An antiphon for Eastertide: Surrexit Dominus Vere

We've been singing this lovely fraction anthem at the Eucharist during Eastertide; it's S167 in the 1982 Hymnal.  The setting cited there is "Mode 6 melody, adapt. Mason Martens (b. 1933)."   The parts in italics below are congregational; the other lines are sung by a soloist in the choir.

The disciples knew the Lord Jesus in the breaking of the bread.
The bread which we break, alleluia, is the communion of the body of Christ.
The disciples knew the Lord Jesus in the breaking of the bread.
One body are we, alleluia, for though many we share one bread.
The disciples knew the Lord Jesus in the breaking of the bread.

I searched for audio or video of this online, but to no avail.  Then, I happened to stumble upon the Easter antiphon Surrexit Dominus Vere - I can't remember how or why - and lo and behold:  this is the very same melody sung by the soloists in the fraction anthem above. (The congregational response is very beautiful, but not part of this antiphon, apparently.)  Here Giovanni Vianini sings it:



Fisheaters mentions the original verse/response on their Easter page:

On this, the holiest day of the entire year, and for the entire Octave of Easter, Latin Catholics greet each other with the words of Luke 24:34, "Surrexit Dominus vere, alleluia!" ("The Lord is risen indeed!"). The person so greeted responds, "Et apparuit Simoni, alleluia!" ("And hath appeared unto Simon!"). Catholics may even answer their telephones with this greeting. An old Ukrainian legend relates that, after His Resurrection, Christ threw Satan into a deep pit, chaining him with twelve iron chains. When Satan has chewed through each of the twelve chains, the end of the world will come. All year long, the Evil One gnaws at the iron, getting to the last link in the last chain -- but too late, for it is Easter, and when the people cry "Christ is risen!" all of Satan's efforts are reversed. When the faithful stop saying the Easter acclamation, the end of time has come...

Searching on "Et apparuit Simoni" brought up this page at Cantus database - and the numerous links to the phrase in various manuscripts, including a few images.  The Verse/Response was used at many different offices throughout at least the Octave of Easter - although DivinumOfficium has it used mainly, as far as I can tell, as the Verse/Response before the first reading at Matins in early Eastertide.  (Searching just "Surrexit Dominus vere" brings up lots of citations - this one, for example - but we're interested in including the "Simoni" ("Simon") language, since that does seem to be part of this antiphon in particular.   The reference for all of these is from Luke, and "Surrexit Dominus vere," with or without "Simoni," is used frequently throughout Eastertide, as you can imagine.)

For instance, this is from the Antiphonarium Massiliense 1201-1300 (a book from Marseille, France):

And this is from Fribourg/Freiburg, Couvent des Cordeliers/Franziskanerkloster: (an "Antiphonary for Franciscan use")

Here, the Schola Cantorum de Regina Pacis (Klaipeda, Lithuania) sings it:

Surrexit Dominus vere, alleluia, alleluia. Et apparuit Simoni, alleluia, alleluia. Glória Patri, et Fíllio, et Spirítui Sancto.

Viešpats tikrai prisikėlė, aleliuja, aleliuja. Ir pasirodė Simonui, aleliuja, aleliuja. Garbė Dievui Tėvui, ir Sūnui, ir Šventajai Dvasiai.

FIlmuota 2010 m. balandžio 25 d. Klaipėdos šv. Kazimiero bažnyčioje.

Schola Cantorum de Regina Pacis choir is based in the church of St. Mary, Queen of Peace (Klaipeda, Lithuania)

More info: www.regina-pacis.org

It seems several composers have set the text; here are the words from Jacquet de Bechem's setting.  He includes the text from the Gradual for Easter Day, Haec dies:

Alleluia. Quia surrexit Dominus vere,
et apparuit Simoni, alleluia.
Exultemus et laetemur
dies ista laetitiae.
Haec dies, quam fecit Dominus
Exultemus et laetemur in ea.
Alleluia.

Alleluia. The Lord has truly risen
and appeared to Simon, alleluia.
Let us rejoice on this day of joy,
which the Lord has made;
let us rejoice in it.

And there's a Taize Surrexit dominus vere, also:

The Marian Antiphons: Regina Caeli

Regina Caeli is the Marian antiphon sung at Compline from Easter Eve until Pentecost. 

Here's the antiphon sung to the Simple Tone by the Benedictine monks of Santo Domingo de Silos. (Chant score from the Liber Usualis (1961), p.278.)



