“Lætabundus”.
By: Schola Gregoriana Plagensis.
“Christus Natus Est”.
Gregorian Chant on Christmas Eve.
The Premonstratensians.
℗ 2020 Christophorus.
Conductor: Rupert Gottfried Frieberger.
Choir: Schola Gregoriana Plagensis.
Available on YouTube
unless stated otherwise.
From “The Liturgical Year”.
From “The Liturgical Year”.
By: Abbot Guéranger, O.S.B.
“We give two favourite Pieces of the Middle- Ages, whereby our Fathers expressed their joy on this glorious Solemnity. The first is a Sequence, which is to be found in all the Roman-French Missals. For a long time, it was thought to have been written by St. Bernard (A.D. 1090 – 20 August A.D. 1153) : but, we have seen it in a Manuscript of the 11th century, and, consequently, it must have been written earlier than the date usually assigned to it.“
Dictionary of Hymnology, Julian, has the following:
Dictionary of Hymnology, Julian, has the following:
Among Missals, it is found:
In an Early-14th-Century Parisian Missal and a 14th-Century Sens Missal, in the British Museum;
In a Sarum Missal, circa 1370;
In a Hereford Missal, circa 1370;
In a York Missal, circa 1390;
(all the above now in the Bodleian Library);
In the Saint Andrews Missal;
In the Magdeburg Missal of 1480;
In many French and German Missals.
It was also used as a Hymn in the Sarum Breviary, e.g. in a MS. of the 14th-Century, in the British Museum (Reg. 2 A. xiv. f. 187 b).
The printed Text is also in Daniel, ii. p. 61; Kehrein, No. 13, and others.
Of this Poem. Dr. Neale says:
Of this Poem. Dr. Neale says:
“This Sequence, or Hymn, is of rare perfection in its kind, and perhaps as widely-known as any Hymn of The Church” (Medieval Hymns, 1851, p.49).
“As will be seen by the Note, above, its use was specially general in England and in France.
“In the Sarum Missal, it was used as the Sequence on the Fourth Day in the Octave of The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary;
“In the Sarum Breviary, it was used as a Hymn at Second Vespers of The Purification, and also of The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
“In the Hereford Missal, it is appointed for use within the Octave of the Epiphany;
“In the York Missal, it is used in The Mass at Daybreak on Christmas day. [J. M.]”
This Sequence is found in the Cantus Database, some of the entries are to parodies of this popular Sequence.
This Sequence is found in the Cantus Database, some of the entries are to parodies of this popular Sequence.
These parodies are listed below.
This Sequence is still found in the Dominican Missal as the Sequence for the Third Christmas (Day) Mass and in Mass of The Purification of The Blessed Virgin Mary.
In the Sarum Missal, it is used on the fourth day of the Octave of the Assumption.
The original Text has been used for a number of different Feasts.
Translations can be found at this site The Hymns and Carols of ChristmasLaetabundus, former Sequence (Gregobase link)
Translations can be found at this site The Hymns and Carols of ChristmasLaetabundus, former Sequence (Gregobase link)
The following Parodies can be found in the following (this is an incomplete list !)
Laetabundus, St John (Cantus varii romano-seraphici, Solesmes, 1902) (Gregobase link)
Laetabundus, St Paul, A.H. Vol. 43 No. 266
Laetabundus, St Patrick, Analecta Hymnica Vol. 40
Laetabundus, St Matthew, A.H. Vol 5, No. 255
Laetabundus, St Augustine A.H. Vol. 44, No. 58
Laetabundus, St Clare, A.H. Vol. 44, No. 100
Laetabundus, St Katherine, A.H. Vol. 44, No. 196
Laetabundus, St Usula, A.H. Vol. 44, No. 311
An infamous Parody of this Sequence is the “Or Hi Parra / Or i Parra”, a 13th-Century Anglo-Norman drinking song.
An infamous Parody of this Sequence is the “Or Hi Parra / Or i Parra”, a 13th-Century Anglo-Norman drinking song.
This is similar to the Salutation Carol in the Oxford English Carol Book, that has an Alternative Verse devoted to drinking, more Verses for this song on the joy of beer can be found here.
The “Or i Parra”, follows the pattern of the above Parodies by keeping the Latin endings of the original Sequence, but adding new texts that alter those Latin parts to illustrate and sing about the joys of beer.
More on this Parody including a translation can be found here.
The following Text is from
CORPUS CHRISTI WATERSHED
The Christmas Sequence:“Laetabundus”.
By: Daniel Tucker.
21 December 2022.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the musical tradition of The Church accumulated hundreds of Sequences; Latin Hymns that were Chanted just before the Gospel Reading and were Proper to the particular Liturgical Day or Season.
With the Liturgical Reforms of Pope Saint Pius V in 1570, though, The Church’s collection of Sequences in the Roman Rite was reduced to just four:
“Victimae Paschale Laudes” (Easter) (11th-Century);
“Veni Sancte Spiritus” (Pentecost) (12th-Century).
