The Introit for Easter Day: Resurrexi Et Adhuc ("I am risen and behold")

Since I wrote on the Introit for the Second Sunday of Easter two years ago, and since I haven't written on the one for Easter Day ever, I will remedy that now.  Here's a video of the Introit:



And here's an mp3 from JoguesChant.  It lists text source as Psalm 139:18, 5-6, 1-2, and gives this translation:

I am risen, and I am always with you, alleluia; you have placed your hand upon me, alleluia; your wisdom has been shown to be most wonderful, alleluia, alleluia. O Lord, you have searched me and known me; you know when I sit down and when I rise up.

Here's the chant score:

The first part of the Introit ("I am risen" and "I am with you always") has very interesting resonances for the day. In fact, as far as I can see, verse 18 of Psalm 139 is always translated "When I awake," never "I am risen" (except in the Douay-Rheims!). And "I am with you always") is directly out of Matthew 28:20. But, we can pretend they're part of Psalm 139, if we like.

Here's Giovanni Vianini's version of the introit:



And wow: here's a spectacular version, which is apparently Old Roman chant:



From the YouTube Page:

From an album of Old Roman chant (7th and 8th Century) performed by Ensemble Organum under the direction of Marcel Peres. The playlist for the entire album is found at http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=92FD70EAF04E787B.

The text of Resurrexi et adhuc tecum sum ("I am risen and behold I am with you") is that of the Introit (Entrance chant) of the Roman rite celebration of the Eucharist on Easter day, It serves as the antiphon for the chanting of Psalm 139.

Antiphon:

Resurrexi, et adhuc tecum sum, alleluia!
Posuisti super me manum tuam, alleluia!
Mirabilis facta est scientia tua, alleluia, alleluia!

Psalm 139 verses and Doxology:

Domine, probasti me, et cognovisti me.
Cognovisti sessionem mean, et resurrectionem meam.

Ecce Domine, tu cognovisti omnia novissima et antiqua.
Tu formasti me et posuisti super me manum tuam

Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritu Sancto,
Sicut erat in principio et nunc et semper et in saecula saeculorum.
Amen.

Translation:

Antiphon:

I am risen and behold I am with you.
You have placed your hand on me.
How wonderful is you knowledge!

Psalm 139 verses and Doxology:

O Lord, you have searched me and known me.
You know when I sit down and when I rise up.

Behold, Lord, you know all things ancient and new.
You have conceived me and laid you hand upon me.

Glory be to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be.
Amen.

Resurrexi et adhuc tecum sum appears on the recording by Ensemble Organum. Chants of the Church of Roman - Byzantine Period. http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=92FD70EAF04E787B

The collection is devoted to chants of the Church of Rome when most of the popes came from the churches of the Byzantine Empire (590 - 752), coinciding with the rise of the Prophet Muhammad (550 - 632) and the Umayyad Caliphate (660- 750). Liturgies were celebrated with chants in both Greek and Latin.

This chant was the inspiration for a setting of the text by US composer Michael Barger, I Am Risen and Behold I Am With You.

And that last piece is also at YouTube. Here it's sung by the Choir of St. Gregory of Nyssa in San Francisco, apparently:



Here's the blurb from that page:

Composed by American Michael Barger and performed by the Choir of Saint Gregory of Nyssa Episcopal Church in San Francisco. The visual images, with the exception of the pictures of the two soloists, are all from St Gregory's.

The following are notes from the composer:

The text of I Am Risen is that of the Introit (Entrance chant) of the Roman rite celebration of the Eucharist on Easter day, Resurrexi et adhuc tecum sum, which serves as the antiphon for the chanting of Psalm 139.

Antiphon:

I am risen and behold and am with you, Alleluia!
You have placed you hand on me, Alleluia!
O God, how wonderf'lly you know me, Alleluia!

Psalm Verse One:

O Lord, you search me and you know me.
You know when I sit down and rise up again, Alleluia!

Psalm Verse Two:

Behold, Lord, you know all things both ancient and new.
You have conceived me, and laid your hand upon me, Alleluia!

Doxology:

Glory be to the Father of Love,
And to the Son, who is risen from the dead,
And to the Spirit giving us new life,
As it was in the beginning, is now, and every shall be, Alleluia!

The composition was inspired by the recording of Resurrexi et adhuc tecum sum on Ensemble Organum's recording
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qepWS3yU2Lg, Chants of the Church of Roman - Byzantine Period. It is devoted to chants of the Church of Rome when most of the popes came from the churches of the Byzantine Empire ( 590 - 752), coinciding with the rise of the Prophet Muhammad (550 - 632) and the Umayyad Caliphate (660- 750). Liturgies were celebrated with chants in both Greek and Latin.

I Am Risen has become a favorite hymn of the community of the Church of St. Gregory of Nyssa in San Francisco. http://www.saintgregorys.org/
It is sung at Communion at the Easter Vigil; by tradition the following Sunday, called Bright Sunday; and at the last Sunday of the Easter season.

It has also been sung at weddings, funerals, and birthday celebrations. Some have said, "It isn't Easter until we sing I Am Risen." Pilgrims have remarked, "I come to St. Gregory's for Easter to hear I Am Risen."

Musically the hymn is in the Mixolydian mode and marked by chords of the ninth. Music for the hymn is available from St. Gregory of Nyssa and from Amazon. It is Number 73 in the St. Gregory's hymnal, Music For Liturgy.

The video closes with a picture of the cover of the hymn book featuring saints from the Dancing Saints iconic mural in the church's rotunda. http://www.saintgregorys.org/worship/art_section/243/

From right to left they are:

Origen (c. 185--254), the teacher whose work influenced the humanistic thought of St. Gregory of Nyssa (c 335 -- 395) as he developed his theology of "becoming a friend of God," "the only thing truly worthwhile."

Malcom X (1925 -- 1965), who was murdered after discovering the universality of God's love for all humankind after his pilgrimage to Mecca.

Queen Elizabeth I (1533 -- 1603), who reigned artfully over a kingdom divided by Catholics and Protestants, and who said, "There is one Lord Jesus Christ. All the rest is arguments about trifles."

Iqbal Masih (1983 - 1995) , the 12-year-old Pakistani Christian who agitated against child slave labor by the Carpet Mafia and was murdered after attending church on Easter day. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0D6K18wq8A

St. Teresa of Avila (1515 - 1582), the great Spanish mystic and Doctor of the Church. whose prayers echo those of the great Muslim mystic of Basra, Rabi'ah al- 'Adawiya (717--801), http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQTfZodyJIY

Composer Michael Barger grew up in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. His work is highly influenced by Islamic and Byzantine Arabic chant and especially by the Lebanese Byzantine chanter, Sister Marie Keyrouz. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0MGzmVaIUw

I was prepared not to like that piece - and didn't, at first - but it grows on you.

I've come to adore this apparent 17th-century collaboration on Noli me Tangere between Abraham Janssens (who did the figures) and Jan Wildens (who painted the landscape) - that's what it says, honest! - and which is now in the Musée des beaux-arts in Dunkerque, France. I just love the "gardener" theme, and this is a great one!