Sunday, April 27, 2014

Seen and heard today (4/27/14) at Divine Service: O Filii et Filiae (a hymn for Eastertide)

"O filii et filiae" ("Ye sons and daughters of the Lord") is a beautiful Easteride hymn; the second half of the hymn is the story of St. Thomas and the risen Jesus.   For this reason, this hymn is often sung in the parish church on the second Sunday of Easter, when that Gospel story is always read.

Here's a very nice recording of the hymn, sung in Latin by The Daughters of Mary (http://daughtersofmary.net/music.php ):



 Here's TPL on the hymn:
This hymn was written by Jean Tisserand, O.F.M. (d. 1494) and originally had only nine stanzas. Stanzas "Discipulis adstantibus", "Ut intellexit Didymus", "Beati qui non viderunt" are early additions to the hymn. There are several different versions of the hymn. The one below is one of the more common versions.
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
O filii et filiae,
Rex caelestis, Rex gloriae
morte surrexit hodie.

R. Alleluia
Ye sons and daughters of the Lord,
the King of glory, King adored,
this day Himself from death restored.

R. Alleluia
Ex mane prima Sabbati
ad ostium monumenti
accesserunt discipuli.

R. Alleluia
All in the early morning gray
went holy women on their way,
to see the tomb where Jesus lay.

R. Alleluia
Et Maria Magdalene,
et Iacobi, et Salome
Venerunt corpus ungere

R. Alleluia
Of spices pure a precious store
in their pure hands these women bore,
to anoint the sacred Body o'er.

R. Alleluia
In albis sedens angelus
praedixit mulieribus:
In Galilaea est Dominus.

R. Alleluia
The straightaway one in white they see,
who saith, "seek the Lord: but He
is risen and gone to Galilee."

R. Alleluia
Et Ioannes apostolus
cucurrit Petro citius,
monumento venit prius.

R. Alleluia
This told they Peter, told John;
who forthwith to the tomb are gone,
but Peter is by John outrun.

R. Alleluia
Discipulis astantibus,
in medio stetit Christus,
dicens: Pax vobis omnibus.

R. Alleluia
That self-same night, while out of fear
the doors where shut, their Lord most dear
to His Apostles did appear.

R. Alleluia
Ut intellexit Didymus
quia surrexerat Iesus,
remansit fere dubius.

R. Alleluia
But Thomas, when of this he heard,
was doubtful of his brethren's word;
wherefore again there comes the Lord.

R. Alleluia
Vide Thoma, vide latus,
vide pedes, vide manus,
noli esse incredulus.

R. Alleluia
"Thomas, behold my side," saith He;
"My hands, My feet, My body see,
and doubt not, but believe in Me."

R. Alleluia
Quando Thomas vidit Christum,
pedes, manus, latus suum,
dixit: Tu es Deus meus.

R. Alleluia
When Thomas saw that wounded side,
the truth no longer he denied;
"Thou art my Lord and God!" he cried.

R. Alleluia
Beati qui non viderunt
et firmiter crediderunt;
vitam aeternam habebunt.

R. Alleluia
Oh, blest are they who have not seen
their Lord and yet believe in Him!
eternal life awaitheth them.

R. Alleluia
In hoc festo sanctissimo
sit laus et iubilatio:
benedicamus Domino.

R. Alleluia
Now let us praise the Lord most high,
and strive His name to magnify
on this great day, through earth and sky:

R. Alleluia
Ex quibus nos humillimas
devotas atque debitas
Deo dicamus gratias.

R. Alleluia
Whose mercy ever runneth o'er;
Whom men and Angel hosts adore;
to Him be glory evermore.

R. Alleluia

Latin from March, Latin Hymns. Translation by Fr. Edward Caswall (1814-1878).

St. David's Compline Choir (Austin, Tx) offers an mp3 of this hymn in English.  And here's a video of it in English, sung by the Christendom College Choir and Schola Gregoriana:



Here's a very pretty version of the hymn sung at St. Clement's in Ottawa, during the Easter Vigil 2010:




This is Marc-Antoine Charpentier's (1643 – 1704) ) gorgeous setting of this hymn, apparently;  I believe the composition is called "Chant joyeux du temps de Pâques" ("Joyous song  for Eastertide") (H.339).   The musicians are "Le Concert Spirituel sous la direction d'Hervé Niquet," and the music comes from the CD 'Charpentier : Motets - Litanies a la Vierge' (Naxos, 2006)."



This piece, says the YouTube page, is for 6 soloists, a 5-voice choir,  strings, and continuo; it comes from the 7th volume of  Charpentier's Meslanges, and is dated to 1685 by  Catherine Cessac.

About the Meslanges:
The collection of manuscripts known today as Marc-Antoine Charpentier’s “Meslanges autographes” is a wonderfully rich and rare corpus of material―virtually all the composer’s music in one manuscript collection, and written almost entirely in the composer’s own hand. 

There is also a note that says the melody for the original hymn O Filii et Filiae comes from a popular 13th Century tune.

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