Dominican Friars, Fr. Stefan Ansinger, OP, and Fr. Alexandre Frezzato, OP, have produced this lovely recording of the Sequence as part of their work for the YouTube Channel OPChant:
The English translation reads:
Let the Choir of all the Faithful exult in their joy.
Making itself little as the hyssop.
He that is The Word of The Most High God deigns to take a body unto Himself;
He assumes our flesh.
The following Text is from
CORPUS CHRISTI WATERSHED
The Christmas Sequence:“Laetabundus”.
By: Daniel Tucker.
21 December 2022.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the musical tradition of The Church accumulated hundreds of Sequences; Latin Hymns that were Chanted just before the Gospel Reading and were Proper to the particular Liturgical Day or Season.
With the Liturgical Reforms of Pope Saint Pius V in 1570, though, The Church’s collection of Sequences in the Roman Rite was reduced to just four:
“Victimae Paschale Laudes” (Easter) (11th-Century);
“Veni Sancte Spiritus” (Pentecost) (12th-Century).
“Lauda Sion Salvatorem” (Corpus Christi) (Circa 1264).
“Dies Iræ” (13th-Century) All Souls’ Day and Masses for The Dead.
[Four hundred years later, the Liturgical Reforms of Pope Paul VI in 1970 removed the “Dies Iræ” from the Requiem Mass and transferred it to the Liturgy of the Hours for the 34th Sunday in Ordinary Time.]
In 1727, the number of Sequences in the Roman Rite was expanded to five with the restoration of the Stabat Mater Dolorosa (13th-Century) for the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows.
One may wonder why the Feast of the Nativity of The Lord was left off from Pope Saint Pius V’s list, given that major Feasts of similar status, such as Easter and Pentecost, had their Sequences included.
In 1727, the number of Sequences in the Roman Rite was expanded to five with the restoration of the Stabat Mater Dolorosa (13th-Century) for the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows.
One may wonder why the Feast of the Nativity of The Lord was left off from Pope Saint Pius V’s list, given that major Feasts of similar status, such as Easter and Pentecost, had their Sequences included.
There is, in fact, a Sequence for Christmas which, although left out of the Roman Rite, has been preserved in the Dominican Rite.
This Sequence, called “Lætabundus” (Joy Abounding), is sung by the Dominicans at Christmas, Epiphany, and Candlemas.
Dominican Friars, Fr. Stefan Ansinger, OP, and Fr. Alexandre Frezzato, OP, have produced this lovely recording of the Sequence as part of their work for the YouTube Channel OPChant:
“Lætabundus”.
(In Nativitate Domini ad Missam in die).
“Sequentia” of the Mass Of The Day
for The Nativity of Our Lord (Christmas)
according to the Dominican Gregorian Chant.
Available on YouTube
Let the Choir of all the Faithful exult in their joy.
Alleluia.
The Virgin’s womb hath given us the King of Kings !
The Virgin’s womb hath given us the King of Kings !
O wonderful mystery !
The Angel of the great Counsel is born of The Virgin,
The Angel of the great Counsel is born of The Virgin,
the Sun is born of a Star !
The Sun knows no setting; the Star is ever shining, ever bright.
As a Star gives forth its ray, so does The Virgin her Child.
The Star loses naught of its purity by the ray it yields,
As a Star gives forth its ray, so does The Virgin her Child.
The Star loses naught of its purity by the ray it yields,
So neither does The Virgin by her Child.
The lofty cedar of Libanus comes down into our valley, Making itself little as the hyssop.
He that is The Word of The Most High God deigns to take a body unto Himself;
He assumes our flesh.
Isaias had foretold all this;
And the Jews, though they knew the prophecy by heart, see not its accomplishment in this mystery.
If they will not believe their Prophets,
If they will not believe their Prophets,
Let them believe the Sybils, who thus sang:
‘Unhappy people, delay not, believe, at least,
the ancient oracles !
Why wilt thou be cast off, O chosen nation ?
This is the Child of Whom thy books tell thee:
This is the Child of Whom thy books tell thee:
He is the Son of a Virgin-Mother.’
Alleluia.
As Advent draws to a close, let us mark well and with joyful expectation the coming of “the Son of a Virgin-Mother,” and with her let us long for Him “with love beyond all telling” !
As Advent draws to a close, let us mark well and with joyful expectation the coming of “the Son of a Virgin-Mother,” and with her let us long for Him “with love beyond all telling” !
[From the Preface from 17 December until Christmas Eve].
Auguste Le Guennant (☩ 1972) published an Organ Accompaniment for the “Lætabundus” Sequence. It can be downloaded in the Saint Jean de Lalande On-Line library.
Auguste Le Guennant (☩ 1972) published an Organ Accompaniment for the “Lætabundus” Sequence. It can be downloaded in the Saint Jean de Lalande On-Line library.
