penelope turner

I have just finished my revisiting of Hildegard von Bingen’s hymn to St Ursula, “Cum vox sanguinis”. The accompaniment is for two cellos and a three-voice backing group, which sings in English to mark every time the Latin announces “et dixit” or “et dixerunt” as well as generally supporting the solo line. In case the English text that I used is difficult to catch, I have added it into the translation of the Latin below. (See my previous post for the original notation used to interpret the solo line.)

I hope you like it. During the creative process, the solo line demanded significant use of the I VI IV progression from me 🙂 🙂 🙂 I would also say, never underestimate the power of a seventh chord…

When the voice of Ursula’s blood, and of her innocent host, sounded before God’s throne, an ancient prophecy passed through the root of Mamre and spoke in the revealed truth of the Trinity: “This blood touches us, let us all now rejoice.” [“Her blood touches us. Now rejoice!“]

And after that, the congregation of the lamb came, through the ram caught in the thorns, and said: “Let there be praise in Jerusalem for the redness of this blood.” [“O praise Jerusalem for this red blood.“]

Then came that sacrifice of the calf, which the old law indicated, a sacrifice of praise, clothed in many colours, that hid God’s face from Moses, showing him only God’s back. This stands for priests who show God with their tongues but cannot see him fully. And say: “O most noble host, that virgin, who is called Ursula on earth, is called the Dove in heaven, because she gathered around her a host of innocents.” [“Ursula, virgin most noble, dove of heaven, innocence surrounds you.”]

O Ecclesia, you are worthy of that host’s praise. [“O praise the mighty host, that he planted in the root of man.“] That great host, which is signified by the unconsumed bush that Moses saw, and which God planted in the first root in the humans he made of earth. So that it might have life without any mixture with man, that host called out in a radiant voice made of gold, topaz and sapphire, loved by the lamb.

Now let all the heavens rejoice, and let all people be adorned with them. [“Now the heavens rejoice! And let all be adorned.“] Amen.

My next challenge within this project is to revisit the lovely hymn that Hildegard wrote for St Ursula. Here is the original chant, sung according to the Dendermonde manuscript:

Cum vox sanguinis

When the voice of Ursula’s blood, and of her innocent host, sounded before God’s throne, an ancient prophecy passed through the root of Mamre and spoke in the revealed truth of the Trinity: “This blood touches us, let us all now rejoice.”

And after that, the congregation of the lamb came, through the ram caught in the thorns, and said: “Let there be praise in Jerusalem for the redness of this blood.”

Then came that sacrifice of the calf, which the old law indicated, a sacrifice of praise, clothed in many colours, that hid God’s face from Moses, showing him only God’s back. This stands for priests who show God with their tongues but cannot see him fully. And say: “O most noble host, that virgin, who is called Ursula on earth, is called the Dove in heaven, because she gathered around her a host of innocents.“

O Ecclesia, you are worthy of that host’s praise. That great host, which is signified by the unconsumed bush that Moses saw, and which God planted in the first root in the humans he made of earth. So that it might have life without any mixture with man, that host called out in a radiant voice made of gold, topaz and sapphire, loved by the lamb.

Now let all the heavens rejoice, and let all people be adorned with them. Amen.

Here is the latest composition in my Hildegard Revisited series (number 50 of 77). The text is a yearning for joy, and the melody is written in the mysterious phrygian mode. I had the idea that a languorous waltz might create the right atmosphere, and was delighted when the chant slipped easily into this somewhat surprising context.

If you’d like to see and hear the original, sung from the 12th century manuscripts, check out my previous post.

O eterne deus – a slow dance for joy

O eternal God, please burn now with such love that we may become those limbs that you made in the same love as you begot your Son at the first dawn, before all other creatures; and look at the need that falls upon us and remove it from us, for your Son’s sake, and lead us to the joy of salvation.