Hymn text: "O Queen of Sorrows, Weeping Rose"
  • Grace and peace, everyone.

    Here's a text of mine especially suitable for the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. I've set it to REPTON. You can hear it performed (for the Feast of the Assumption) at this link; start from about the 7:15 mark.

    https://youtu.be/AQCS7GrE-4k?t=440

    1. O Queen of sorrows, weeping Rose
    That blooms at Heaven's door,
    How steadily your sadness grows
    When we, your children, dare oppose
    The God whom once You bore
    And wound you more and more.

    2. O sinless Mary, humble maid
    And good St. Joseph's bride,
    When eager souls for silver trade
    These minds and bodies God has made,
    Your Son, who willing died,
    Anew is crucified.

    3. O Theotokos, bearing God
    In lonely cattle-stall,
    The unborn innocents we trod
    In silence, now with angels laud
    Their Friend and Lord of all,
    Defender of the small.

    4. O Sov'reign Lady, Wisdom high,
    Whose head with stars is crowned,
    In word and deed we would deny
    Our family beneath the sky,
    The seat of God, Who found
    In Eden welcome ground.

    5. O holy Mother, throned above,
    We seek You nonetheless;
    Help us to listen and to love,
    To be obedient servants of
    Our Jesus, and to bless
    The God Whom we confess.

    6. Hail Mary, spotless Bloom that grows
    Entwined at Heaven's door;
    We pray to You, O sumptuous Rose,
    To see the day the whole world knows
    And loves the God You bore,
    That You might weep no more.

    (c) 2020 Anna Bendiksen
  • ServiamScores
    Posts: 2,886
    Stunning. Simply stunning.
    Thanked by 1Anna_Bendiksen
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,193
    Splendid text, Anna. Inspired imagery, indeed.
    Thanked by 1Anna_Bendiksen
  • Thank you so much. That means a great deal.

    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,193
    Anna's "O Queen of Sorrows, Weeping Rose" has led me to compose a new hymn tune, REGINA DOLORUM (86. 88. 66), for her text. Many thanks to Anna for being the inspiration for this music.

    N.B. Corrected files uploaded (thrice! - to correct wrong notes and, lastly, to fix the final cadence in the TB parts).

    Note, July 2: These files are obsolete. New ones uploaded further down the thread.
    Giffen-O Queen of sorrows-hymnal.pdf
    45K
    Giffen-O Queen of sorrows.mp3
    1M
  • @CHGiffen --- wow!! How beautiful. Thank you so much---I'm deeply honored!

    (I especially like the alto line.)
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,193
    Thanks, Anna. And I just uploaded a final(!?) fix (improving the final cadence).

    And here is the same thing transposed up a minor third to F-major, suitable for use as a piece by the choir).

    Note, July 2: These files are obsolete. New ones uploaded further down this thread.
    Giffen-O Queen of sorrows-hymnal-high.pdf
    44K
    Giffen-O Queen of sorrows-high.mp3
    1M
  • Beautiful text, and a good fit with "Repton". Sir Parry would be proud.
    BMP
    Thanked by 1Anna_Bendiksen
  • francis
    Posts: 10,822
    wow, Anna... that is just amazing.

    I was inspired to compose a chorale (which is like a hymn, but the harmonic texture is more contrapuntal), and really strove to capture the ethos of Our Lady's deep sorrow in the words you wonderfully expressed.
    oQueenOfSorrows.mp3
    2M
    oQueenOfSorrows.pdf
    87K
  • francis, that is very beautiful---heartrending. I'm moved that you chose to use my text.
    Thanked by 1francis
  • francis
    Posts: 10,822
    Your text drives composers to WANT to compose... (CHG is also proof) that it embodies inspiration and prophetic call. It is quite a heart rending text to boot! One of the most delicate in sorrow I have ever come upon wrapped in poetry. Congrats! I should like to include this in my new hymnal and go against my rule of solely PD selections.
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,193
    I have made some revisions in the harmonization and also have set the tempo much slower (quarter = c. 48), since the original tempo was a default that I forgot to change. The changes make for a more stately, solemn chorale-like sound. Both the D-major and F-major hymnal scores are attached.

    Edit: July 14, 2021. A few more changes, improving the flow of the harmony voices, as well as shifting penultimate syllables of the last three lines to an eighth note (in place of the previous placement on two eighths).

    New scores & sound files uploaded 2021-07-21.
    Giffen-O Queen of sorrows-a.pdf
    46K
    Giffen-O Queen of sorrows-a.mp3
    2M
    Giffen-O Queen of sorrows-high-a.pdf
    45K
    Giffen-O Queen of sorrows-high-a.mp3
    2M
  • Heath
    Posts: 966
    Francis and Chuck wrote some lovely settings...but oooh, it sounds GREAT with REPTON! (a very underrated melody)

    Well done, Anna!
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,193
    I just updated my setting above.
  • francis
    Posts: 10,822
    CHG... that is very stately and solemn... bravo.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • Bumping as the month of Our Lady of Sorrows draws near.
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen Heath
  • davido
    Posts: 942
    As Heath suggested above, "O Queen of sorrows, weeping Rose" set to REPTON
    O Queen of sorrows, weeping Rose REPTON.pdf
    212K
  • Excellent combo!
    Thanked by 1Anna_Bendiksen
  • francis
    Posts: 10,822
    Wow Anna… your text is stunning… I readily see your heart so devoted.
    Thanked by 1Anna_Bendiksen
  • kevinfkevinf
    Posts: 1,190
    A most stunning text and some great settings here. Do I need permission to use the text? If so, please message me.
    Thanked by 1Anna_Bendiksen
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,193
    *Bumping* for today's feast of Our Lady of Sorrows.
    Thanked by 1Anna_Bendiksen