Missa XVII (Deus genitor alme) – plainsong
Kyrie eléison (Κύριε, ἐλέησον)
Lord, have mercy
Christe eléison (Χριστέ, ἐλέησον)
Christ, have mercy
Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus
Dominus Deus Sabaoth.
Pleni sunt cæli et terra gloria tua.
Hosanna in excelsis.
Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini.
Hosanna in excelsis.
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts,
heaven and earth are full of thy glory.
Glory be to thee, O Lord most high.
Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis.
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis.
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, dona nobis pacem.
O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.
O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.
O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world, grant us thy peace.
The Church possesses a treasure of inestimable value in the repertoire of plainsong (chant) sung by our forebears in faith for well over a thousand years. In his autobiography The Seven Storey Mountain, Thomas Merton wrote:
“But the cold stones of the Abbey church ring with a chant that glows with living flame, with a clean, profound desire. It is an austere warmth, the warmth of Gregorian chant. It is deep beyond ordinary emotion, and that is one reason why you never get tired of it. It never wears you out by making a lot of cheap demands on your sensibilities. Instead of drawing you out into the open field of feelings where your enemies, the devil and your own imagination and the inherent vulgarity of your own corrupted nature can get at you with their blades and cut you to pieces, it draws you within, where you are lulled in peace and recollection and where you find God.”
In Lent at St. James’ we draw even more deeply than usual from our treasury of chant, singing on most Sundays one of the eighteen ancient settings of the Mass Ordinary (Kyrie, Sanctus-Benedictus and Agnus Dei). These are quiet masterpieces, offering us an irreplaceable Christian experience. They have a force, an energy, a depth without equal.
Gerald Harder