Music

Stabat Mater Collection

There is a a Dutch organization, the Ultimate Stabat Mater Website Foundation, that collects recordings of different settings of the Stabat Mater. The website includes information about the composer, the arrangement, and an analysis of how the setting is put together (for example, which stanza is sung by which voice, or whole choir). The site claims over 300 different settings and translations into 24 languages.

The website is well worth perusing, as well as their YouTube channel where they highlight different recordings, including of some of the concerts that the foundation used to hold.

Happy Epiphany

“Laudes Celebret” Mediaeval Baebes

Happy Ephiphany! This is said to be one of the oldest Christmas carols, possibly the oldest: Jesus Refulsit Omnium. I’m certain Hillary of Poitiers didn’t quite have this sort of setting in mind when he wrote it, but enjoy!

Jesus refulsit omnium
Pius redemptor gentium
Totum genus fidelium
Laudes celebret dramatum

Quem stella natum fulgida
Monstrat micans per authera
Magosque duxit praevia
Ipsius ad cunabula

Illi cadentes parvulum
Pannis adorant obsitum
Verum fatentur ut Deum
Munus ferendo mysticum.

Our Lady of Sorrows

I was happy to hear father use the optional collect for Our Lady of Sorrows this morning:

O God, who in this season
give your Church the grace
to imitate devoutly the Blessed Virgin Mary
in contemplating the Passion of Christ,
grant, we pray, through her intercession,
that we may cling more firmly each day
to your Only Begotten Son
and come at last to the fullness of his grace.
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.