Here's the chant score of the Simple Tone version, from the Liber Usualis:

Here it is sung to the Solemn Tone, by the Benedictine Monks of the Abbey of Saint Maurice et Saint Maur de Clervaux. (Chant score from the Liber Usualis (1961), p. 275.)



Here's the chant score of the Solemn Tone version, from the Liber Usualis:

Here are links to posts about all four antiphons on Chantblog:

• The Marian Antiphons: Alma Redemptoris Mater (sung from the first Sunday of Advent until the Feast of the Purification on February 2)
• The Marian Antiphons: Ave, Regina Caelorum (sung from after Purification (February 2 or Candlemas) until Easter Vigil) 
• The Marian Antiphons: Regina Caeli (sung from Easter Eve until Pentecost)
• The Marian Antiphons: Salve Regina (sung from the day after Pentecost Sunday until the first Sunday of Advent)

This is from "Singing the Four Seasonal Marian Anthems," by Lucy Carroll, published in Adoremus:

Regina Caeli

Regina Caeli is perhaps the second-most familiar of the four texts, having been set to music by so many composers over the centuries, and frequently heard at Easter Vigil Mass. It is sung from Easter Vigil through Pentecost Sunday.

The text first appeared about the year 1200, and is often credited to Pope Gregory V (+998); the chant melody probably dates from the 14th century.

Regina caeli, laetare, alleluia; quia quem meruisti portare, alleluia; resurrexit sicut dixit, alleluia; ora pro nobis Deum, alleluia.

(A note on the Latin: caeli is sometimes spelled coeli. The oe vowel format was integrated into Latin from the Greek, and the more accepted spelling today of this word for heaven is the fully Latinized ae version.)

This translation is by the Reverend Adrian Fortescue, 1913:

Queen of heaven, rejoice, alleluia; for He whom thou was chosen to bear, alleluia; has risen as He said, alleluia; pray for us to God, alleluia.

It is certainly indicative of the Easter season, this hymn, filled with alleluias after a Lent where no alleluia is sung.

Another form of this text is in Regina Caeli Jubilo, dating from the 17th century. Its English form survives in the hymn “Be Joyful Mary” (melody by Johann Leisentritt (1527-1586).

Here's a terrific Regina Caeli by Czech composer P. J. Vejvanovský (~1633-1693), in that Grands Motets style I like so much:



This comes from Wikipedia:

The Regina Cæli or Regina Cœli ("Queen of Heaven", pronounced [reˈdʒiːna ˈtʃɛːli] in ecclesiastical Latin), is an ancient Latin Marian Hymn of the Christian Church.
It is one of the four seasonal Marian antiphons of the Blessed Virgin Mary, prescribed to be sung or recited in the Liturgy of the Hours at the conclusion of the last of the hours to be prayed in common that day, typically night prayer (Compline or Vespers). The Regina Caeli is sung or recited in place of the Angelus during the Easter season, from Holy Saturday through Pentecost Sunday.

And this is from TPL:

The author of Regina Caeli is unknown, but by virtue of its presence (or absence) in manuscripts, it had to have been composed sometime between the 9th and 12th centuries. One possible author in that time period is Pope Gregory V (+998). Its original use appears to have been in Rome where it was used as an Antiphon for Vespers at Easter. Today the Regina Caeli is used as hymn of joy during the Easter Season (Easter Sunday until Trinity Sunday) when it is used in place of the Angelus and prescribed to be recited at Compline. (see Angelus).

Perhaps the most interesting legend surrounding the prayer has it being composed, in part, by St. Gregory the Great. The legend has it that in the year 596, during Easter time, a pestilence was ravaging Rome. St. Gregory the Great requested a procession be held to pray that the pestilence be stopped. On the appointed day of the procession he assembled with his clergy at dawn at the church of Ara Coeli. Holding in his hand the icon of our Lady that was said to have been painted by St. Luke, he and his clergy started out in procession to St. Peter's. As he passed the Castle of Hadrian, as it was called in those days, voices were heard from above singing the Regina Caeli. The astonished Pope, enraptured with the angelic singing, replied in a loud voice: "Ora pro nobis Deum. Alleluia!" At that moment an angel appeared in a glorious light, sheathed the sword of pestilence in its scabbard, and from that day the pestilence ceased. In honor of this miraculous event, the name of the castle was then changed to Sant' Angelo and the words of the angelic hymn were inscribed upon the roof of the Church of Ara Coeli.

The traditional concluding versicle and collect, which are not part of the original antiphon, are also given below.

REGINA, caeli, laetare, alleluia: Quia quem meruisti portare, alleluia, Resurrexit sicut dixit, alleluia. Ora pro nobis Deum, alleluia.	O QUEEN of heaven rejoice! alleluia: For He whom thou didst merit to bear, alleluia, Hath arisen as he said, alleluia. Pray for us to God, alleluia.
V. Gaude et laetare, Virgo Maria, alleluia, R. Quia surrexit Dominus vere, alleluia.	V. Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia. R. Because the Lord is truly risen, alleluia.
Oremus Deus, qui per resurrectionem Filii tui, Domini nostri Iesu Christi, mundum laetificare dignatus es: praesta, quaesumus; ut, per eius Genetricem Virginem Mariam, perpetuae capiamus gaudia vitae. Per eundem Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.	Let us pray O God, who gave joy to the world through the resurrection of Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ; grant, we beseech Thee, that through His Mother, the Virgin Mary, we may obtain the joys of everlasting life. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

---

From the Roman Breviary.

Here's Filippo Lippi's Madonna of Palazzo Medici-Riccardi:

This is from the Wikipedia link above:

The Madonna of Palazzo Medici-Riccardi is a painting by the Italian Renaissance artist Filippo Lippi. It is housed in the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi ofFlorence, central Italy.

History

Rear view.

The painting was found by art historian Giuseppe Poggi in 1907 in the psychiatric hospital of San Salvi in Florence. There are several theories about the provenance of the panel: Poggi assigned it to the Villa of Castelpulci, owned by the Riccardi family, who bought Palazzo Medici in 1655. According to another, the Madonna was instead part of the original decoration of the palace.

After having been acquired by the Italian state, it was moved to Palazzo Medici-Riccardi, where now is displayed in the Hall of the Triumphs and Arts in the first floor, near the gallery of Luca Giordano. It has been restored in 2001 by the Opificio delle Pietre Dure.

Description

The model of the painting had been used by Lippi since as early as 1436: it portrays the Madonna's half-bust in a niche with a shell-shaped dome, holding the Child; in this case, he stands on a marble parapet. The style is however typical of his late career, not far from the frescoes in the Cathedral of Spoleto, and is thus generally considered on the of the artists' last panels.

The rear of the panel has a drawing with St. Jerome's head.

 

The Marian Antiphons: Ave, Regina Caelorum

Here's something about this hymn from "Singing the Four Seasonal Marian Anthems," by Lucy Carroll, published in Adoremus:

Ave Regina Caelorum

This anthem is sung from after Purification (February 2 or Candlemas) until Easter Vigil. Its earliest appearance was in the 12th century, although some also attribute this text to Herimann the Lame.

Ave regina caelorum, ave domina angelorum: salve radix, salve porta, ex qua mundo lux est orta: Gaude Virgo, gloriosa, super omnes speciosa, vale o valde decora, et pro nobis Christum exora.

This translation was done for our monastery by Dr. Rudolph Masciantonio, president of the Philadelphia Latin Liturgy Association:

Hail, queen of heaven, hail lady of the angels. Hail, root, hail the door through which the Light of the world is risen. Rejoice, glorious Virgin, beautiful above all. Hail, O very fair one, and plead for us to Christ.

Here's the antiphon sung to the Simple Tone by the Benedictine Monks of the Abbey at Ganagobie. Chant score from the Liber Usualis (1961), p. 278.)



Here's the chant score of the Simple Tone version, from the Liber Usualis:

Here's the Solemn Tone version of the antiphon, sung by the Benedictine Monks of Santo Domingo de Silos. (Chant score from the Liber Usualis (1961), pp. 274-275.)




Here's the chant score of the Solemn Tone version, from the Liber Usualis:

Here are links to posts about all four antiphons on Chantblog:

• The Marian Antiphons: Alma Redemptoris Mater (sung from the first Sunday of Advent until the Feast of the Purification on February 2)
• The Marian Antiphons: Ave, Regina Caelorum (sung from after Purification (February 2 or Candlemas) until Easter Vigil) 
• The Marian Antiphons: Regina Caeli (sung from Easter Eve until Pentecost)
• The Marian Antiphons: Salve Regina (sung from the day after Pentecost Sunday until the first Sunday of Advent)

Here's a bit about Ave, Regina Caelorum from Wikipedia:

Ave Regina Caelorum is one of four Marian antiphons, with following versicles and prayers, traditionally said or sung after each of the canonical hours of the Liturgy of the Hours.^[1][2] The prayer is used especially after Compline, the final canonical hour of prayer before going to sleep. It is said from the Feast of the Presentation (February 2) through Wednesday of Holy Week.^[3] The origins of the prayer are unknown but it can be found included in a twelfth century manuscript.^[4]

And this is from TPL:

Ave Regina Caelorum is a popular Marian antiphon from around the 12th century. It appears to be of monastic origin and the author is unknown. Herman Contractus (+1054) is often suggested as the author, for he wrote several popular Marian antiphons arround then. This antiphon is one of the traditional concluding antiphons for Compline in use since the 13th century. It is traditionally recited from the Feast of the Purification (Feb. 2) until Wednesday in Holy Week. The traditional collect, which is not a part of the antiphon proper, is also given below. As noted by St. Jerome, the versicle and response originally appeared in the writings of St. Ephrem the Syrian (306-373).

