Personent hodie
"Personent hodie"is aChristmas caroloriginally published in the 1582 Finnish song bookPiae Cantiones,a volume of 74 Medieval songs with Latin texts collected byJacobus Finno(Jaakko Suomalainen), a SwedishLutherancleric, and published by T.P. Rutha.[1]The song book had its origins in the libraries ofcathedral song schools,whose repertory had strong links with medievalPrague,whereclericalstudents from Finland and Sweden had studied for generations.[2]A melody found in a 1360 manuscript from the nearbyBavariancity ofMoosburgin Germany is highly similar, and it is from this manuscript that the song is usually dated.[3][4]
Textual origins
[edit]TheLatintext is probably amusical parodyof an earlier 12th century song beginning "intonent hodie voces ecclesie",written in honour ofSaint Nicholas,the patron saint of Russia, sailors and children – to whom he traditionally brings gifts on his feast day, 6 December.[2]Hugh Keyte andAndrew Parrottnote that two of the verses have an unusual double repeat ( "Submersum,-sum,-sumpuerum";"Reddensvir-,vir-,vir-ginibus"). In"intonent hodie",these were used to illustrate the three boys and three girls saved by St Nicholas from drowning and prostitution, respectively.[2]The text was probably re-written for theFeast of the Holy Innocents(28 December) when choristers and their "boy bishop"traditionally displaced the senior clergy from the choir stalls.[3]The carol is still often associated with Holy Innocents' Day.[1]
Songs fromPiae Cantionescontinued to be performed in Finland until the 19th century.[5]The book became well known in Britain after a rare copy ofPiae Cantionesowned by Peter of Nyland was given as a gift to the British Minister inStockholm.He subsequently gave it toJohn Mason Nealein 1852, and it was from this copy that Neale, in collaboration withThomas Helmorepublished songs in two collections in 1853 and 1854 respectively.[5]
Translations
[edit]The most common English translation of the text is by "James M. Joseph", a pseudonym of the composerJane M. Joseph(1894–1929). She translates the title as "On this day earth shall ring", although there are several other English translations.[2]Other versions includeElizabeth Poston's 1965 "Boys' Carol", which translates the first line of the text as "Let the boys' cheerful noise/Sing today none but joys" andJohn Mason Neale's "Let the Song be Begun", which uses the melody but not the text of the carol.[6][7]Aidan Oliver's non-verse translation renders the text as "Today let the voices of children resound in joyful praise of Him who is born for us."[8]
Arrangements
[edit]The carol became more prominent in England after being arranged for unison voices and orchestra in 1916 byGustav Holst(1874–1934), where in its organ reduction it is often used as aprocessional hymnin church and cathedral services.[1][2][9]Holst's version often forms part of theFestival of Nine Lessons and Carols,and was last featured in the service broadcast byBBC2fromKing's College Chapel, Cambridgein 2011 following the sixth lesson.[8]This arrangement is sometimes referred to as "Theodoric" in reference to the composer's middle name (Theodore)[10]and, in this setting, is the tune used forPercy Dearmer's hymnGod is love, his the care.[11]
In addition to Holst's version, there is a harmonised choral arrangement by Hugh Keyte andAndrew Parrottin theNew Oxford Book of Carols,an arrangement byAntony Pittsin theNaxos Book of Carolsand two arrangements byJohn Rutter;one for choir and full orchestra which emulates percussive medieval instrumentation, and another in his anthologyDancing Dayfor female or boys voices with harp or piano accompaniment.[2][12][13]The Retrover Ensemble's performance forNaxos Recordspairs the piece withGaudete,another carol fromPiae Cantiones.[14]
A popular arrangement of the carol was written by Dr. Lara Hoggard as a Festival Procession[15]that has been performed with full orchestra and organ[16]and features a brass introduction and a climatic "Gloria in excelsis Deo".[17]
Several recorded versions are arranged in a morefolk-oriented style: for example, a performance byMaddy PriorandThe Carnival Bandon their 1987 albumA Tapestry of Carols,which utilisesperiod instruments.[18]The femalea cappellaquartetAnonymous 4have also recorded the song with its original "Intonent hodie"text on their CDLegends of St. Nicholas.[19]
The contemporary English cross-disciplinary music ensembleNorth Sea Radio Orchestrahave recorded a small-ensemble instrumental version of the piece arranged for two violins, cello, clarinet, bassoon, oboe, piano, vibraphone, chamber organ and guitar. This appears on their 2008 albumBirds.
