“A Solis Ortus Cardine”.
12th-Century Chant from The Sarum Use, sung by Maddy Alabaster — former Christchurch Primary School pupil.
Available on YouTube
The Seventeenth Verse of “A Solis Ortus Cardine”
sung as a Charm against Bleeding.
Prayerbook from Kingdom of Mercia,
Late 8th-Century A.D. — Early-9th-Century A.D.
Royal MS 8 A XX, British Library.
Source: Digitised manuscript, British Library.
Author: Unknown.
(Wikimedia Commons)
Text from Wikipedia - the free encyclopædia, unless stated otherwise.
“A Solis Ortus Cardine” (Latin: “From The Pivot Of the Sun’s Rising”) is a Hymn by Sedulius (☩ 450 A.D.), recounting Christ’s Life from His Birth to His Resurrection.
Its twenty-three Verses each begin with a consecutive letter
of the Latin alphabet, making the Poem an “Abecedarius”.
It is one of the oldest parts of the Roman Catholic Liturgy,
with two Hymns formed from the first seven Verses and four later Verses.
and later translations into other languages, most notably
into German Poetry, by Martin Luther during the Reformation, and the rendering into the Scottish Gaelic language by Fr. Allan MacDonald.[1][2]
The original Latin Hymn and Luther’s translation have been set for Chorus and Organ by many Composers including Dufay, di Lasso, Praetorius, Palestrina, Scheidt, de Grigny
and Bach.
“From the rising of the sun,
ReplyDeleteTo the ends of the earth,
Let us praise Christ the Prince,
Born of the Virgin Mary.”
“The Blessed Creator of the world,
Took a docile body,
So that, by the flesh He could liberate flesh,
Saving from loss what He had made.”
“In the chaste cloister of the Mother,
The heavenly grace entered;
The Maid's womb carried,
Secrets that she hadn't understood”.
“The dwelling of her heart,
Suddently became God’s Temple,
Immaculate, knowing no man,
At a word she conceived the Son.”
“The Mother gave birth,
To the One whom Gabriel had foretold,
Whom John the Baptist recognized,
By leaping within his mother's womb.” (English translation, 1st Five Verses, A Solis Ortus Cardine.) -Note by Dante P
Thank you, Zephyrinus, for featuring this ancient Christian hymn composed (as mentioned) by the priest-monk and poet, Sedulius Caelius, d. ca. 440 AD). (His antiphon, “Hail Holy Mother, is still used for the Votive Mass Introit for the Mass IV of the Blessed Virgin on Saturdays: Salve sancta parens,
ReplyDeleteEnixa puerpera Regem
Qui caelum terramque regit
In saecula saeculorum.” )
The music experts tell us the hymn’s mysterious musical effect is because it uses both the ancient Doric and Phrygian minor key tones, eschewing therefore traditional “bright” keys and tones and creating a unique ascending scale in the first phrase.
The full poem is moderately long, as mentioned above, telling in mnemonic-style alphabetic verses the life of Christ from the Incarnation to Crucifixion and Resurrection.
Thank you for keeping this ancient musical Gregorian chant hymn alive, Zephyrinus. -Note by Dante P
What a marvellous contribution from our Liturgical Mediæval Music Correspondent, Dante P, for which we are truly grateful.
DeleteZephyrinus was ignorant of many of the captivating points mentioned by Dante P and is grateful for the education given.
How lovely that, as Dante P states: “ . . . His antiphon, “Hail Holy Mother”, is still used for the Votive Mass Introit for the Mass IV of the Blessed Virgin on Saturdays: Salve sancta parens”.
Let us all continue to hope (and Pray) that more-enlightened Bishops, Parish Priests, and Choir Musical Directors, become more amenable to this Divine Glorification of Almighty God, instead of the more execrable offerings and dross that we have all endured in recent years.
Please God, Hear Our Prayer !!!
“… instead of the more execrable offerings and dross that we have all endured in recent years.” Indeed, Zephyrinus. “offerings?” Aaargh. -Comment by Dante P
ReplyDeleteOne more comment initiated by Zephyrinus’ focus on this beautiful ancient hymn (hopefully not belaboring the main focus, its beauty):
ReplyDeleteSo the musical experts explain the Doric tone—called “Doric” because it seemed to originate from ancient Greek harmonies—would be (if played on a piano keyboard) a “C” scale— but the 3rd and 6th notes are a 1/2 tone flat (or “flatted” in musical notation). In a typical minor key, the 3rd, 6th and 7th tones are flatted: but the Doric tone seems to “waver” between a major and minor harmony.
The Phrygian tone—named for the ancient kingdom in Anatolia—perhaps originating from there, perhaps not—would be a “D” scale on a piano keyboard but playing only the white notes (the 2nd, 3rd, 6th and 7th notes are therefore a 1/2 tone flat from the D major scale).
In this hymn, according to en-academic.com (a site specializing in academic Q’s of this kind), the first two phrases are Doric; but the hymn switches in the 3rd phrase to Phrygian, adding another aspect of “musical interest” to the ear: And no doubt fixing it in the memory.
No doubt also, this is another layer of hidden depth of meaning in this inspired hymn, which is also why it has survived over 15 centuries. -Note by Dante P