• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Corpus Christi Watershed

“What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too…” Pope Benedict XVI (7 July 2007)

  • Our Team
    • Views from the Choir Loft • “Our Team”
    • Our Editorial Policy
  • Pew Resources
    • Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal
    • Jogues Illuminated Missal
    • Campion Missal, 3rd Edition
  • MUSICAL WEBSITES
    • René Goupil Gregorian Chant
    • Noël Chabanel Psalms
    • Nova Organi Harmonia (2,279 pages)
    • Lalemant Polyphonic
    • Saint Antoine Daniel KYRIALE
    • Father Enemond Massé Manuscripts
  • Miscellaneous
    • Site Map
    • Emporium Kevin Allen
    • Roman Missal, 3rd Edition
    • Saint Jean de Lalande Library
    • Sacred Music Symposium 2023
    • Gradual by Pothier’s Protégé
    • Mass in Honor of Saint Noël Chabanel
  • Donate
Views from the Choir Loft

Re: Music For Two Voices • “Jam Christe Sol Justitiæ”

Jeff Ostrowski · March 12, 2021

E REMEMBER HOW many holy people were known to have a highly developed sense of humor. In this category were saints: Father Antoine Daniel, Saint Thomas More, Don Bosco. Also in this category are American clerics: Monsignor Robert Skeris, Bishop Fulton Sheen, and so forth. These people were always laughing and making jokes. They were quite jolly. But for Church musicians, there’s nothing funny about the Covid-19 restrictions put in place by the government and the Catholic Church. And it’s certainly been difficult to “look on the bright side” of these restrictions. However, I think some good will come out of this: especially how we’ve been forced to find solutions for a limited number of singers. Below is something we tried recently, and I’d be grateful to hear your feedback.

We started with Hymn #240 from the Brébeuf Hymnal for Lent:

*  Mp3 Download • Treble Only
—Taken from The Saint Jean de Brébeuf Hymnal (2018)—used with permission.

That hymn probably sounds “bright”—and that’s okay. It’s an ancient Catholic hymn called Jam Christe Sol Justitiæ. 1 We’ve spoken about this hymn quite a bit. Here’s part of it: “Dies venit, dies tua, in qua reflórent ómnia.” That means: The day comes, Thy day, on which all things bloom again. The footnote in the Brébeuf hymnal says of this line: “The physical spring of the northern hemisphere is an analogy for the spiritual rebirth which the Resurrection of Christ inaugurates.” Indeed, the word “Lent” is derived from Old English word (lencten), meaning “spring”—the lengthening of days after winter has ended. Our pastor recently reminded us that Lent should be a joyful time, as our penances bring us closer to God. In any event, from the “Brébeuf Choral Supplement” we added the Tenor line:

*  Mp3 Download • Tenor Line Added
—Taken from The Saint Jean de Brébeuf Hymnal (2018)—used with permission.

From the standpoint of music theory, this should not work without organ. However, I think it actually sounds okay:

*  Mp3 Download • Without organ
—Taken from The Saint Jean de Brébeuf Hymnal (2018)—used with permission.

Please leave your thoughts in the Facebook combox (see below).


NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   The title of Jam Christe Sol Justitiæ was changed in 1631AD to O Sol Salutis Intimis by Pope Urban VIII. For more details on this, cf. the Brébeuf hymnal.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Follow the Discussion on Facebook

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Jam Christe Sol Justitiae, Lent means lencten lengthening, O Sol Salutis Intimis Last Updated: March 29, 2021

Subscribe

It greatly helps us if you subscribe to our mailing list!

* indicates required

About Jeff Ostrowski

Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004). He resides with his wife and children in Los Angeles.—(Read full biography).

Primary Sidebar

Corpus Christi Watershed

Quick Thoughts

    William Byrd • Simple “Agnus Dei” Canon
    Time flies! Back in July, I posted a PDF setting of a perfect canon by William Byrd (d. 1623) arranged as an AGNUS DEI for three voices. Last Sunday, we sang that arrangement with our volunteer choir. To hear a ‘live’ recording of it, click here (Mp3). In my humble opinion, this would be a perfect piece for a choir just beginning to experiment with polyphony.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Glory To God” • (For Choir + Congregation)
    I wish to thank everyone for the nice comments I received vis-à-vis my Glory To God setting for Choir & Congregation. A gentleman with a musical doctorate from Indiana University wrote: “Love this setting so much. And I will pray, as you asked, for your return to composition more fully. You are very very good.” A female choir director wrote: “I love your harmonizations, your musicality, and the wonderful interplay you have with dissonance and consonance in your music. So fun to listen to, and great for intellect, heart, and soul!” A young woman from California wrote: “Thank you for releasing your new Glory To God in honor of Saint Noel Chabanel. I'm enjoying reading through the various parts and listening to your recordings.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    William Byrd • “Mass for Five Voices”
    Our volunteer choir is learning the “Sanctus” from William Byrd’s Mass for Five Voices. You can hear a short excerpt (recorded last Sunday) but please ignore the sound of babies crying: Mp3 recording. We still have work to do—but we’re on the right track. Once we have some of the tuning issues fixed, I desire to use it as an example proving volunteers can sing complicated polyphony. — One of our volunteer choirs also sang that SANCTUS on 24 September 2023, and you can listen to how that came out.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“It introduces us to a still and serious world, deserted and rigid, without colour, without light, without motion; it does not gladden, does not distract; yet we cannot break away from it.”

— ‘Schweitzer on the THEME from Bach’s “Art of Fugue”’

Recent Posts

  • Gregorian Rhythm Wars • “Nuances of Nuances” (28 Sep 2023)
  • William Byrd • Simple “Agnus Dei” Canon
  • Active Participation or Not?
  • (Not Kidding) • Does Singing for Mass Fulfill One’s Obligation to Attend Mass?
  • A Brief Addendum

Subscribe

Subscribe

* indicates required

Copyright © 2023 Corpus Christi Watershed · Isaac Jogues on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Corpus Christi Watershed is a 501(c)3 public charity dedicated to exploring and embodying as our calling the relationship of religion, culture, and the arts. This non-profit organization employs the creative media in service of theology, the Church, and Christian culture for the enrichment and enjoyment of the public.