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O Emmanuel: Great antiphon for 23 December

December 23, 2012

This entry is part 7 of 7 in the series Advent Antiphons 2012

Like all the other 'O' antiphons 'O Emmanuel' the 'O' antiphon for 23 December is based upon the Book of Isaiah, in this case Isaiah 7:14:

Isaiah 7:14 Propter hoc dabit Dominus ipse vobis signum : ecce virgo concipiet, et pariet filium, et vocabitur nomen ejus Emmanuel. (Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign. Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son and his name shall be called Emmanuel).

It's sung below Peter Morton (tenor) and the choir of St John's College Choir Cambridge, conducted by David Hill.

markfromireland

Click here to listen to the music and read the rest of the posting ...

O Rex gentium: Great Antiphon for 22 December

By markfromireland

December 22, 2012

This entry is part 6 of 7 in the series Advent Antiphons 2012

O Rex gentium et desideratus earum

The 'O' antiphon for 22^nd of December is 'O Rex gentium' (O King of all nations). This anthiphon – the 6^th Antiphon for the Magnificat is based upon two verses in Isaiah Isaiah 9:6:

6 Parvulus enim natus est nobis, et filius datus est nobis, et factus est principatus super humerum ejus : et vocabitur nomen ejus, Admirabilis, Consiliarius, Deus, Fortis, Pater futuri sæculi, Princeps pacis. (6 For a CHILD IS BORN to us, and a son is given to us, and the government is upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, God the Mighty, the Father of the world to come, the Prince of Peace).

and Isaiah 2:4:

4 Et judicabit gentes, et arguet populos multos; et conflabunt gladios suos in vomeres, et lanceas suas in falces. Non levabit gens contra gentem gladium, nec exercebuntur ultra ad prælium. (4 And he shall judge the Gentiles, and rebuke many people: and they shall turn their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into sickles: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they be exercised any more to war).

It's sung below by Peter Morton (tenor), and the Choir of St John's College Cambridge, conducted by David Hill.

markfromireland

Click here to listen to the music and read the rest of the posting ...

O Oriens: Great Antiphon for 21 December

By markfromireland

December 21, 2012

This entry is part 5 of 7 in the series Advent Antiphons 2012

O Oriens the 'O' Antiphon for December 21^st with it's plea to Christ to "Come and enlighten those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death" is very closely based on Isaiah 9:2:

Isaiah 9:2: Populus qui ambulabat in tenebris, vidit lucem magnam; habitantibus in regione umbræ mortis, lux orta est eis. (The people that walked in darkness, have seen a great light: to them that dwelt in the region of the shadow of death, light is risen).

Medieval clergy were well aware that the date on which this antiphon was sung was the shortest and darkest of the year and the days would now start to get longer and brighter and conflated this with the idea of Christ's light abolishing the darkness of sin and of death. The antiphon is sung below by Peter Morton (tenor) and the Choir of St John's College Choir, Cambridge, conducted by David Hill.

markfromireland

Click here to listen to the music and read the rest of the posting ...

O Clavis David: Great Antiphon for 20 December

By markfromireland

December 20, 2012

This entry is part 4 of 7 in the series Advent Antiphons 2012

As with all the 'O' antiphons O Clavis David (O Key of David) the Great Antiphon for 20 December is based upon the book of Isaiah, in this case Isaiah 22:22, Isaiah 9:7 ,and Isaiah 42:7:

Click here to listen to the music and read the rest of the posting ...

O Radix Jesse: Great Antiphon for 19 December

By markfromireland

December 19, 2012

This entry is part 3 of 7 in the series Advent Antiphons 2012

Tree of Jesse Bible de Guiard des Moulins The third of the 'O' Antiphons is based upon Isaiah 11:1 and Isaiah 11:10. Jesse was King David's father the prophet Micah had prophesied that the Messiah would be of the house of David and would be born in David’s city, Bethlehem (Micah 5:1) . Christ is the "shoot of Jesse" by his descent from Jesse's son, King David. For the early and medieval Church Christ's heredity was all-important. The Tree of Jesse was a means of illustrating the actual royal descent of Jesus, especially for royalty and the nobility, including those who had joined the clergy: