Universi, qui te exspectant

Universi, qui te exspectant is the Gradual for the First Sunday of Advent. Here's an mp3 of this chant, sung by the Benedictines of Brazil. Very, very beautiful.

Here's another wonderful version, this time from Giovanni Vianini's Schola Gregoriana Mediolanensis:



The text comes from Psalm 25:3-4:

1 Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul.

2 O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.

3 Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.

4 Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths.

5 Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.

6 Remember, O LORD, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been ever of old.

7 Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness' sake, O LORD.

I'm not sure what this is, but it does use the same text, at least to start out with. And I like the Colby Chorale ("Men, Women & Tangos"), don't you?



Last year I published all the Introits for the Sundays of Advent; here's a video (unavailable last year) of the Advent I Introit, Ad te, levavi, which also comes from Psalm 25:



Here is a post about the hymns of the Advent Office, also from last year.


Here are all the chants for the day, from ChristusRex.org:

Hebdomada Prima Adventus
Dominica Introitus: Ps. 24, 1-4 Ad te levavi (3m29.7s - 3275 kb) score
Graduale: Ps. 24, 3. V. 4 Universi, qui te exspectant (2m00.6s - 1887 kb) score
Alleluia: Ps. 84, 8 Ostende nobis (2m41.5s - 2525 kb) score
Offertorium: Ps. 24, 1-3 Ad te, Domine, levavi (1m41.0s - 1579 kb) score
Communio: Ps. 84, 13 Dominus dabit benignitatem (51.2s - 801 kb) score

And these are posts on Chantblog for the Advent 1 propers:

• The Introit: Ad Te Levavi Animam Meam
• The Gradual: Universi, qui te exspectant
• The Advent I Alleluia: Ostende nobis Domine ("Show us thy mercy, O Lord")
• The Offertory: Ad te, Domine, levavi
• The Communio:  Dominus Dabit
• The Advent Office