AVE, Regina caelorum, Ave, Domina Angelorum: Salve, radix, salve, porta, Ex qua mundo lux est orta:	HAIL, O Queen of Heav'n enthron'd, Hail, by angels Mistress own'd Root of Jesse, Gate of morn, Whence the world's true light was born.
Gaude, Virgo gloriosa, Super omnes speciosa, Vale, o valde decora, Et pro nobis Christum exora.	Glorious Virgin, joy to thee, Loveliest whom in Heaven they see, Fairest thou where all are fair! Plead with Christ our sins to spare.
V. Dignare me laudare te, Virgo sacrata. R. Da mihi virtutem contra hostes tuos.	V. Allow me to praise thee, holy Virgin. R. Give me strength against thy enemies.
Oremus Concede, misericors Deus, fragilitati nostrae praesidium; ut, qui sanctae Dei Genetricis memoriam agimus; intercessionis eius auxilio, a nostris iniquitatibus resurgamus. Per eundem Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.	Let us pray Grant, O merciful God, to our weak natures Thy protection, that we who commemorate the holy Mother of God may, by the help of her intercession, arise from our iniquities. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

---

From the Roman Breviary. Translation of the antiphon itself by Fr. Edward Caswall (1814-1878).

Here's another Rafael madonna:

From Wikipedia:

The Madonna della tenda is a 1514 painting by theItalian renaissance artist Raphael.^[1] It shows Mary embracing the child Christ, while the young John the Baptist watches. The design of the painting resembles that of the Madonna della seggiola from the same period.

Christmas Day Vespers: Hodie Christus natus est / Magnificat

Here, the Schola Cantorum Riga sings the Antiphon upon Magnificat for Christmas Day Vespers, along with the Magnificat itself (and soprano sax accompaniment).

Hodie Christus natus est:
Hodie Salvator apparuit:
Hodie in terra canunt Angeli,
laetantur Archangeli
Hodie exsultant justi, dicentes:
Gloria in excelsis Deo.
Alleluia.

Magnificat anima mea Dominum,
et exsultavit spiritus meus in Deo salvatore meo,
quia respexit humilitatem ancillae suae.
Ecce enim ex hoc beatam me dicent omnes generationes,
quia fecit mihi magna,
qui potens est,
et sanctum nomen eius,
et misericordia eius in progenies et progenies
timentibus eum.
Fecit potentiam in brachio suo,
dispersit superbos mente cordis sui;
deposuit potentes de sede
et exaltavit humiles;
esurientes implevit bonis
et divites dimisit inanes.
Suscepit Israel puerum suum,
recordatus misericordiae,
sicut locutus est ad patres nostros,
Abraham et semini eius in saecula.


Today Christ is born:
Today the Savior appeared:
Today on Earth the Angels sing,
Archangels rejoice:
Today the righteous rejoice, saying:
Glory to God in the highest.
Alleluia.

My soul doth magnify the Lord : and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
For he hath regarded : the lowliness of his handmaiden.
For behold, from henceforth : all generations shall call me blessed.
For he that is mighty hath magnified me : and holy is his Name.
And his mercy is on them that fear him : throughout all generations.
He hath shewed strength with his arm : he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He hath put down the mighty from their seat : and hath exalted the humble and meek.
He hath filled the hungry with good things : and the rich he hath sent empty away.
He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel : as he promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed for ever.

Blessed Christmas to all.

Virgo prudentissima

Virgo prudentissima is the antiphon upon Magnificat at First Vespers of the Feast of the Assumption;  here it is, along with Magnificat, in a gorgeous recording from the choral group Vox Clamantis' new CD, "Filia Sion":



From the YouTube page:

Published on Nov 8, 2012

Antiphon: Virgo prudentissima
Magnificat

Sung by Vox Clamantis, from their CD Filia Sion (ECM).

I do not own the copyright. Please support the artists who make such beautiful music.