Jazz musicianWayne Shorterrecorded his arrangement of melody under the name12th Century Carolon his 2003 albumAlegria.
Robert Cummings, writing in theAllMusicguide, states that the "melody is glorious and ebullient in its lively, triumphant manner. It largely consists of bright, resolute three-note phrases whose overall structure gradually rises, then descends."[1]
Bass guitarist/composerChris Squirerecorded his arrangement on the 2007 albumChris Squire's Swiss Choiraccompanied by guitaristSteve Hackettand theEnglish Baroque Choir.
Text
[edit]| Latin text of "Personent hodie" (1582) | Literal translation | English translation by Jane M. Joseph (1894–1929)[7] | Latin text of "Intonent hodie" (c. 1360)[20] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personent hodie voces puerulae, laudantes iucunde qui nobis est natus, summo Deo datus, et de vir, vir, vir(2x) |
Let resound today the voices of children, joyfully praising Him who is born to us, given by most high God, and conceived in a virginal womb. |
On this day earth shall ring with the song children sing |
Intonent hodie Voces ecclesiae, |
| In mundo nascitur, pannis involvitur |
He was born into the world, wrapped in swaddling clothes, and laid in a manger in a stable for animals, the master of the heavens. The prince of Hell has lost his spoils. |
His the doom, ours the mirth; when he came down to earth, |
Sanctus hic inclitus, Domino subditus, |
| Magi tres venerunt, munera offerunt, |
Three Magi came, they were bearing gifts, and sought the little one, following a star, to worship him, and offer him gold, frankincense, and myrrh. |
God's bright star, o'er his head, Wise Men three to him led; |
Parenti misero Submerso puero |
| Omnes clericuli, pariter pueri, |
Let all the junior clerics and also the boys sing like angels: "You have come to the world, I pour out praises to you. Therefore, glory to God in the highest! " |
On this day angels sing; with their song earth shall ring, |
Tribus virginibus Victu carentibus |
In several versions, such as theHolstarrangement, the third verse has "parvulum inquirunt, Bethlehem adeunt"in place of"munera offerunt, parvulum inquirunt."
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^abcdRobert Cummings, "Personent hodie" atAllMusic,URL accessed 4 January 2009
- ^abcdefHugh Keyte, Andrew Parrott, "Personent Hodie,On This Day Earth Shall Ring "inThe Musical Times,Vol. 133, No. 1795 (September 1992), pp. 1–4
- ^ab"On This Day Earth Shall Ring" athymnsandcarolsofchristmas,URL accessed 4 January 2009
- ^Gustav Holst, "Personet hodie"in theOxford Book of Carols(London: Oxford University Press, 1928), p.171.
- ^abRalph Vaughan Williams, Martin Shaw (ed.), note to J.M. Neale "January Carol" theOxford Book of Carols(London: Oxford University Press, 1928), p.291.
- ^The Boys' Carolat Golden Hind Music, URL accessed 4 January 2009
- ^ab"Personent hodie" athymnsandcarolsofchristmas,URL accessed 4 January 2009
- ^abNine Lessons and Carols 2011Archived2 November 2012 at theWayback Machineorder of service at theChoir of King's College, Cambridgewebsite, URL accessed 31 December 2011
- ^Personent hodiearranged byGustav Holstat theChoral Public Domain Library,URL accessed 4 January 2009
- ^Erik Routley,An English-speaking Hymnal Guide,(London: Liturgical Press, 1979), p.140
- ^God is love, his the care,at Hymnary.org, URL accessed 20 May 2020
- ^Antony Pitts,The Naxos Book of Carols(Faber Music, 2003)
- ^John Rutter,Dancing Dayat singers, URL accessed 4 January 2009
- ^Markus Tapio,Piae Cantiones: Latin Song in Medieval Finland.Naxos Records 8.554180
- ^Hoggard, Lara.Personent Hodie: Suggestions for "Processional Choreography"(PDF).
- ^"Personent Hodie".
- ^"Personent Hodie".11 December 2013 – viaYouTube.
- ^Brian Wilson,Review ofA Tapestry of Carolsat MusicWeb, URL accessed 27 January 2009
- ^Anonymous 4,Legends of St. NicholasArchived7 August 2008 at theWayback Machine.Harmonia Mundi HMU 907232
- ^Guido Maria Dreves,[1]Analecta hymnica medii aeviVolume: 21, (Leipzig: O.R. Reisland, 1895)
External links
[edit]- Personent hodiearranged byGustav Holstat theChoral Public Domain Library