Te Deum Laudamus

Gregorian chant. More videos from Giovanni Vianini here and here.

Ave Maria

Peruvian Song "El Algarrobo"

More Peruvian music, a lovely song from the artist Alicia Maguiña. A kind of song called a triste, she ends in the tondero style.

Riu Riu Chiu

Song of Songs

I (attempt to) follow the 2-year cycle of scriptural passages for the Office of Readings. Unless I missed something the Universalis site (link at the right) only uses the 1-year cycle apparently . I use a different translation for the Liturgy of the Hours but a table of readings for the 2-year cycle can be found at the back of Christian Prayer. One thing that fascinates me is that the readings for much of Christmas in year 2 of the cycle are from the Song of Songs. Todays reading (Sg 1:1-10):

Let him kiss me with the kiss of his mouth: for thy breasts are better than wine, Smelling sweet of the best ointments. Thy name is as oil poured out: therefore young maidens have loved thee. Draw me: we will run after thee to the odour of thy ointments. The king hath brought me into his storerooms: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, remembering thy breasts more than wine: the righteous love thee. I am black but beautiful, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Cedar, as the curtains of Solomon. Do not consider me that I am brown, because the sun hath altered my colour: the sons of my mother have fought against me, they have made me the keeper in the vineyards: my vineyard I have not kept.

Shew me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou liest in the midday, lest I begin to wander after the flocks of thy companions. If thou know not thyself, O fairest among women, go forth, and follow after the steps of the flocks, and feed thy kids beside the tents of the shepherds. To my company of horsemen, in Pharao's chariots, have I likened thee, O my love. Thy cheeks are beautiful as the turtledove's, thy neck as jewels. We will make thee chains of gold, inlaid with silver.


(technically the table in "Christian Prayer" only lists verses 1 to 8 but the edition I follow prints verses 1 to 10). There's something very beautiful about reading the Song of Songs at Christmastime!

The translation above is from the Douay-Rheims edition of the Bible.

Villancico

Mexican pop singer Yuri sings the villancico "Campana Sobre Campana" (Bell Over Bell) in a video clip from from 80's, I think, taken from the old Mexican t.v. variety show "Siempre En Domingo".



What's a villancico ? Read here.

Christmas began yesterday.

Now I can see why this can be addicting. I can't help but put up a couple of more links because it's about Christmas and how it really does last 12 days. From the Per Christum blog:

Christmas is just getting started!

They've got a link to a nice overview of Christmas at ChurchYear.Net:

All About Christmas

el Tondero

Because I can do this now, I can't resist putting up another link. Peruvian singer Cecilia Barraza performing a tondero live, somewhere in Lima I suppose.

link to Youtube clip

Theres an article on the Peruvian tondero at this link. Next time I'll link something more Christmassy.

O Magnum Mysterium

Today I start this blog just as a simple page to place some links I come across and find interesting.

To begin with, in celebration of Christmas, Tomás Luis de Victoria's "O Magnum Mysterium":



O magnum mysterium et admirabile sacramentum, ut animalia viderent Dominum natum jacentem in praesepio.
O beata Virgo, cujus viscera meruerunt portare Dominum Jesum Christum. Alleluia!

O great mystery, and wonderful sacrament, that the animals should see the new-born Lord lying in a manger. Blessed is the Virgin whose womb was worthy to bear Christ the Lord. Alleluia

O Gran Misterio, y Maravilloso Sacramento,
Que los animales hayan visto Al Señor recién nacido yacer en un pesebre. Alabada seas, o Virgen, pues tu Vientre mereció llevar a Jesús Cristo, nuestro Señor, ¡Aleluya!

Merry Christmas.