Please: do.   This Estonian choral group has been around since 1996 - I wasn't familiar with them till now, though! - and they are terrific.  Here's the CD page at Amazon, where you can listen to other clips; all the chants come from Marian feasts.

You can find Virgo prudentissima at Divinum Officium by typing in 08-14-2012 (or any year, in fact) at the top, and clicking, at the bottom of the page, on Vesperae; that makes it the Eve of the August 15th Feast of the Assumption, and will bring up the correct propers.

Here's the plainchant score, embedded in another recording, along with the Latin text and an English translation below:

Virgo prudentissima quo progrederis quasi aurora valde rutilans? Filia Sion tota formosa et suavis es pulchra ut luna electa ut sol.

Virgin most prudent, where are you going, rosy as the dawn? Daughter of Sion, you are altogether lovely and sweet, gorgeous as the moon, chosen as the sun.

Here's the antiphon's main listing at Cantus Database; it seems to have been used in some places more generally as "de BMV" - and at the Marian Conception (that's tomorrow, December 8) and Nativity feast days as well.

Here's a polyphonic setting of the antiphon, composed by Elzear Genet (Carpentras) (c 1470--1548); not sure who the singers are, but the YouTube page it's recorded at Staples Family Concert Hall, Central Michigan University.



Here's part of Wikipedia's entry on Genet-Carpentras:

He was born in the town of Carpentras, but nothing else is known about his early life. Sometime before 1505, he took ecclesiastical orders, since when he was hired in the Avignon chapel in that year he was called "clericus." He spent most of his life alternately in Avignon and Rome.

Evidently he was acquainted with Avignon bishop Giuliano della Rovere, for when the bishop became Pope Julius II Carpentras went with him to Rome, where he sang in the papal chapel; he was listed in a roll of the singers there in 1508. However after a few years he left the chapel to work at the court of Louis XII of France, though little is known about him at this time; clearly he was composing large quantities of secular music, some of it quite irreverent, for when he returned to Rome in 1513 he specifically promised to stop writing it. He became master of the papal chapel in 1514, now under the Medici Pope Leo X, who was an enthusiastic patron of music and the arts. When Leo X died in 1521, Carpentras fled Rome for Avignon; the new pope Adrian VI was uninterested in music, if not actively hostile, and many musicians gave him a "walking ovation."

When Adrian VI died in 1523, the new pope, Clement VII, was again a fine patron of the arts, and Carpentras returned to Rome. While there he was surprised to discover his own music still being sung but in bastardized versions; as a result he carefully copied over some of his music, such as the pictured setting of the Lamentations of Jeremiah, and presented this collection to Clement VII as the "true" or "corrected" version. However, he did not stay in Rome, and after only two years he departed for Avignon, this time for good.

In 1526 he became afflicted with tinnitus, a condition which terrified him, and which he described as a continuous hissing in his head. Apparently it was at this time that he withdrew from practical music-making and instead decided to devote himself to publishing his entire output of sacred music, an immense undertaking, and the earliest recorded such attempt in music history. The publication was troublesome; one of the printers failed to align the notes to staves correctly, and the entire process ended in arbitration at one point: however eventually, in the mid 1530s, he was able to issue four large collections of his music. Two of the volumes he dedicated to Pope Clement VII, and the other two to Cardinal Ippolito de'Medici.

Heinrich Isaac wrote a long motet, one that includes lots more text (including prayers for "the sacred Empire and for Maximilian the Emperor"!), based on this antiphon.  Here's part of it at least, with the complete Latin and English texts below:

Virgo prudentissima quae pia gaudia mundo
attulit, ut sphaeras omnes transcendit et astra
sub nitidis pedibus radiis, et luce chorusca
liquit et ordinibus iam circumsepta novenis
ter tribus atque ierarchiis excepta. Supremi
ante Dei faciem steterat, patrona reorum.
Dicite qui colitis splendentia culmina Olimpi:
Spirituum proceres, Anchangeli et Angeli et alme
Virtutesque Throni vos Principum, et agmina sancta,
vosque Potestates, et tu dominatio caeli
flammantes Cherubin, verbo Seraphinque creati,
an vos laetitiae tantus perfuderit unquam
sensus, ut aeterni Matrem vidisse tonantis
consessum. Caelo, terraque, marique potentem
Reginam, cuius nomen modo spiritus omnis
et genus humanum merito veneratur adorat.

