Help Needed Finding the Music to a Latin Hymn
  • mezzodiva54
    Posts: 2
    I am trying to find the chant notation for the hymn “Aeterna Christi munera”, which is not found in the Liber Usualis. It is sung for, amongst other things, the octave of the feast day of Sts. Peter and Paul. I am reduced to banging my head on this – can someone give me a lead (or two)? Or even better, tell me which of the many available for download links on this marvelous page might contain this elusive item? Thanks in advance!
  • ScottKChicago
    Posts: 349
    I've got it in the Nocturnale Romanum, p. [2] in the Commune Sanctorum section. Now I'll look for an online copy if there is one.
  • Liam
    Posts: 5,093
    http://www.schola-sainte-cecile.com/wp-content/2011/11/Aeterna-Christi-Munera-saint-Ambroise.jpg

  • ScottKChicago
    Posts: 349
    Yay...Much easier to sing than the tune in Nocturnale Romanum, which may be authentic but is one of the toughest hymn chants to navigate.
  • mezzodiva54
    Posts: 2
    Wow, thanks so much for this!
  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,782
    @ ScottKChicago
    Which Melody (tune) is it? Or is it unique?

    This may help...
    http://societyofstbede.wordpress.com/2012/07/07/aeterna-christi-munera-apostolorum/
  • ScottKChicago
    Posts: 349
    The tune in Nocturnale Romanum (p. [2]) is in Mode I and is marked "S. Ambrosii LH270." It's very florid, and I couldn't match it up readily with any of the ones given at the link (but thanks for that!). Lots of fourths and fifths intervals as well as melismas on unstressed syllables. Very tricky indeed.

    But wait! Aha! Page 270 in the Liber Hymnarius (1983) brings the same tune to the hymn text "Exsultet caelum laudibus." That's given for II Vespers in the Common of Apostles. Exactly the same tune. Mode I, lots of descending five-note scales (in addition to the characteristics mentioned above. Maybe that hymn will be easier to find?

    The tune (to the Exsultet caelum text) is also in Antiphonale Monasticum, p. 621.
  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,782
    @ScottKChicago

    Many thanks, this sounds very much like the melody (tune) on pg. 1116 of the L.U. We rather like it and always use it when we can.

    N.B. There are Dominican and Monastic variations of this melody.
  • Richard MixRichard Mix
    Posts: 2,799
    [a somewhat vague thread heading]

    There's a CPDL request for the model of Palestrina's Missa Aeterna Christi munera, which is proving elusive: the only matching tune I can find so far is given in Alwes' A History of Western Choral Music (p107), but it would be nice to add a source!
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    commentary: ;
    annotation: ;
    centering-scheme: latin;
    %fontsize: 12;
    %spacing: vichi;
    %font: OFLSortsMillGoudy;
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    %%
    (c4)
    Æ(f)ter(f)na(gh) Chri(h)sti(f) mu(ixghiHG)ne(g)ra(f) (,) A(f)pos(h)to(ixi)lo(jk)rum(j) glo(h)ri(ixi)am(j) (;z)
    Pal(h)mas(j) et(k) hym(k)nos(j) de(ixih)bi(gh)tos(ixiHGF) (,) læ(f)tis(f) car(g)na(h)mus(f) men(ixghih)ti(g)bus.(f) (::)

    Aeterna Christi.pdf
    10K
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,415
    Page thrty-eight in Liber Hymarius.
    Seven stanzas.

    This is a mode VIII melody, rather more elaborate than the one referenced by Liam, and a more elaborate version of the same melody given by Richard.
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen Richard Mix
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