Tomás Luis de Victoria
The Exon Singers
Matthew Owens
Second Vespers of the Feast of the Annunciation
Second Vespers of the Feast of the Annunciation
1 Versicle and Response: [1:04]
Deus, in adiutorium meum intende
2 Antiphon: [6:19]
Missus est Gabriel
Vesper Psalm:
Dixit Dominus a 8
Antiphon: Missus est Gabriel
3 Antiphon: [5:36]
Ave Maria
Vesper Psalm:
Laudate pueri Dominum a 8
4 Motet: [4:39]
Ave Maria a 8
5 Antiphon: [6:49]
Ne timeas Maria
Vesper Psalm:
Laetatus sum a 12
6 Motet: [2:58]
Ne timeas Maria a 4
7 Antiphon: [6:34]
Dabit ei Dominus
Vesper Psalm: Nisi Dominus a 8
Antiphon: Dabit ei Dominus
8 Little Chapter: [1:32]
Ecce virgo concipiet Response: Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariae
9 Hymn: [6:57]
Ave maris stella a 4
Versicle and Response:
Ave Maria, gratia plena
10 Magnificat antiphon: [10:28]
Gabriel Angelus
Magnificat: Magnificat anima mea a 8
Magnificat antiphon: Gabriel Angelus
Tomás Luis de Victoria (1548-1611)
11 Versicle and Response: [2:23]
Dominus vobiscum
Collect for the day:
Deus, qui de beatae Mariae Virginis
Versicle and Response:
Dominus vobiscum
Versicle and Response: Benedicamus Domino
12 Votive antiphon: [5:53]
Regina coeli a 8
Versicle and Response: Gaude et laetare
Votive Antiphon Collect: Deus, qui per resurrectionem Filii
13 Litany of Loreto: [7:32]
Kyrie eleison a 8
Total playing time: [68:46]
Recorded on 3 & 4 January 2004 in the Chapel of Giggleswick School, North Yorkshire, UK
Producer: Paul Baxter
Executive Producers: Matthew Owens, Jon Dixon
Engineer: Benjamin Mills
Recorded with 24-Bit stereo resolution
Design: John Christ
Cover: The Annunciation, 1581 (panel), Spanish School (16th century) / Museo de Santa Cruz, Toledo, Spain: www.bridgeman.co.uk
Thanks are due to: the Governors and Bursar at Giggleswick School, Ross and Sue Hunter, Dr Jonathan Wainwright at the University of York, and Dr Noel O’Regan at the University of Edinburgh
Second Vespers of the Feast of the Annunciation
Tomás Luis de Victoria, the greatest composer of the Spanish sixteenth-century ‘golden age’ of polyphonic music, was born in Avila in 1548 and in c.1558 became a choirboy at Avila Cathedral, where he received his earliest musical training. When his voice broke, he was sent to the Collegium Germanicum in Rome, at which he was enrolled as a student in 1565. He spent the next two decades in Rome occupying a number of posts, of which the most important were at the Aragonese church of S. Maria di Monserrato, the Castilian S. Gianomo degli Spagnoli and the Jesuit-run Collegium Germanicum, where he succeeded Palestrina as maestro di cappella in 1571, with its associated church of S. Apollinare. In 1575 he took holy orders and three years later he was admitted to a chaplaincy at S. Girolamo della Carita. He left Italy c.1587 and took up an appointment as chaplain to the dowager Empress Maria at the Royal Convent for Barefoot Clarist Nuns, at Madrid, where he acted as maestro to the choir of priests and boys that was attached to the convent. This recording presents a collection of music by Victoria for use at the Second Vespers of the Feast of the Annunciation. Vespers is the Evening Office of the western Catholic Church. In the Tridentine Rite, the reformed and unified basis of worship established following the deliberations of the
Council of Trent from 1545-63, its basic structure consisted of five psalms (four in the Monastic Use) with their respective antiphons, said or sung before and after the Psalms; a short lesson (the Capitulum); a hymn; a Canticle (the Magnificat), with its own antiphon; a collect; concluding versicles; and additional devotions, which often included a votive antiphon in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary. There were variations and additions; some according to the season, some according to the rank of the Feast, and some – despite all the efforts to achieve a universal unified liturgical structure –according to local custom. Vespers originally comprised the recitation and chanting of the prescribed texts. As the sixteenth century progressed, there was an increasing trend toward the use of polyphony based on these texts and the inclusion of other musical material, including instrumental music.
