I love Chiristmas--and the music! No, I'm not about to bust out my Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack, or roast any chestnuts on an open fire...but my students are starting to learn their Christmas songs...and I've been wanting to post this for a while...and Halloween is over so...you know...why not now?
This year I am singing in the Anaheim Mormon Chorale (they are the group that I didn't sing the National Anthem with at the Angels game this summer). One of the songs we have been working on for Christmas is "O Magnum Mysterium" by Morten Lauridsen. He grew up in Portland where his dad was a forester (go America!), but outside of the USA, it is the most performed Christmas choral work besides the Alelluia chorus from Handel's Messiah (at least that's what I was told). The textures in this piece are ethereal and beautiful. The words are from ancient Latin chant, and I've included the translations.
I hope you take the time to listen to it, or at least let it play while you clean up your living room or make applesauce or something. Enjoy!
O magnum mysterium,
et admirabile sacramentum
ut animalia viderent Dominum
natum, jacentum in praesepio!
Beata Virgo, cujus viscera
meruerunt portare
Dominum Christum. Alleluia!
O great mystery,
and wondrous sacrament,
that animals should see the new-
born Lord, lying in their manger!
Blessed is the Virgin whose womb
was worthy to bear the
Lord Jesus Christ. Alleluia!
6 comments:
The music is beautiful and is excellent to make applesauce by. I'm in the mood for Christmas now. Thank you for the inspiration. I know you will sound as good.
looking forward to listening to this later. Right now is is 6am and I am getting ready for work and I don't want three kids running down the stairs to see what I am playing! I found this site for you....
http://christmas.whipnet.net/kids/timeleft.html
It tells you how long until Christmas. Right now it is...
50 days
1208 Hours
72471 Minutes
4348263 seconds
ooops, 4348262, 4348261, 4348260...!
i'm trying to hold off with the christmas tunes. last year i made it to the day after thanksgiving. it was tough. my goal is to just make it to the week of thanksgiving this year...we'll see. beth is a bad influence on me with x-mas music and we're headed to her house tuesday...could be dangerous!!!
Beautiful! I started with the Christmas music last night, I always try to wait, but why when it's my favorite time of the year?
they all have such beautiful voices! I loved that song... never heard it before. Thanks for sharing Dana!
Beautiful! I have never heard that Christmas song. Love it!
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