Hymn to St. Catherine of Siena?
  • Friends,

    Do you know of any Hymns to St. Catherine of Siena? I did manage to find one on line -- it was mildly interesting. Otherwise, are there any poems or odes to St. Catherine of Siena that would be "musicable"?
  • incantuincantu
    Posts: 989
    Virgil Thomson has set the charming, non-sacred, poetry of Kenneth Koch titled "A Prayer to Saint Catherine."
  • eft94530eft94530
    Posts: 1,577
    Saint Catherine was a Dominican.
    Look to the Dominican Order for resources.

    One such resource is from The Dominican Nuns of Summit New Jersey
    http://www.nunsopsummit.org/
    They have a fine hymnal available for purchase
    http://stores.nunsopsummit.org/Detail.bok?no=3

    In this hymnal there is one item (# 305) with five verses:
    v1. O Catherine, blessed daughter of the Father ...
    v2. Transformed in Jesus, virgin bride is wedded ...
    v3. Called forth by God to labor in the vineyard ...
    v4. Crossing the Bridge of Jesus Christ our Savior ...
    v5. Praise we the Blessed Trinity with Catherine ...
    11 11.11 5
    (c) Text: DNS (Dominican Nuns Summit)
    Tune: CHRISTE, DU BEISTAND, Matthaus Apelles von Lowenstern (1594-1648)

    Back in Summer 2004 (before their online store existed) I had a very pleasant email exchange with Sr Maria of the Cross OP, preceding my placing an order for a small set of these hymnals. Do contact her to work out some way to receive the complete copyrighted hymn text, or score and text (left and right facing pages).
  • stpetric
    Posts: 9
    Coming to this thread six years after the fact, I am grateful to eft94530 for the reminder that St. Catherine was a Dominican. In 2013 the U.S. Dominicans of the [eastern] Province of St. Joseph published the Hymnarium O.P., which contains the proper office hymns for St. Catherine in both Latin and English. Those are: Virgo prudentum for Matins/Vigils/Office of Readings; Te, Catherina for Lauds; and Laudibus, virgo for Vespers. The music is in chant notation.
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen eft94530
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,499
    It might be profitable to set some of st Catherine's own expressions to music. A composer might readily find inspiration in her volumes of writings--including her letters.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • ghmus7
    Posts: 1,464
    That Summit Hymnal is one of the finest ever produced, especially for the offices.