There is no direct evidence that the continuous use of polyphony on this scale in Vespers was practised in late sixteenth-century Rome, or that the early seventeenth-century Venetian practice of replacing antiphons with motets on similar texts was followed in Rome in Victoria’s time. Victoria did not write any throughcomposed collection of music specifically for use at Marian Vespers, comparable to the collection that Monteverdi published in 1610, but it is remarkable that a high proportion of
Victoria’s sacred output is for Marian use. This project examines some of the Marian music Victoria wrote, with consideration to the liturgical context in which it might have been used.
The four psalm settings featured in this recording are all vesper psalms – Dixit Dominus; Laudate pueri; Nisi Dominus – and were first published in Rome (1581) by Francisco Zanetti. The remaining setting, Laetatus sum, was published shortly afterwards by Alessandro Gardane in Rome (1583). They are all specified for feasts of the Virgin Mary. The double-choir setting of the Ave Maria, the so-called ‘Angelic Salutation’ based on the greeting of the Angel Gabriel to the Virgin at the Annunciation, is particularly finely written. A setting, in the Zanetti publication of 1581, of the hymn Ave maris stella is specified for Marian feasts throughout the year, particularly for the Feast of the Annunciation. In addition, the 1583 publication included Victoria’s only setting of a litany, the Litany of Loreto, which has a strong association with the Annunciation. The Litany of the Blessed Virgin, which contains a series of invocations to the Virgin, is thought to have been derived from a fifth-century Greek hymn – the akathistos – composed originally for the Feast of the Annunciation.
published within a few years of each other, it would be tempting to suggest that they were written or used for a festal celebration of the Feast of the Annunciation in Rome in the early 1580s; but this would be conjectural and, probably, anachronistic. Nonetheless, I thought it rewarding to put together the present collection, drawing attention to these fine works and illustrating the possible order of a festal monastic service making fullest use of this music. This collection is thus not intended as an ‘authentic’ reconstruction, but more as a musical offering demonstrating how this wonderful body of music could be performed employing some of the liturgical practices that developed in the following generation. It includes the four appropriate vesper psalms; the eight-part Ave Maria (in substitution for the repetition of the antiphon to the Laudate pueri ); the four-part motet Ne timeas Maria (in place of the repetition of the antiphon to the Laetatus sum); the eight-part Magnificat *; and finally, as part of the concluding devotions after the end of the service proper, the eight-part Regina coeli (a Marian antiphon appropriate for 25 March when Easter is very early) and the eight-part Litany of Loreto.
Given the existence of this group of largescale and impressive compositions first
* Strictly speaking, the Magnificat for this feast should be on the 7th tone – Victoria published two such Magnificats for four voices in 1581 – but, in order to continue the run of fine double-choir music in this collection, the Magnificat primi toni of 1600 has been used instead.
Second Vespers of the Feast of the Annunciation
The Office begins with the plainsong versicle and response Deus in adiutorium meum intende, followed by the antiphon, Missus est Gabriel, to the first vesper psalm, Dixit Dominus. This psalm is written for two equal SATB choirs and sets all seven verses of Psalm 110 in lively antiphonal style, ending with a doxology that opens in brisk triple time (perhaps symbolising the three persons of the Trinity) and broadens at the end into substantial and sonorous eight-part writing. Following the repetition of the antiphon Missus est Gabriel, we hear the chant antiphon, Ave Maria, and the next vesper psalm, Laudate pueri Dominum. This psalm takes its text from the nine verses of Psalm 113 and is written for a high choir of SSAT set against an SATB choir, giving scope for antiphonal contrasts of tessitura and sonority, which Victoria further exploits by including two sections written for reduced voices. The second singing of the plainsong antiphon is replaced by an extended sumptuous double-choir setting for two equal SATB choirs, opening with the words of the Ave Maria chant taken from chapter 1 of St Luke’s Gospel. This setting is written in a most effective antiphonal style, alternating passages of homophonic writing with polyphonically-conceived exchanges of great spaciousness and fullness. After the antiphon Ne timeas Maria, which continues the story of the Annunciation from St Luke, there follows the vesper psalm Laetatus sum –
‘I was glad when I entered the house of the Lord’, based on verses 1-9 of Psalm 122. This is a joyous text, which captured the imagination of many composers. Victoria was no exception. He responded by composing a superb triple-choir motet which uses all the resources of polychoral writing and vocal orchestration to create a musical structure of great brilliance, richness and variety. The second singing of Ne timeas Maria is given to a delightful four-part motet, taken from Alessandro Gardane’s 1583 publication. In flowing polyphonic style, it repeats and slightly extends the text of the chant antiphon.
