Hymns for Our Lady of Cana

Josh

I have been trying to locate Latin hymns in honour of Our Lady of Cana. One would think that in all the hymnody written in veneration of the Mother of God, there would be abundant reference to her maternal intercession at the wedding feast at Cana in Galilee, but no! There are passing references in a few hymns only.

The only suitable text I have found so far is a hymn by St Bede the Venerable, for the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin (see below): it is quite long, as it details all the events of her holy life, but verses 1-3, 10 (re Cana) and 16-17, plus the usual doxology for Marian feasts, makes a hymn that focusses on her intercessory role at Cana's feast.

Can anyone else suggest another appropriate Latin hymn - or English, for that matter? (There are a few hymns retelling the account in John 2:1-11, but too often minimising Our Lady's mediation.)

Also, what tune would be suitable for chanting this hymn?

Here is the hymn:

1. Adesto, Christe, vocibus,
Inesto nostris mentibus,
Tua benignus dextera
Choros canentum protege.

2. Qui natus es de Virgine
Nostræ salutis gratia,
Da pura nobis pectora,
Da membra casta corporis.

3. Et tu, beata præ omnibus,
Virgo Maria, feminis,
Dei Genitrix inclita,
Nostris faveto laudibus.

10. Cujus rogatu mysticas
Christus sedens ad nuptias,
Aquas in alma transtulit
Vini rubentis pocula.

16. Laudem Deo quam supplices,
Christo canentes, reddimus,
Christi Genitrix, et tua
Commendet intercessio.

17. Hymnos sacræ quos Virgini,
Matrique castæ dicimus,
Emmanuel, tu suscipe,
Tuamque plebem libera.

Gloria tibi, Domine,
Qui natus es de Virgine,
Cum Patre, et Sancto Spiritu,
In sempiterna sæcula. Amen.

(Mgr Knox made a paraphrase of this, singable to the Lourdes hymn melody.)

tomjaw

I would set it to the common tone for Marian Feasts. This can be found for Compline of the BVM pre 1962, or in the Office, Quem terra pontus / O Gloriosa Domina (Virginum).

How much of the Analecta Hymnica have you checked?

Josh

I've been through as much as I can access via Google Books. But there is a huge volume of material, and my Latin isn't great.

Josh

I have found parts to make up another suitable hymn in honour of Our Lady of Cana, consisting of three verses from a very long text of St Anselm of Lucca the Younger, plus a quasi-doxology from St Peter Damian:

1. Vocatus ad nuptias
Incœpisti signa,
Matre admonente te
Omnibus benigna.
O cur reprehenditur
Genitrix tam digna,
Quæ nulli negat suæ
Pietatis signa?

2. Tamen quod suggesserat,
Statim faciebas;
Quia nihil poterat
Nisi quod volebas;
Nam in vinum optimum
Aquam convertebas,
Et per hoc discipulos
Ad fidem trahebas.

3. O Virgo purissima,
Plena summis bonis,
Ditas omnes miseros
Tuis sacris donis:
Reple vino optimo
Nos devotionis,
Unicum irriguum
Da compunctionis.

4. Tecum tota Trinitas
Facit mansionem,
Pater, Verbum, Spiritus
Fixit sessionem;
Propter quod nunc largius
Ad devotionem
Teipsam fidelibus
Præbes lectionem. Amen.

The only problem is the tune: it seems inappropriate to sing it to "Good King Wenceslaus".

Any suggestions?

ronkrisman

GAUDEAMUS PARITER (also named AVE VIRGO VIRGINUM)

Trochaic 7 6 7 6 D hymn tunes are rare. Nearly all 7 6 7 6 D tunes (and texts) are iambic.

CHGiffen

Here are a few trochaic 76.76.D tunes:

Chestnut Hill

St Kevin (Sullivan) (Come, ye faithful, raise the strain)

Gaudeamus Pariter (Come, ye faithful, raise the strain)

Weimar (Vulpius) (Let us now our voices raise)

St Joseph (Barnby)

Fang Dein Werk (Franck) (With the Lord begin thy task)

Josh

I wanted a plainchant melody to go with the second hymn; having searched through various sources, I found only the tune for "O Caput cruentatum" in Cantus Varii ad Benedictionem SS. Sacramenti (1928), pp. 181-184 (see below).

I do wonder if this tune is too much associated with the famous Passion chorale to suit this hymn...

M. Jackson Osborn

Singing any text other than the 'Passion Chorale' to O Haupt, woll blut und wunden makes as little sense and as much consternation (if not vexation) as would the pairing of Adeste fideles or Mendelssohn to texts other than the Christmas ones which are in our cultural DNA. Putting the tune into square notes paired with a Latin text does nothing to ameliorate such utter eccentricity. (Besides, it is at any rate a clunky misfit.)

Josh

OK, perhaps you could have put that a little less harshly, but I get your point. So, could you suggest another plainchant tune - it must be plainchant. Many thanks!

chonak

Since the wedding at Cana is a topic that comes up in the liturgy shortly after Epiphany, you might try the tune of A solis ortus cardine for Adesto, Christe.

Sorry I haven't any ideas for the second hymn.

chonak

The processional hymn "Hodie progreditur" from the Engelberg 314 manuscript is 7.6.7.6., if that's any use. I don't know of any scores, but it's probably easy enough to transcribe it yourself.

Josh

Wonderful!

The only other possibility is the following, also from Cantus Varii (p. 143), but it would require a clumsy repeat.

Josh

Apologies, but I don't have the skill to transcribe that music by listening it. Do you have a link to the manuscript?

Josh

Frustratingly, while many other codices from Engelberg Stiftsbibliotek are online, MS 314 isn't.

CHGiffen

Umm, both "O Caput cruentatum" and "Est mihi puer natus" are iambic, not trochaic as required by the text of "Vocatus ad nuptias". Chonak's suggestion of "Hodie progreditur" is ideed 76.76 trochaic and a much better fit.

Josh

Again, apologies - I am ignorant of such matters. How can you tell?

Vocátus ad núptias / Incœpísti sígna...

I can see where the accent goes, but I don't have a feel for which are the long and short syllables.

chonak

The first line "Vocatus..." seems to be an exception: most of the following lines have stress on the odd-numbered syllables.

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