A Noble Flower of Juda

Painting by Gerard van Honthorst - Courtesy of Wikipedia

A Noble Flower of Juda is a paraphrased adaption by Anthony G. Petti of an anonymous 15th century Marian hymn: Es ist ein Ros Entsprungen (A Rose Has Spring Up). The original words of the German carol are of anonymous authorship and were first published in 1599 along with the traditional folk tune commonly associated with it: Es ist ein Ros, then later adapted in 1609 by the German composer, Michael Praetorius (1571-1621). In the Divine Office (1974), A Noble Flower of Juda is sung at Evening Prayer I on Christmas Eve, and is also used as an optional hymn from Christmas up until Epiphany.


Tune: Es ist ein Ros entsprungen

Christ, in Whose Passion Once Was Sown

From Thee the Martyrs, We From Those

Christ, in Whose Passion Once Was Sown was written by Walter H. Shewring (1906–1990). A convert to the Catholic Faith, he was professor of classics at Ampleforth, a Benedictine College in the UK for nearly 60 years. He wrote or translated several hymns for the New Westminster Hymnal (1961), in which Christ, in Whose Passion Once was Sown was first published. It is sung to a setting of the Magnificat: Mein Seel, O Gott, Muss Loben Dich by the German Baroque composer and organist, Michael Praetorius (1571-1621) from his Lutheran choral work, Puericinium (1621). An alternative tune that can also be used is Winchester New, as featured in the following video. In the Liturgy of the Hours, Christ, in Whose Passion Once Was Sown is used in the Common of One Martyr, and the Common of Several Martyrs.


Alternative Tune: Winchester New