Following the chant antiphon Dabit ei Dominus is the final vesper psalm Nisi Dominus. This sets verses 1-6 of Psalm 127 for double choir (a high choir of SSAT and an SATB choir) and contains excellent antiphonal writing with a good deal of rhythmic variety, from short bursts of triple time to the stately opening of the second half at the words ‘Beatus vir’. After the repetition of Dabit ei Dominus and the chanting of the Little Chapter and its response, the choir sings the hymn Ave maris stella. This is a four-part setting of an extended Annunciation hymn text which, as was then customary, is written in alternatim style [alternate verses set to chant and polyphony]. It opens with the chant to which it makes continuous reference in different ways, ensuring a quiet and satisfying meditation
on this text. A further versicle, response and Magnificat antiphon, all in chant, are followed by a Magnificat anima mea in another fine setting for SSAT and SATB. Though this opens with a short plainsong intonation, it differs from all but one of Victoria’s other settings of this canticle, as it does not continue in full alternatim style. Instead, Victoria employs vivid polyphony, making frequent use of reduced voice sections, alternations between triple and duple time and changes of harmonic density to achieve an expressive response to the words of this well-known text. Five short chant sections conclude the Vespers proper,
and there follow two concluding devotions. The first of these is the Marian antiphon Regina coeli, for which Victoria wrote a delightful double-choir setting, for SSABar and SATB, containing much flowing counterpoint and two beautiful sections of dancing tripletime Alleluias. After a versicle and response and a collect in chant, the Office concludes on a quieter and peaceful note with a performance of Victoria’s only litany, set to a text containing repeated invocations to the Virgin.
© 2004 Jon DixonSources and editions
Plainsong: chant for the hymn has been taken from Francisco Zanetti’s 1581 edition and that for the antiphons has been based on chant in the Antiphonarium vespertinum dierum festorum totius anni juxta Romani Breviarii iussu Pii V. published in 1607 by Hieronymo Lambardo. Other chant has also been supplied from Roman sources.
Dixit Dominus a 8:
Ioannem Flandrum, Madrid, 1600
Laudate Dominum a 8:
Francisco Zanetti, Rome, 1581
Ave Maria a 8:
Ioannem Flandrum, Madrid, 1600
Ne timeas Maria a 4:
Alessandro Gardane, Rome, 1583
Laetatus sum a 12:
Angelo Gardane, Venice, 1603
Nisi Dominus a 8:
Francisco Zanetti, Rome, 1581
Ave maris stella a 4:
Francisco Zanetti, Rome, 1581
Magnificat li toni a 8:
Ioannem Flandrum, Madrid, 1600
Regina coeli laetare a 8:
Ioannem Flandrum, Madrid, 1600
Kyrie eleison a 8:
Ioannem Flandrum, Madrid, 1600
Editions: The edition of the Second Vespers of the Feast of the Annunciation and all the above editions of polyphonic works were made and produced by Jon Dixon of JOED Music, 234 Stanley Park Road, Carshalton Beeches, Surrey, SM5 3JP, UK.
1 Versicle and Response: Deus, in adiutorium meum intende Deus, in adiutorium meum intende. Domine, ad adiuvandum me festina. Gloria Patri et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto: Sicut erat in principio et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen. Alleluia.
