Disibod, the green finger of God. He stands alone, surrounded by the growth that he nurtures.
The rhythm in this one bubbled up like young shoots in the spring. Interspersed with three blocks that are like a prayer and surrounding a phrase that symbolises Disibod himself, who “stands far off like an exile.”
you greenness of god’s finger in which god established a plantation that shimmers on high like a pillar erected.
you are glorious in preparation for god.
you height of the mountain that will never be eroded in the judgement of god and yet you stand far off like an exile but it is not in the power of the armoured one to seize you.
you are glorious in preparation for god.
glory be to the father and to the son and to the holy spirit.
For the 7th century Irish saint Disibod (who died on July 8th). In this responsory, Disibod is described by Hildegard as the greenness of God’s fingers. Interestingly, this is the only chant among the 77 that begins and ends on B.
The Gloria Patri is missing from the Dendermonde manuscript, but present in the Riesencodex.
Written with the vocal ensemble La Noeva in mind, this is a six-part piece for female voices – an appropriate setting for a text that celebrates that “the highest blessing is found in female form” 😉
I hope to have the chance to sing this live with the group as normality returns.
Because it was the feast of her immaculate heart on June 20th, here is a short chant in honour of the Virgin Mary. Note that ‘the highest blessing is in female form’ 🙂
Because, therefore, a woman prepared death, an illustrious virgin now subdues it, and thus the highest blessing is found in female form, rather than in any other creature for god is made human in a lovely and blessed virgin.
This one turned out to have a tempo of about 58 on the metronome. Like a nice restful heartbeat. It seemed to ask for a soft rhythmic approach, so no percussion this time, and lots of accompanying cello. The pizzicato runs and flows to match the text: the pure water that flows (puros rivulos ex deo fluentes), watering the flowers (viriditatem florum rigasti); and then there’s Boniface, who very wisely runs along the right path (in benivolentia rectarum viarum, in quibus sapienter cucurristi).
o bonifaci lux vivens vidit te similem viro sapienti qui puros rivulos ex deo fluentes ad deum remisisti cum viriditatem florum rigasti unde es amicus dei viventis et cristallus lucens in benivolentia rectarum viarum in quibus sapienter cucurristi.
o boniface, the living light saw you, like a sage, who returned to god the pure rivulets flowing from god when you watered the greenness of the flowers. For you are a friend of the living god and a bright crystal in the graciousness of the paths of right, on which, wisely, you ran.
