lovely image - "tempera on wood" from Simone Martini (14th Century):