Vos, Michael, Gabriel, Raphael testamur ad aures
illius, ut castas fundetis vota precesque
pro sacro Imperio, pro Caesare Maximiliano.
Det Virgo omnipotens hostes superare malignos:
restituat populis pacem terrisque salutem.
Hoc tibi devota carmen Georgius arte
ordinat Augusti Cantor Rectorque Capellae.
Austriacae praesul regionis, sedulus omni,
se in tua commendat studio pia gaudia mater.
Praecipuum tamen est Illi quo assumpta fuisti,
quo tu pulchra ut luna micas electa es, et ut sol.

Cantus firmus:
Virgo prudentissima, quo progrederis, quasi aurora valde rutilans? Filia Sion.
Tota formosa et suavis es: pulchra ut luna, electa ut sol.


When the most wise Virgin, who brought holy joy to the world, rose above all the spheres and left the stars beneath her shining feet in gleaming, radiant light, she was surrounded by the ninefold Ranks and received by the nine Hierarchies. She, the friend of suppliants, stood before the face of the supreme God. You who inhabit eternally the dazzling lights of Heaven –– Archangels, leaders of the spirits, and Angels, and sustaining virtues, and you thrones of princes, and you holy armies and you powers, and you dominions of Heaven, and you fiery Cherubim, and you Seraphim, created from the Word – say whether such a feeling of joy has ever overwhelmed you as when you saw the assembly of the Mother of the everlasting Almighty. She is the queen, powerful in Heaven, on land and at sea; every Spirit and every human being rightly praises and adores her divine majesty.

You, Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, we beg you to pour out to her chaste ears our prayers and entreaties for the sacred Empire and for Maximilian the Emperor. May the all-powerful Virgin grant that he may conquer his wicked enemies and restore peace to the nations and safety to the lands. With faithful skill Georgius, the emperor's Precentor and Kapellmeister, rehearses this anthem for you. The Governor of the Province of Austria, diligent in all things, earnestly commends himself to your holy pleasure, mother. The highest place, however, belongs to Him by whom you were taken up, so that you shine beautiful as the moon, excellent as the sun.

Cantus firmus: Virgin most wise, where are you going, Daughter of Sion, shining out as brightly as the dawn? You are most comely and merciful, beautiful as the moon, excellent as the sun.

HT - again! -  for the pointer to the Vox Clamantis video to cburrell at All Manner of Thing, who writes on his blog about this recording (one of his "Favorites of 2012"):

Vox Clamantis varies the texture by including several pieces by the likes of Hildegard von Bingen and Perotin, and the results are dazzling, in a quietly peaceful way. What sets this record apart from the scores of similarly programmed collections of chant is not the quality of the singing, exactly (though the singing is terrific) nor the technical excellence of the sound engineering (though it could not be better), but the quiet, even contemplative, spirit that presides over the whole. There is a wonderful, restful poise to this music; to hear it is like entering a haven. It is hard to say just how or why that is so; I can only say that, for me, the experience is rare, and so I regard this record as a treasure. The liner notes are worth pondering too: “The Gospels do not reveal all of Mary’s feelings to us; the mystery of the Incarnation is only briefly presented. Relying on a few phrases and returning endlessly to the sacred words and setting them in different contexts, the musical tradition shows their inexhaustible richness. Medieval compositions meditate on the mystery of the Incarnation in all its aspects. They display different shades of joy: explosive, superabundant joy which wells up like a source, as well as the shimmer of peaceful, meditative wonder before ‘the miracle never seen, the joy never known’.” To describe this music, and these performances of it, as “joy which wells up like a source” and a “shimmer of peaceful, meditative wonder” is as good and fitting a description as any. Highly recommended.

The Marian Antiphons: Alma Redemptoris Mater

The four Marian Antiphons have traditionally been sung at the end of Compline - each one during a particular season of the Church Year.  Here's a bit about Alma Redemptoris Mater, from "Singing the Four Seasonal Marian Anthems," by Lucy Carroll, published in Adoremus:

Alma Redemptoris Mater

Sung from the first Sunday of Advent until the Feast of the Purification on February 2 (the original ending date of the Christmas season), this prayer tells of Gabriel’s announcement, and of Mary’s divine motherhood. The text is credited to Herimann the Lame, a monk of Reichenau (1013-1054). Herimann’s Latinized name was Hermanus Contractus and he is sometimes also credited with the chant melody.

Alma Redemptoris Mater, quae pervia caeli porta manes et stella maris, succurre cadenti, surgere qui curat, populo: tu quae genuisti, natura mirante, tuum sanctum genitorem, Virgo prius, ac posterius, Gabrielis ab ore sumens illud ave, peccatorum miserere.

