'Imperatrix supernorum' - Hymn to the Virgin
  • Schola_ab_Oriente
    Posts: 4
    (This is my first post to this most excellent site - my apologies if I 'miss' any of the etiquette - please feel free to put me right!)

    Does anyone know of a Gregorian chant that matches this medieval hymn to the Mother of God?
    First lines are
    Imperatrix supernorum
    Superatrix infernorum

    Thank you!
    Alan Gardner
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • Andrew_Malton
    Posts: 1,186
    It is a sequence attributed to Adam of St Victor, which begins "Lux advenit veneranda", assigned to feasts of the Blessed Virgin, especially Her Nativity (one week from today). Here is the whole of it together with a little bit of background.

    It might not be by Adam since it's missing from some earlier lists of his work and because it uses a metre in two verses which he didn’t otherwise use, apparently.

    There's a forum discussion about the "Victorine" sequences here.

    There was a previous request also here, but no evidence of a proper melody, it seems.

    (Mostly googled. I am not a scholar.)
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen Schola_ab_Oriente
  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,782
    Hmm the book on the Adam of St. Victor Sequences does not have it...
    https://archive.org/details/lesprosesdadamd00aubrgoog

    The other book of Sequences does not have it...

    It is not a Sarum Sequence, at least it is not in the book.

    But it is in the Cantus database,
    http://cantus.uwaterloo.ca/content/626381

    Sadly the facsimile links are not inserted, so they may not be online, but looking through the list it appears that notation can be found.
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen Schola_ab_Oriente
  • Schola_ab_Oriente
    Posts: 4
    May I thank all those who helped me find the relevant poem?!
    It is a WONDERFUL work, full of ecstatic praise of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
    As a 'thank you', and in case it is helpful as we prepare for the month of May, please find attached a relevant score and sound file.
    Thank you again.
    Imperatrix score.pdf
    272K
    Imperatrix.mp3
    3M
    Thanked by 4DCM tomjaw CHGiffen sdtalley3
  • francis
    Posts: 10,819
    Wow… beautiful hymn… must teach this
    Thanked by 1Schola_ab_Oriente
  • Schola_ab_Oriente
    Posts: 4
    Thank you Francis - please let me know how it goes!
    I'm planning for us to sing it on the first Sunday in May in honour of our Blessed Lady...
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