Hodie Christus Natus Est
Ad Magnificat, Antiphona, In II Vesperis In Nativitate Domini (Antiphonale Monasticum (1934)p.249; Liber Usualis (1961), p.413). Mode 1, Dorian (D to D on white notes, with the final, or home note D)
Hodie Christus natus est: Today Christ is born:
hodie Salvator apparuit: today the Saviour has appeared:
hodie in terra canunt angeli, today on earth the angels sing,
laetantur archangeli: the archangels rejoice:
hodie exsultant justi, today the righteous exult,
dicentes: saying:
Gloria in excelsis Deo, Glory to God in the highest
alleluia. alleluia.
Here is a beautiful rendition, with neumatic notation, by the Benedictine nuns of the Abbey of Notre Dame d'Argentan.
Kyrie VIII (de Angelis)
This is the opening of the Missa de Angelis, from the 15th / 16th century. Note the extended melismas (one syllable sung across many notes). Mode VIII (Hypomixolydian: 'Mixolydian', a so-called authentic mode has the scale dewscribed by G to G, with D as the dominant; Hypo- indicates a 'plagal' mode, ie an even-numbered mode lying 'beneath' the authentic. Hypo-mixolydian has the same final as Mixolydian (G) but runs from domiannt to dominant (D to D).
Solo voice:
Other performances:
Monks of Santo Domingo de Silos (organ accompaniment)
Veni Creator Spiritus
This is one of the great hymnns of the Western Church, attributed to Rabanus Maurus in the 9th century, and in general use by the 12th century. It is sung at the Feast of Pentecost, and at important ceremonies such as Ordination. (Mode VIII)
A splendid blog entry by Clerk of Oxenford gives links to various performances and an interesting account of various translations.
For Gregorian notation, Latin text with literal English translation, see Chants of the Church (pdf text, p.175)
Unaccompanied:
Accompanied:
