Gaudete
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"Gaudete" ("Rejoice") is a sacred Christmas carol, composed sometime in the 16th century, most likely in reference to Gaudete Sunday, the third Sunday in Advent. It is celebrated in the Roman Catholic Church falling between December 11 and December 17 inclusive. The song was published in the Piae Cantiones, a collection of Finnish/Swedish sacred songs published in 1582. No music is given for the verses, but the standard tune comes from older liturgical books.
The text, in Latin, is a typical song of praise, probably stemming from the Middle Ages. It follows the standard pattern for the time - a uniform series of four-line stanzas, each preceded by a two-line refrain (in the early English carol this was known as the burden). Carols could be on any subject, but typically they were about the Virgin Mary or the Saints of Christmas.
The complete text of the Gaudete, including the refrain:
- Gaudete, gaudete! Christus est natus
- Ex Maria virgine, gaudete!
- Tempus adest gratiae
- Hoc quod optabamus,
- Carmina laetitiae
- Devote reddamus.
- Deus homo factus est
- Natura mirante,
- Mundus renovatus est
- A Christo regnante.
- Ezechielis porta
- Clausa pertransitur,
- Unde lux est orta
- Salus invenitur.
- Ergo nostra cantio,
- Psallat iam in lustro;
- Benedicat Domino:
- Salus Regi nostro.
Translating as :
- Rejoice, rejoice! Christ is born
- Of the Virgin Mary, rejoice!
- It is now the time of grace
- That we have desired;
- Let us devoutly return
- Songs of rejoicing.
- God has become man,
- And nature marvels;
- The world has been renewed
- By Christ who is King.
- The closed gate of Ezechiel
- Has been passed through;
- Salvation is found there,
- Whence the light rises.
- Therefore let our assembly
- Now sing a hymn of purification
- Let it give praise to the Lord:
- greetings to our King.
[edit] Recordings
The folk rock group Steeleye Span had a hit in 1974 (#11, UK singles chart) with an a cappella recording of the song. This recording is one of only three top 50 British hits to be sung in Latin (the others were both recordings of 'Pie Jesu'; firstly by Sarah Brightman in 1986, secondly by the 12-year-old Charlotte Church in 1998 who recorded "Pie Jesu" from Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Requiem").
Guitarist Bob Johnson visited a church with his father-in-law in Cambridge and heard a folk-carol service. He was attracted by the song and brought it to the attention of the rest of Steeleye Span. In 1997 it was recorded by the classical group Mediaeval Baebes as part of their No. 2 selling classical recording Salva Nos.
The Boston Camerata, under the direction of Joel Cohen, recorded a version of Gaudete entitled "Gaudete, Gaudete" for the 1991 album A Renaissance Christmas.
El Duende recorded a version for the Projekt Christmas compilation Excelsis, Vol. 2: A Winter's Song.
Barry and Beth Hall included Gaudete in their album A Feast of Songs: Holiday Music from the Middle Ages.
Gaudete has been recorded a cappella by Pure Reason Revolution as a Christmas bonus track on their debut EP, Cautionary Tales For The Brave.
In 1999, harpist Kim Robertson offered a lively rendition of the song on her disc The Spiral Gate.
Gaudete was the final encore on Steeleye Span's "The 35th Anniversary World Tour (2004)" DVD.
Title: Artist: POTENTIA ANIMI (Germany, site: http://www.potentia-animi.de/) Song: GAUDETE Album: DAS ERSTE GEBET (2004)