2 Antiphon: Missus est Gabriel Missus est Gabriel Angelus ad Mariam Virginem desponsatam Joseph.
Vesper Psalm:
Dixit Dominus a 8
Dixit Dominus Domino meo: Sede a dextris meis, Donec ponam inimicos tuos scabellum pedum tuorum.
O God make speed to save me. O Lord make haste to help me. Glory be to the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. Amen. Alleluia.
The Angel Gabriel was sent from God to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph. (Luke 1: 26-27)
Ave Maria a 8:
Ioannem Flandrum, Madrid, 1600
Virgam virtutis tuae emittet Dominus ex Sion: dominare in medio inimicorum tuorum. Tecum principium in die virtutis tuae, in splendoribus sanctorum: ex utero ante luciferum genui te. Juravit Dominus, et non poenitebit eum: Tu es sacerdos in aeternum secundum ordinem Melchisedech. Dominus a dextris tuis, confregit in die irae suae reges: Judicabit in nationibus, implebit ruinas, conquassabit capita in terra multorum. De torrente in via bibet: propterea exaltabit caput.
The Lord said unto my Lord: Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth. The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent. Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath. He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries.
Texts
Gloria Patri et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto: Sicut erat in principio et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.
Antiphon: Missus est Gabriel
Missus est Gabriel Angelus ad Mariam
Virginem desponsatam Joseph.
3 Antiphon: Ave Maria
Ave Maria, gratia plena:
Dominus tecum: benedicta tu in mulieribus.
Vesper Psalm:
Laudate pueri Dominum a 8
Laudate, pueri, Dominum: laudate nomen
Domini. Sit nomen Domini benedictum: ex hoc nunc, et usque in saeculum. A solis ortu usque ad occasum: laudabile nomen Domini.
Excelsus super omnes gentes Dominus: et super coelos gloria eius.
Quis sicut Dominus Deus noster, qui in altis habitat: et humilia respicit in caelo et in terra?
Suscitans a terra inopem: Et de stercore erigens pauperem. Ut collocet eum cum principibus: populi sui.
Qui habitare facit sterilem in domo: matrem filiorum laetantem.
He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head. (Ps. 110: 1-7)
Glory be to the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. Amen.
The Angel Gabriel was sent from God to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph. (Luke 1: 26-27)
Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto. Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.
Glory be to the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. Amen.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women. (Luke 1: 28)
4 Motet: Ave Maria a 8 Ave, Maria gratia plena Dominus tecum benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Jesus. Sancta Maria Regina coeli, dulcis et pia, O Mater Dei ora pro nobis peccatoribus, ut cum electis te videamus.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Queen of heaven, sweet and good, pray for us sinners that with the chosen we may see thee.
Praise ye the Lord, praise, O ye servants of the Lord, the name of the Lord. Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and for evermore. From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord’s name is to be praised.
The Lord is high above all nations and his glory above the heavens. Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high, who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth?
He raiseth the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill; that he may set him with princes, even the princes of his people.
He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children.
(Ps. 113: 1-9)
5 Antiphon: Ne timeas Maria Ne timeas, Maria, invenisti gratiam apud Dominum: ecce concipies, et paries filium.
Vesper Psalm: Laetatus sum a 12
Laetatus sum in his, quae dicta sunt mihi: in domum Domini ibimus. Stantes erant pedes nostri in atriis tuis Jerusalem.
Jerusalem quae aedificatur ut civitas: cuius participatio eius in idipsum.
Illuc enim ascenderunt tribus, tribus Domini: testimonium Israel ad confitendum nomini Domini.
Quia illic sederunt sedes in judicio sedes super domum David.
Fear not Mary: for thou hast found favour with the Lord: And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a son. (Luke 1: 30-31)
I was glad when they said unto me: let us go into the house of the Lord. Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem is builded as a city that is at unity in itself: Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the Lord. For there are set thrones of judgement, the thrones of the house of David.
Texts
Rogate quae ad pacem sunt Jerusalem et abundantia diligentibus te.
