Scripture verses set to music
John 20: 27 [Latin] – Then he saith to Thomas: Put in thy hand, and know the place of the nails [alleluia]; and be not faithless, but believing [alleluia, alleluia].
Original Latin:
Mitte manum tuam, et cognósce loca clavórum, allelúia: et noli esse incrédulus, sed fidélis, allelúia, allelúia.
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“Mitte manum tuam,” Communion chant for Low Sunday (Sunday after Easter), the Octave of Easter
Sung by Robert Tomaszycki
Matthew 28: 2,5,6 [Latin] – 2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.
5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.
6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
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Original Latin:
Angelus enim[autem] Domini descendit de coelo, et accedens revolvit lapidem, et super eum sedit. Et dixit mulieribus: Nolite timere: scio enim quia crucifixum quaeritis: Iam surrexit: venite, et videte locum, ubi positus erat Dominus. Alleluja.
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“Angelus Domini descendit,” 8-voice motet composed by Giovanni Gabrieli (c. 1554/1557-1612), first published in Symphoniae sacrae I, no. 18 (1597)
Sung by VOCES8 in in Osor Cathedral, Croatia
Lamentations 1: 8-13 [Latin] – 8 Jerusalem sinned grievously; therefore she became filthy; all who honored her despise her, for they have seen her nakedness; she herself groans and turns her face away.
9 Her uncleanness was in her skirts; she took no thought of her future; therefore her fall is terrible; she has no comforter. “O Lord, behold my affliction, for the enemy has triumphed!”
10 The enemy has stretched out his hands over all her precious things; for she has seen the nations enter her sanctuary, those whom you forbade to enter your congregation.
11 All her people groan as they search for bread; they trade their treasures for food to revive their strength. “Look, O Lord, and see, for I am despised.”
12 “Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow, which was brought upon me, which the Lord inflicted on the day of his fierce anger.
13 “From on high he sent fire; into my bones he made it descend; he spread a net for my feet; he turned me back; he has left me stunned, faint all the day long.
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Original Latin:
8 [Heth.] Peccatum peccavit Jerusalem, propterea instabilis facta est; omnes qui glorificabant eam spreverunt illam, quia viderunt ignominiam ejus: ipsa autem gemens conversa est retrorsum.
9 [Teth.] Sordes ejus in pedibus ejus, nec recordata est finis sui; deposita est vehementer, non habens consolatorem. Vide, Domine, afflictionem meam, quoniam erectus est inimicus.
10 [Jod.] Manum suam misit hostis ad omnia desiderabilia ejus, quia vidit gentes ingressas sanctuarium suum, de quibus praeceperas ne intrarent in ecclesiam tuam.
11 [Caph.] Omnis populus ejus gemens, et quaerens panem; dederunt pretiosa quaeque pro cibo ad refocillandam animam. Vide, Domine, et considera quoniam facta sum vilis!
12 [Lamed.] O vos omnes qui transitis per viam, attendite, et videte si est dolor sicut dolor meus! quoniam vindemiavit me, ut locutus est Dominus, in die irae furoris sui.
13 [Mem.] De excelso misit ignem in ossibus meis, et erudivit me: expandit rete pedibus meis, convertit me retrorsum; posuit me desolatam, tota die moerore confectam.
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“Lamentations” a 5, for five a cappella voices, composed by Robert White (1538-1574), from Manuscript ca. 1575 in The Baldwin Partbooks, no. 33, and Manuscript 1580 in Dow Partbooks, no. 1
Sung by Lady Clare’s Consort
Song of Solomon 4: 7 [Latin] – You are completely beautiful, my love, and there is no flaw in you.
Tota pulchra es amica mea, et macula non est in te.
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“Tota pulchra es” for 4 voices a cappella, composed by Jean Mouton (c. 1459-1522). From Anne Boleyn Songbook, MS 1070, in the Royal College of Music. The text is from the Canticum Canticorum 4:7 (Song of Songs).
Sung by The Gesualdo Six
