The Akathist hymn of St. John the Baptist
For today's Feast of the Nativity of St. John Baptist, here's a recording of an Akathist hymn to John; the video is 51 minutes long!According to OrthodoxWiki:An akathist (Greek, akathistos) is a hymn...
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The Communio for the Feast of the Transfiguration: Visiónem quam vidístis...
The Communio for the August 6 Feast of the Transfiguration is the lovely Visiónem quam vidístis:This beautiful chant is also the Communion song for the second Sunday of Lent; at one time the...
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The Offertory for the Feast of All Saints: Justorum animae ("The souls of the...
Justorum animae is the Offertory for the Feast of All Saints - one of my favorite feast days of the year. And as with so much else on this day, the chant is beautiful:(Not sure who the singers are...
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For the Feast of St. Martin of Tours: Ecce Sacerdos Magnus ("Behold the Great...
Today is the Feast of St. Martin of Tours, and this is the beautiful Gradual at the Mass for Feasts of Confessor Bishops:These are the words for the Gradual:Ecce sacerdos magnus, qui in diebus suis,...
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Kyrie: Rex immense, Pater Pie
This Kyrie trope/motet comes from the Codex Calixtinus (or, as some call it - and more accurately, too! - the Liber Sancti Jacobi). This video comes from the Budapest Schola Cantorum; here's the...
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The Introit for the Solemnity of Christ the King: Dignus Est Agnus ("Worthy...
Sung here by the Schola of the Vienna Hofburgkapelle:The text is taken from Revelation 5, vv 12, 1, and 6; the Psalm verse comes from Psalm (71/)72. Here's the Latin and an English translation: Dignus...
View ArticleAspiciens a longe ("I look from afar")
Aspiciens a longe is the First Mattins Responsory for the first Sunday in Advent. Here's a beautiful chant version sung by "Ensemble Officium."Here are the words, in Latin and English, from the CPDL...
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A Lauds antiphon for Advent: Ecce Dominus veniet ("Behold the Lord comes")
Ecce Dominus veniet ("Behold the Lord comes") is a Psalm antiphon at Lauds on the Second Sunday of Advent. These are the words, from CPDL:Ecce dominus veniet et omnes sancti ejus cum eo et erit in die...
View ArticleTwo for the Feast of St. Nicholas (December 6)
This feast was displaced by Sunday this year, but here are two videos of beautiful songs in honor of St. Nicholas. Both are sung by the ensemble Peregrina: Kelly Landerkin, Agnieszka...
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December 16: O Sapientia ("O Wisdom")
O Sapientia is the Antiphon upon Magnificat on December 16 (in the English Church; it's December 17 elsewhere), and the first of the eight Great "O" Antiphons sung during the week before Christmas....
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Chistmas Day Matins: Sancta et immaculata virginitas ("Holy and spotless...
Sancta et immaculata virginitas is the sixth responsory of Christmas Matins, but as CPDL notes, it is "frequently used for Marian feasts as well." It's sung here by Ensemble Officium:Here's the text...
View ArticleThe Seventh Day of Christmas: "King Jesus Hath a Garden"
This is one of my favorite carols of all. It makes it into the Christmas pantheon on account of the Bethlehem reference - and the joyous, celebratory melody and text - but it's more than a simple...
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A Lauds antiphon for the Vigil of the Epiphany: O Admirabile Commercium ("O...
This is a recording of the single - in the Sarum breviary, anyway - Psalm antiphon at Lauds of the Vigil of Epiphany, which is today. It's very beautiful, and sung here by the Schola Gregoriana Del...
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Epiphany Matins: Tria sunt munera ("Three are the gifts")
Tria sunt munera ("Three are the gifts") is the 6th Responsory of Mattins of Epiphany in the Sarum Breviary; it is also sung as a Responsory at Vespers. This is the text in Latin, with an English...
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Tria sunt munera at Cologne Cathedral
The YouTube header says "Pontifical Mass for the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time." Scott brought this to my attention in a comment on my previous post, Epiphany Matins: Tria sunt munera ("Three are the...
View Article"Five paths of repentance"
This is the second reading at Mattins of Tuesday in the Third Week of Lent:Would you like me to list also the paths of repentance? They are numerous and quite varied, and all lead to heaven.A first...
View ArticleVideo: The Palm Sunday Liturgy at Trinity NYC, 2016
From the Trinity website: The Liturgy of the Passion and the Eucharist: the traditional scripture text from the Gospel of Luke (Luke 22:14–23:56) will be used in the reading of the Passion, which will...
View ArticleCompline at Arundel Cathedral: Guildford Cathedral Choir (Barry Rose)
Another wonderful video from Archives of Sound; this time it's Compline for Ordinary Time, sung in English. The full text of the service was included at the page as well, and I've copied it in...
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The Corpus Christi Alleluia: Caro mea ("My flesh")
Here's the beautiful Corpus Christi Alleluia, sung by the "Westminster Choir." (I think that refers to the Westminster Cathedral Choir; it sounds like them.)Here are Latin and English words, from...
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Qui habitat in adiutorio altissimi (The Lent 1 Tract)
Here are two videos of this Old Roman Chant version of the Lent 1 Tract, Qui habitat in adiutorio altissimi ("He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High"). The Tract replaces the Alleluia during...
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