Fiat pax in virtute tua et abundantia in turribus tuis propter fratres meos, et proximos meos loquebar pacem de te propter domum Domini Dei nostri quaesivi bona tibi.
Gloria Patri et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto: Sicut erat in principio et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.
6 Motet:
Ne timeas Maria a 4
Ne timeas Maria, invenisti enim gratiam, apud Dominum: ecce concipies, in utero, et paries filium; et vocabitur Altissimi filius.
7 Antiphon:
Dabit ei Dominus
Dabit ei Dominus sedem David patris eius, et regnabit in aeternum.
Vesper Psalm:
Nisi Dominus a 8
Nisi Dominus aedificaverit domum: in vanum laboraverunt qui aedificant eam.
Nisi Dominus custodierit civitatem: frustra vigilat qui custodit eam.
Vanum est vobis ante lucem surgere: surgite, postquam sederitis, qui manducatis panem doloris.
Cum dederit dilectis suis somnum:
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. Peace be within thy walls and prosperity within thy palaces. For my brethren and companions’ sakes I will now say, peace be with you. Because of the house of the Lord our God I will seek thy good. (Ps. 122: 1-9) Glory be to the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. Amen.
ecce haereditas Domini filii: merces, fructus ventris.
Sicut sagittae in manu potentis: ita filii excussorum.
Beatus vir qui implevit desiderium suum ex ipsis: non confundetur cum loquetur inimicis suis in porta.
Gloria Patri et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto: Sicut erat in principio et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.
Antiphon: Dabit ei Dominus
Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man: even so are the young children.
Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be shamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate. (Ps. 127: 1-6)
Glory be to the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. Amen.
Fear not Mary: for thou hast found favour with the Lord: And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a son and he shall be called Son of the Highest. (Luke 1: 30-32)
Dabit ei Dominus sedem David patris eius, et regnabit in aetemum.
The Lord shall give him the throne of David his father, and He shall reign forever.
The Lord shall give him the throne of David his father, and He shall reign forever.
8 Little Chapter: Ecce virgo concipiet Ecce virgo concipiet, et pariet filium, et vocabitur nomen eius Emmanuel.
Butyrum et mel comedet, ut sciat reprobare malum, et eligere bonum.
Response:
Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariae
Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel. Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil and choose the good.
(Isaiah 7: 14-15)
Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. It is but lost labour that ye haste to rise up before the light, and so take late rest, and eat the bread of carefulness: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.
Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariae, Alleluia. Alleluia.
Et concepit de Spiritu Sancto. Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto.
The Angel of the Lord made known the will of God to Mary, Alleluia, Alleluia. And she conceived by the Holy Ghost. Glory be to the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.
Texts
9 Hymn:
Ave maris stella a 4
Ave, maris stella, Dei Mater alma Atque semper Virgo, Felix coeli porta.
Sumens ilud Ave Gabrielis ore: funda nos in pace mutans Hevae nomen.
Solve vincla reis, Profer lumen caecis:
Mala nostra pelle, Bona cuncta posce. Monstra te esse matrem
Sumat per te preces
Qui pro nobis natus Tullit esse tuus. Virgo singularis, Inter omnes mitis, Nos culpis solutos, Mites fac et castos. Vitam praesta puram, iter paratutum.
Ut videntes Jesum, Semper collaetemur.
Sit laus Deo Patri, Summo Christo decus, Spiritui Sancto, Tribus honor unus.
Versicle and Response:
Ave Maria, gratia plena Ave Maria, gratia plena.
Dominus tecum.
10 Magnificat antiphon:
Gabriel Angelus
Gabriel Angelus locutus est Mariae dicens: Ave, gratia plena. Dominus tecum: benedicta tu in mulieribus.
Hail, O star of the sea, loving mother of God and ever a Virgin, fair gate of Heaven.
Thou who received that ‘Ave’ from the mouth of Gabriel, secure us in peace, reversing the name of ‘Eva’. Break the bonds of earthly things, bring light to the blind, banish our ills and ask every blessing for us.
Show thyself a mother: through thee, may He who was born for us and deigned to be your son receive our prayers.
O matchless Virgin, gentle above all other, win us pardon for our sins and make us gentle and pure. Make it thy charge that our life is pure; grant us a safe journey so that we may see Jesus and ever rejoice together.
To God the Father be praise, to Christ most high and the Holy Ghost be glory; to the three be equal honour.
Magnificat:
Magnificat anima mea a 8
Magnificat anima mea Dominum. Et exuItavit spiritus meus: in Deo salutari 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 misericordiae eius, a progenie in progenies: timentibus eum.
Fecit potentiam in bracchio suo: dispersit superbos, mente cordis sui. Deposuit potentes de sede: et exaltavit humiles.
Esurientes implevit bonis: et divites dimisit inanes.
Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee.
Suscepit Israel puerum suum: recordatus, misericordiae suae. Sicut locutus est ad patres nostros: Abraham et semini eius in saecula. Gloria Patri et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto: Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.
My soul doth magnify the Lord and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my saviour. For he hath regarded the lowliness of his hand-maiden. 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. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
The angel Gabriel spoke to Mary saying: Hail, thou that art full of grace: the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
Texts
Magnificat antiphon:
Gabriel Angelus
Gabriel Angelus locutus est Mariae dicens: Ave, gratia plena. Dominus tecum: benedicta tu in mulieribus.
11 Versicle and Response:
Dominus vobiscum
Dominus vobiscum.
Et cum spiritu tuo.
Collect for the day:
Deus, qui de beatae Mariae Virginis Oremus.
Deus, qui de beatae Mariae Virginis utero Verbum tuum, Angelo nuntiate, carnem suscipere voluisti: praesta supplicibus tuis; ut qui vere eam Genetricem Dei credimus, eius apud te intercessionibus adiuvemur. Per eumdem Dominum nostrum
Jesum Christum, Filium tuum, qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti, Deus per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.
Versicle and Response:
Dominus vobiscum
Dominus vobiscum. Et cum spiritu tuo.
The angel Gabriel spoke to Mary saying: Hail, thou that art full of grace: the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. The Lord be with you. And with thy spirit.
Versicle and Response:
Benedicamus Domino
Benedicamus Domino. Deo gratias.
12 Votive antiphon: Regina coeli a 8 Regina coeli laetare. Alleluia. Quia quem meruisti portare, Alleluia, Resurrexit sicut dixit, Alleluia. Ora pro nobis Deum, Alleluia.
Let us bless the Lord. Thanks be to God.
O Queen of heaven rejoice. Alleluia. For He whom thou wast worthy to bear, Alleluia, has risen as he said, Alleluia. Pray for us to God, Alleluia.
Let us pray.
O God, whose will it was that, when it was made known by the Angel, Thy divine word should become flesh in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary; grant that your faithful who believe in this divine motherhood may have their prayers heard through Mary’s intercession. This we ask of Thee through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, Thy Son who liveth with Thee and reigns in unity with the Holy Spirit, O God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
The Lord be with you. And with thy spirit.
Versicle and Response: Gaude et laetare Gaude et laetare, Alleluia.
Quia surrexit Dominus vere. Alleluia.
Votive Antiphon Collect: Deus, qui per resurrectionem Filii Oremus.
Deus, qui per resurrectionem Filii tui Domini nostri Jesu Christi mundum laetificare
dignatus es: praesta quaesumus; ut per eius Genetricem Virginem Mariam perpetuae capiamus gaudia vitae. Per eundem Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.
Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary. Alleluia. For the Lord has truly risen. Alleluia.
Let us pray.
O God, who through the resurrection of Thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ deigned to give joy to the world, grant, we beseech Thee, that, through his Mother the Virgin Mary, we may attain the joys of eternal life. This we ask of Thee through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Texts
Litany of Loreto:
Kyrie eleison a 8
Kyrie eleison. Christe, exaudi nos.
Pater de coelis, Deus, miserere nobis.
Fili Redemptor mundi, Deus, miserere nobis.
Spiritus Sancte Deus, miserere nobis.
Sancta trinitas, unus Deus, miserere nobis.
Sancta Maria, ora pro nobis.
Sancta Dei Genetrix, ora pro nobis.
Sancta Virgo virginum, ora pro nobis.
