Hey.

I was at a funeral the other day and there was a very beautiful choir there, they performed many good pieces but one that was especially good was "Ecce Panis Angelorum", has anyone heard it?

Just wondering what others' favourites are!

p.s. Can someone tell me if my apostrophe is in the wrong place?

1. Ecce Panis Angelorum,
Factus cibus viatorum
Vere panis filiorum,
Non mittendus canibus.
2. In figuris praesignatur,
Cum Isaac immolatur,
Agnus Paschae deputatur,
Datur manna patribus.
3. Bone pastor, panis vere,
Jesu, nostri miserere:
Tu nos pasce, nos tuere,
Tu nos bona fac videre
In terra viventium.
4. Tu qui cuncta scis et vales,
Qui nos pascis hic mortales:
Tuos ibi commensales,
Coheredes et sodales
Fac sanctorum civium.
Amen.

1. Behold the Bread of Angels,
made the Food of wayfarers,
Truly the bread of children,
not to be given to the dogs.
2. Presignified by figure,
When Isaac was immolated,
the Paschal Lamb was commanded,
Manna was given to the fathers.
3. Good shepherd, true Bread,
Jesus, have mercy on us:
Feed us, protect us,
Make us to see good things
in the land of the living.
4. Thou who knowest and willest all things,
Who feeds us mortals by This:
Make thine own to be partakers of,
coheirs and citizens in
that holy City of Saints.
Amen.

"Behold the Bread of Angels" - this is often used as a Benediction hymn, for obvious reasons. It recalls how the mystery of the Eucharist was signified by many events in the Old Testament - the immolation of Isaac, the Paschal Lamb, the manna given to the fathers in the desert. It then proceeds to ask Jesus for the grace to save our souls, so that we can join the citizens of Heaven, seeing Him forever in "the land of the living".

This is only the last 4 stanzas of the famous hymn, "Lauda Sion", written by St. Thomas Aquinas before the year 1274. It is the sequence for Corpus Christi, the great feast of the Body of Christ when the Church turns our attention to the great Gift of the Eucharist. Jesus gave us this precious Gift of Himself so that He might always be with us.

How sublime is this hymn! It teaches pure Catholic doctrine throughout. Nothing watered down, nothing that could be used in reference to your spouse or fiancee (as is the case with many modern hymns, which only talk about love). It discusses the establishment of the Eucharist at the Last Supper. It reinforces Catholic teaching, such as: You receive Jesus whole and entire under either species (bread, wine). As the faithful sing this every year in the Corpus Christi procession, they hear the words in verse 17, "The good receive It as do the bad, but the result is anything but the same; life for the one and destruction for the other." It mentions that as many as receive Him, He is not utterly consumed, but lives forever. A beautiful hymn, worthy of the great Saint Thomas Aquinas, the Common Doctor of the Church.

QUOTE (Hulk @ May 21 2005, 11:49 PM)

Just wondering what others' favourites are! p.s. Can someone tell me if my apostrophe is in the wrong place?  :lol:

Your apostrophe is correct

I particularly like Dunstable's motets (early 15th c)

Hulk, who's this setting written by? We had a service of Benediction yesterday (I'm Anglican by the way, but the Bishop was happy for us to have it, and tok the service); wonderful, but the only thing I felt was lacking was an anthem....

So for next year....

Adiemus is a nice set of music. Plus there is Adiemus 2 except I personally don't think it's as good.

I haven't actually heard this but it sounds quite nice.

QUOTE

It is the sequence for Corpus Christi,

which I think is next Thursday !

Maggie

Mozart Requiem, without a shadow of a doubt. I intend to have this at my funeral, but that could be quite a long time away (and it's not like I'll be able to appreciate it then either...).

I'm just recovering from our choir's performance of The Armed Man yesterday. I don't really like the work, but hey, I hit all of the top As and we got a standing ovation . Any Karl Jenkins fans are welcome to come to a repeat performance of The Armed Man at Dorking Halls on 2nd July - details available here. Shostakovich 5 as well!

Concert plug over!

Jen W - good call!

O Fortuna from Carmina Burana - Orff

ooooooh coooooooooooooooooooooool!

QUOTE (sarah-flute @ May 22 2005, 03:03 PM)

ooooooh coooooooooooooooooooooool!

i take it something has quite tickled your fancy...

My all-time favourite is Thomas Tallis's 40-part motet Spem in Alium. There's something about Renaissance choral music that sets it apart from anything composed later.

Heard that in our Cathedral at Evensong a few weeks ago - superb!

We're doing a very modern piece (involves finger clicking and whispering etc.) called Cloudburst in choir. It's really fun!

The Rio Grande (Constant Lambert) -- part piano concerto, part Jazz chorus, part percussion tutorial.. hilarious!

BRITTEN: Choral Dances from Gloriana

David