June 28, 2013

Let All On Earth Their Voices Raise / Exultet Coelum Laudibus / Exsultet Orbis Gaudiis

Re-Echoing Heaven's Triumphant Praise

Let All On Earth Their Voices Raise is a translation of the 10th century Latin hymn, Exultet Coelum Laudibus. In 1632, accordance with revisions made to the hymns of the Divine Office by Pope Urban VIII (1568-1644), it was altered and changed to Exultet Orbis Gaudiis.  In the Roman Breviary it is sung with the Common of Apostles. Both versions are shown below.  It was translated into English by the Anglican Priest and poet, Richard Mant (1776-1848) and published as part of his 1837 collection, Ancient Hymns: From the Roman Breviary. It is often sung to the tune, Rex Glor­i­o­se Mar­tyr­um, first published in the Ca­thol­ische Geist­liche Ge­säsange of 1608. It can also be sung to Tallis' Canon, as shown in the 1st video. In the Divine Office, Let All On Earth Their Voices Raise is used with Morning and Evening Prayer.


Tune: Tallis' Canon

LET ALL ON EARTH THEIR VOICES RAISE by Richard Mant, 1837 (Public Domain)

1. Let all on earth their voices raise,
Re-echoing Heav’n’s triumphant praise
To Him, who gave th’apostles grace
To run on earth their glorious race.

2. Thou, at Whose word they bore the light
Of Gospel truth o’er heathen night,
To us that heav’nly light impart,
To glad our eyes and cheer our heart.

3. Thou, at Whose will to them was giv’n
To bind and loose in earth and Heav’n,
Our chains unbind, our sins undo,
And in our hearts Thy grace renew.

4. Thou, in Whose might they spake the word
Which cured disease and health restored,
To us its healing power prolong,
Support the weak, confirm the strong.

5. And when the thrones are set on high
And judgment’s awful hour draws nigh,
Then, Lord, with them pronounce us blest,
And take us to Thine endless rest.


Exultet Coelum Laudibus performed by Giovanni Vianini

EXULTET COELUM LAUDIBUS

1. Exultet coelum laudibus
 resultet terra gaudiis
 apostolorum gloriam
 sacra canunt solemnia.

 2. Vos saecli justi judices
 et vera mundi lumina
 votis precamur cordium
 audite preces supplicum.

 3. Qui caelum verbo clauditis
 serasque ejus solvitis
 nos a peccatis omnibus
 solvite jussu, quaesumus.

 4. Quorum praecepto subditor
salus et languor omnium:
sanate aegros moribus
nos reddentes virtutibus.

 5. Ut cum judex advenerit
 Christus in fine saeculi
 nos sempiterni gaudii
 faciat esse compotes.

 6. Deo Patri sit gloria
ejusque soli Filio,
cum Spiritu Paracleto,
et nunc et in perpetuum.


Exsultet Orbis Gaudiis performed by Giovanni Vianini

EXSULTET ORBIS GAUDIIS (1632 Revision)

1. Exsultet orbis gaudiis:
Cælum resúltet láudibus:
Apostolórum glóriam
Tellus et astra concinunt.

2. Vos sæculórum iúdices,
Et vera mundi lúmina:
Votis precámur córdium,
Audíte voces súpplicum.

3. Qui templa cæli cláuditis,
Serásque verbo sólvitis,
Nos a reátu noxios
Solvi iubete, quæsumus.

4. Præcépta quorum protinus
Languor salusque sentiunt:
Sanáte mentes languidas:
Augete nos virtútibus.

5. Ut, cum redibit arbiter
In fine Christus sæculi,
Nos sempitérni gáudii
Concedat esse cómpotes.

6. Patri, simúlque Fílio,
Tibique Sancte Spíritus,
Sicut fuit, sit iúgiter
Sæclum per omne glória. Amen.


Setting of Exsultet Orbis Gaudiis by Francesco Cavalli (1602-1676)



June 27, 2013

God, Who Made the Earth

Who If I Lean On Him, Will Care For Me

God, Who Made the Earth was written by Sarah Betts Rhodes (1829-1904). The wife of a Sheffield merchant, she was a sculptor and head of a school for girls. She composed both the lyrics and the original melody of God, Who Made the Earth for the local Sheffield School Union Whitsuntide Festival of 1870. Today it is sung to a variety of tunes including: Sommerlied, Cura Dei, Beechwood, or Caldwell Church. It is a popular choice for children's hymnals. In the Divine Office it is used in Morning and Evening Prayer.

GOD, WHO MADE THE EARTH by Sarah Betts Rhodes (Public Domain)

1. God, Who made the earth,
The air, the sky, the sea,
Who gave the light its birth,
He cares for me.

2. God, Who made the grass,
The flow’r, the fruit, the tree,
The day and night to pass,
He cares for me. God,

3. Who made the sun,
The moon, the stars, is He
Who, when life’s clouds come on,
He cares for me.

4. God, Who made all things,
On earth, in air, in sea,
Who if I lean on Him,
Will care for me.

5. When in Heav’n’s bright land
I all His loved ones see,
I’ll sing with that blest band,
“God cared for me.”

June 22, 2013

Maiden, Yet A Mother

Hope, It's Living Fountain

Maiden, Yet A Mother is a translation of a poem by Durante (Dante) degli Alighieri (c.1265–1321). It is based upon the opening verses of Canto 33 of the Paradiso from his Divine Comedy in which St. Bernard of Clairvaux, (1090–1153) praises and prays to the Virgin Mother on behalf of Dante. It was translated from the original Italian into English by the Catholic convert, Monseigneur Ronald A. Knox (1888-1957). Common settings of his text are to the tunes: Grace Soit Rendue and Une Vaine Crainte. A MP3 sample of Une Vaine Crainte can be found in the Adoremus Hymnal (#540). In the Divine Office, Maiden, Yet A Mother is used with Morning and Evening Prayer.