Mater Christi, ora pro nobis.
Mater divinae gratiae, ora pro nobis.
Mater purissima, ora pro nobis.
Mater castissima, ora pro nobis.
Virgo veneranda, ora pro nobis.
Virgo praedicanda, ora pro nobis.
Causa nostrae laetitiae, ora pro nobis.
Stella matutina, ora pro nobis.
Salus infirmorum, ora pro nobis.
Desiderium colium aeternorum, ora pro nobis.
Paradisus voluptatis, ora pro nobis.
Lord have mercy. O Christ, hear our cry.
God the Father of heaven, have mercy upon us.
O Son of God, Saviour of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, have mercy upon us.
Holy Trinity, God three in one, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, pray for us.
Holy Mother of God, pray for us.
Holy Virgin of virgins, pray for us.
Mother of Christ, pray for us.
Mother of divine grace; pray for us.
Mother most pure, pray for us.
Mother most undefiled, pray for us.
Venerable Virgin, pray for us.
Virgin foretold, pray for us.
Cause of our joy, pray for us.
O star of the morning, pray for us.
Bringer of health to the infirm, pray for us.
Desire of the eternal hills, pray for us.
Delight of paradise, pray for us.
Regina Angelorum, ora pro nobis.
Regina Patriarcharum, ora pro nobis.
Regina Apostolorum, ora pro nobis.
Regina Martyrum, ora pro nobis.
Regina Confessorum, ora pro nobis.
Regina Virginum, ora pro nobis.
Regina Sanctorum omninum, ora pro nobis.
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, parce nobis, Domine.
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, exaudi nos, Domine.
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis.
Queen of the Angels, pray for us.
Queen of the Patriarchs, pray for us.
Queen of the Apostles, pray for us.
Queen of the Martyrs, pray for us.
Queen of the Confessors, pray for us.
Queen of Virgins, pray for us.
Queen of all Saints, pray for us.
O Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.
O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world, hear our cry, O Lord.
O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.
13
Texts
The Exon Singers
performances include the Oxford Festival of Contemporary Music (2000) and the Edinburgh Festival (2004).
Since 1973, the annual Exon Singers Festival has been based in the historic market town of Tavistock on the edge of Dartmoor, and includes the venues of Tavistock Parish Church, Buckfast Abbey and Exeter Cathedral.
Matthew Owens became Conductor of The Exon Singers in 1997. He is also Organist and Master of the Music at St Mary’s Cathedral, Edinburgh, a post to which he was appointed in 1999 and which he leaves in June
2004 to become Organist and Master of the Choristers at Wells Cathedral.
The Exon Singers is recognised as one of the UK’s leading chamber choirs. Founded in 1966, it has become renowned for its dynamic and expressive performances of music from the Renaissance to the present day.
The choir broadcasts regularly on BBC Radios 3 and 4 and has made a number of recordings. Under the direction of Matthew Owens, it has also received acclaimed recognition through commissioning new works from some of the UK’s most exciting contemporary composers: Richard Allain, Grayston Ives, Gabriel Jackson and George Lloyd, amongst others. George Lloyd’s Requiem was recorded by The Exon Singers, and released in 2002 on the Albany label to critical acclaim. BBC Music Magazine praised the choir saying: ‘The Exon Singers sing with limpid purity of tone, their harmonies impeccably modulated and expertly disciplined.’ Future commissions include works by Francis Jackson and Philip Moore. The Choir’s festival
For further information on the choir, please visit: www.exonsingers.org.uk
Sopranos
Hannah Ball
Mary Chelu
Ali Darragh
Mary Dawson
Audrey Dean
Nikki Dragonetti
Susie Lamb
Kate Taylor Altos
Biraj Barkakaty
Karl Gietzmann
Claire Goodenough
Ed Tolputt
Ben Turner
Tenors
James Atherton
David Goodenough
Christopher May
Ashley Turnell
Geraint Watkins Basses
Simon Ball
Anthony Gray
Gareth Jones
Maurice MacSweeney
David Stout
Graham Wood Cantor
Ashley Turnell
Born in Manchester in 1971, he studied at Chetham’s School of Music and was subsequently Organ Scholar at The Queen’s College, Oxford. As a postgraduate he studied at the Royal Northern College of Music and the Sweelinck Conservatorium, Amsterdam.
As an organist he has given recitals in France, Ireland, Switzerland and throughout the UK, including numerous festival appearances. As a conductor and solo organist he has premiered many works by leading composers including Gavin Bryars, Gabriel Jackson, Naji Hakim, James MacMillan, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Arvo Pärt, Howard Skempton and Giles Swayne. He is increasingly active as a composer himself and some of his works have been recorded for commercial release, and broadcast on BBC Radio 3.
From 1993-99, Matthew was Assistant Conductor of the National Youth Choir of Great Britain. In 1999, he made his professional orchestral conducting debut with the BT Scottish Ensemble and in July 2002 conducted the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Hungary; he also regularly conducts the Orchestra of St Mary’s Music School (Scotland’s specialist music school). Widely recorded as both choral conductor and organist, in 2004 he began recording Johann Pachelbel’s complete organ works for Delphian.
Matthew Owens
Choral music on Delphian
In Chains of Gold
Dunedin Consort
DCD34008
The Dunedin Consort, praised by critics for its ‘clear-textured beauty and thrilling intensity’, presents William Byrd’s Mass for five voices as a full service, accompanied by motets and organ hymns by Byrd and his teacher Thomas Tallis. The intimacy of one voice per part brings an exceedingly clear vocal texture, and an atmosphere of quiet devotion which is not soon forgotten.
‘The singers luxuriate in the glowing acoustics of Midlothian’s Crichton Collegiate Church, lending warmth to immaculate performances of Tallis’s restful evening motet, O nata lux, Byrd’s intricate five-part mass and much more, including breathy interludes from organist John Kitchen.’ – The Scotsman, May 2003
Francis Jackson: Sacred Choral Works
The Exon Singers / Matthew Owens
DCD34035
Now in his early nineties, Francis Jackson remains one of the finest, best-loved and most versatile church musicians of our age. The eleven works on this disc, none of them previously recorded, have all the colour, emotional depth and attention to structural detail that are consistent hallmarks of his style. Working closely with the composer, The Exon Singers bring their customary blend of virtuosity, intense commitment and subtle responsiveness to this portrait in sound of a very special composer.
‘With Matthew Owens’ affectionate readings and The Exon Singers’ beautifully tailored singing, not to mention a richly atmospheric recording from Wells Cathedral, this presents as touching and rewarding a compendium of very English 20th-century church music as one could wish for.’ – Gramophone, December 2006
Michael Wise (c.1648–1687): Sacred Choral Music
Choir of Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge
Geoffrey Webber conductor & solo organ
DCD34041
Chastised for ‘excesses in his life and conversation’, Michael Wise lived a notoriously dissolute life which ended when he was hit about the head and ‘kill’d downright’ by the night watchman in Salisbury Cathedral. Thus was St Paul’s Cathedral robbed of its forthcoming Master of the Choristers, and history of one of the period’s most prolific and respected composers. In this recording, the first dedicated to his music, Geoffrey Webber’s Caius choir pays testament to the more respectable music-making that is Wise’s legacy.
‘The music really comes alive, thanks to the superb performances given by Webber’s musicians’ – Church Music Quarterly, September 2007
William Turner (1651-1740): Sacred Choral Music
The Choir of Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge & Yorkshire Baroque Soloists / Geoffrey Webber conductor
DCD34028
It is easy to forget that our great English choral tradition was once silenced by Act of Parliament. The restoration of the monarchy in 1660 subsequently ushered in one of the finest periods of English music, though the road to recovery for church music was a slow and difficult one. Turner, in 1660 a precocious nine-year-old, went on to become one of the best-known composers and singers of his day. This disc presents a cross-section of his sacred music, often in premiere recordings, ranging from small-scale liturgical works to one of his grandest creations, the Te Deum and Jubilate in D.
‘invigorating and highly persuasive … a reminder of the still unknown riches of English Baroque music’ – Gramophone, October 2007
DCD34025