This translation is by the Reverend Adrian Fortescue, 1913:

Holy mother of our Redeemer, thou gate leading to heaven and star of the sea; help the falling people who seek to rise, thou who, all nature wondering, didst give birth to thy holy Creator. Virgin always, hearing the greeting from Gabriel’s lips, take pity on sinners.

Here's the Simple Tone version, sung by "the Benedictine Monks of the Abbey at Ganagobie." (Chant score is in the Liber Usualis (1961), p. 277.)



Here's the chant score of the Simple Tone version, from the Liber Usualis:

And here it is sung to the Solemn Tone, sung by "the Benedictine nuns of the Abbey of Notre Dame (d'Argentan)." (The chant score from the Liber Usualis (1961), p. 273-274.)



Here's the chant score of the Solemn Tone version, from the Liber Usualis:

Here are links to posts about all four antiphons on Chantblog:

• The Marian Antiphons: Alma Redemptoris Mater (sung from the first Sunday of Advent until the Feast of the Purification on February 2)
• The Marian Antiphons: Ave, Regina Caelorum (sung from after Purification (February 2 or Candlemas) until Easter Vigil) 
• The Marian Antiphons: Regina Caeli (sung from Easter Eve until Pentecost)
• The Marian Antiphons: Salve Regina (sung from the day after Pentecost Sunday until the first Sunday of Advent)

Here's more about the hymn, from Wikipedia:

Alma Redemptoris Mater (Ecclesiastical Latin: [ˈalma redɛmpˈtoris ˈmatɛr]; English: Loving Mother of our Savior) is a Marian hymn, written in Latin hexameters, and one of four liturgical Marian antiphons (the other three being: Ave Regina caelorum, Regina coeli and Salve Regina), and sung at the end of the office of Compline. Hermannus Contractus (Herman the Cripple) (1013–1054) is said to have authored the hymn based on the writings of Ss. Fulgentius, Epiphanius, and Irenaeus of Lyon.^[1] It is mentioned in "The Prioress's Tale", one of Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. Formerly it was recited at compline only from the first Sunday in Advent until the Feast of the Purification (February 2).

And still more, from TPL, including some Collects and Verse-Responses:

Alma Redemptoris Mater was composed by Herman Contractus (Herman the Cripple) (1013-1054). It is mentioned in The Prioress' Tale in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, which testifies to its popularity in England before Henry VIII. Contractus composed it from phrases taken from the writings of St. Fulgentius, St. Epiphanius, and St. Irenaeus. At one time Alma Redemptoris Mater was briefly used as an antiphon for the hour of Sext for the feast of the Assumption, but since the 13th century it has been a part of Compline. Formerly it was recited only from the first Sunday in Advent until the Feast of the Purification (Feb. 2), but with the revision of the Liturgy of the Hours, it can be recited anytime during the year. The traditional collects, which are not part of the original prayer, are also given below.

ALMA Redemptoris Mater, quae pervia caeli Porta manes, et stella maris, succurre cadenti, Surgere qui curat, populo: tu quae genuisti, Natura mirante, tuum sanctum Genitorem Virgo prius ac posterius, Gabrielis ab ore Sumens illud Ave, peccatorum miserere.	MOTHER of Christ, hear thou thy people's cry Star of the deep and Portal of the sky! Mother of Him who thee made from nothing made. Sinking we strive and call to thee for aid: Oh, by what joy which Gabriel brought to thee, Thou Virgin first and last, let us thy mercy see.
Tempus Adventus	During Advent
V. Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariae. R. Et concepit de Spiritu Sancto.	V. The Angel of the Lord announced unto Mary. R. And she conceived by the Holy Spirit.
Oremus Gratiam tuam, quaesumus, Domine, mentibus nostris infunde: ut qui, Angelo nuntiante, Christi Filii tui incarnationem cognovimus; per passionem eius et crucem, ad resurrectionis gloriam perducamur. Per eundem Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.	Let us pray Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts: that as we have known the incarnation of Thy Son Jesus Christ by the message of an Angel, so too by His Cross and passion may we be brought to the glory of His resurrection. Amen.
Donec Purificatio	From Christmas Eve until the Purification
V. Post partum, Virgo, inviolata permansisti. R. Dei Genetrix, intercede pro nobis.	V. After childbirth thou didst remain a virgin. R. Intercede for us, O Mother of God.
Oremus Deus, qui salutis aeternae, beatae Mariae virginitate fecunda, humano generi praemia praestitisti: tribue, quaesumus; ut ipsam pro nobis intercedere sentiamus, per quam meruimus auctorem vitae suscipere, Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum, Filium tuum. Amen.	Let us pray O God, who, by the fruitful virginity of blessed Mary, hast bestowed upon mankind the reward of eternal salvation: grant, we beseech Thee, that we may experience her intercession, through whom we have been made worthy to receive the author of life, our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son. Amen.

