The (Liturgical) Rosary Hymn: Who wrote it?
  • Aristotle EsguerraAristotle Esguerra
    Posts: 1,186
    Number 124 of the recently (re-)discussed Cantus Selecti consists of three hymns whose verses summarize each mystery of the (15-decade) Rosary:

    • Caelestis aulae nuntius: Joyful
    • In monte Olivis consito: Sorrowful
    • Iam morte victor obruta: Glorious

    According to DivinumOfficium.com, in the 1962 edition of the Divine Office the verses pertaining to the Joyful and Sorrowful Mysteries are assigned to Matins of Oct. 7: the Feast of the Holy Rosary, while the verses of the Glorious Mysteries are assigned to Lauds. (According to the same source, when the feast had a First Vespers the verses of the Joyful Mysteries were assigned to that hour.)

    Preces-Latinae.org, which has English paraphrases of the above (as well as the Second Vespers hymn whose verses summarize all three sets of mysteries) credits a Fr. Augustine Thomas Ricchini (1695-1779) with authorship of the hymn. But Cantus Selecti credits it to Dominican Fr. Eustachius Sirena († 1758).

    Regardless of authorship, these hymns (and their English paraphrases) seem well-suited for public recitations of the Rosary that employ singing, e.g., a verse could announce a particular mystery.
    Thanked by 3CHGiffen StimsonInRehab Jes
  • StimsonInRehabStimsonInRehab
    Posts: 1,933
    We're using all fifteen verses (saving doxology for the last) for our rosary procession this weekend.
    Thanked by 4Aristotle Esguerra mmeladirectress CHGiffen Jes
  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,782
    Britt gives Fr. Augustine Ricchini, OP 18th c. There is a fourth hymn Te Gestientem gaudiis, this summarises all 3 sets of Mysteries.

    THE expert Connelly also ascribes these hymns to Richini and gives his life 1695-1779.

    Aquinas Byrnes, OP the author on the book of the Dominican hymns also ascribes to Richini, but ascribes the 4th hymn to Sirena.

    Oh and for a melody the Dominican is without compare, Melody 36
    http://web.archive.org/web/20160728200814/http://hymnarium.org/melodies/#melody36
    Thanked by 3StimsonInRehab Aristotle Esguerra Jes
  • ClemensRomanusClemensRomanus
    Posts: 1,023
    My memory fails me, but I think we end each set of mysteries with these hymns, sort of summarizing everything. I’ll have to check our handouts to be sure, though.
    Thanked by 1Jes
  • DianaFarias
    Posts: 22
    Is there a pdf of this somewhere? or modern notation?
  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,782
    First hymn reset here, https://societyofstbede.wordpress.com/2014/10/07/the-feast-of-the-holy-rosary/

    Of course the online versions of the Liber have 3 of the Hymns, the Dominican books have all the hymns but not set in full. I think the Modern notation Liber will have modern notation for all but the Matins Hymn.
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen DianaFarias
  • JesJes
    Posts: 576
    We are doing the 15 across a pilgrimage of 15km (technically it's 21 but we will sing other chaplets during that time.)
    Start with mass and end with vespers and the same statement comes up in sivinum officium for that also. I'd be curious to know also. Good question!
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