---

From the Roman Breviary.

Here's Rafael's Madonna Tempi:

From Wikipedia:

The Tempi Madonna is an oil painting by the ItalianHigh Renaissance painter Raphael. Painted for the Tempi family, it was bought by Ludwig I of Bavaria in 1829. It is housed in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. It is thought to have been made in 1508, at the end of the artist's Florentine period.^[

The Marian Antiphons: Salve Regina

Salve Regina is the Marian antiphon sung at Compline from the day after Pentecost Sunday until the first Sunday of Advent. From "Singing the Four Seasonal Marian Anthems," by Lucy Carroll, published in Adoremus:

Visitors to our Carmelite monastery sometimes ask why we do two hymns at the end of Mass. We don’t; one is the seasonal Marian anthem, the other is a recessional hymn.

....

The four great seasonal Marian antiphons come from the Divine Office, office of Compline, the last of the sung hours of the day. At the close of Compline, one of the four seasonal Marian prayers was sung: Alma Redemptoris Mater, Ave Regina Caelorum, Regina Caeli, or Salve Regina.

Today the Divine Office is known as the Liturgy of the Hours, and Compline has become “Night Prayer”. Today there is the choice of those four hymns or a few others, including the Hail Mary. Traditionally, at Compline, the Latin anthem was followed by seasonal declamations and a prayer. When sung at the conclusion of Mass, only the anthem is sung.

In a Marian house, the seasonal anthem is sung on Sundays and Marian feasts throughout the year at the conclusion of Mass. At our monastery, the nuns, choir, and congregation all join in the Latin chant.

This custom is retained in many churches and cathedrals on Christmas (Alma Redemptoris) and Easter (Regina Caeli), as was seen in the Masses at the Vatican this past year.

Each anthem has a beautiful text, each chant is quite melodic. This is a tradition we at Carmel very much treasure. While we sing the traditional chant melodies at Carmel, these texts have been set to music for choirs by many composers over the ages, most notably Palestrina.

At the present moment, the Marian Anthem is Salve Regina.   Here's a video of the Simple Tone version of the antiphon, sung by the Benedictine Monks of Santo Domingo de Silos; chant score is from the Liber Usualis (1961), p 279.



Here's the chant score of the Simple Tone version, from the Liber Usualis:

And this is the Solemn Tone, sung by the Schola of the Hofburgkapelle Vienna (1984); chant score is from the Liber Usualis (1961), p 276.



Here's the chant score of the Solemn Tone version, from the Liber Usualis:

Here are links to posts about all four antiphons on Chantblog:

• The Marian Antiphons: Alma Redemptoris Mater (sung from the first Sunday of Advent until the Feast of the Purification on February 2)
• The Marian Antiphons: Ave, Regina Caelorum (sung from after Purification (February 2 or Candlemas) until Easter Vigil) 
• The Marian Antiphons: Regina Caeli (sung from Easter Eve until Pentecost)
• The Marian Antiphons: Salve Regina (sung from the day after Pentecost Sunday until the first Sunday of Advent)

 Here's more from the article linked above.

The Salve Regina has also been credited to Herimann the Lame (Hermanus Contractus), monk of Reichenau, but it is also attributed to Adhemar de Monteil (+1098) and Saint Bernard (+1153). It has become a traditional Carmelite hymn, sung at Carmelite events throughout the world. It is sung as a seasonal anthem from the day after Pentecost Sunday until the first Sunday of Advent. As a spoken prayer, it has also been added to the conclusion of the rosary, so it is perhaps the most familiar of these four texts to Catholics.

Salve Regina, mater misericordiae, vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra salve. Ad te clamamus, exules filii Evae. Ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes, in hac lacrimarum valle. Eia ergo, advocate nostra, illos tuos misericordes oculos, ad nos converte. Et Jesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui, nobis post hoc exsilium ostende. O Clemens, o pia, o dulcis virgo Maria.

This early translation is by the Reverend Adrian Fortescue, 1913:

Hail holy queen, mother of mercy, hail our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears. Turn then most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us. And after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, o loving, o sweet Virgin Mary.

While parishes may not include the seasonal anthem each Sunday, it is to be recommended that the Regina Caeli be sung at Easter, and the Alma Redemptoris at Christmas Mass, and that the anthems be sung by choir and congregation sometime during the seasons.

This is Raphael's Madonna dell Granduca, from around 1505: