The text of most of what I'm listening to today is the Latin rendering of the prayer
Hail Mary, Full of Grace,
Blessed at thou among women
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners now
and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
The Latin
Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum.
Benedicta tu in mulieribus,
et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus.
Sancta Maria, Mater Dei,
ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc,
et in hora mortis nostrae.
Amen.
et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus.
Sancta Maria, Mater Dei,
ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc,
et in hora mortis nostrae.
Amen.
There are two versions that you're probably familiar with, one by Charles Gonoud and one by Franz Schubert. Let's start with the Gonoud, performed here by Bobby McFerrin at 24 Hours of Bach in 2000.
Schubert's "Ave Maria" is the one you're probably most familiar with. It's the one most commonly sung at Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve and during wedding masses. It was sung at our United Methodist wedding eleven years ago as a nod to my husband's Catholic heritage. My favorite version is Frank Sinatra's.
My Eastern Catholic and Orthodox brothers and sisters pray the Greek translation of the Hail Mary which is rendered into English as this.
Theotokos Virgin, rejoice, Mary full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb,
for you have borne the Saviour of our souls.
Theotokos is translated as "God-bearer" or "Birth-giver to God." The Orthodox Church celebrates different feast days but today is the Forefeast of the Conception By St. Anna of the Most Holy Theotokos. One of the many gorgeous chants to Mary is this one, "O Virgin Pure," from the Byzantine Rite.
I'm on my way out the door to mass right now. Have a blessed day!
That awesome how that crowd sang Ave Maria. Well done.
ReplyDeleteI was planning an Ave Maria post for Serene Sunday and you beat me to it. :D Maybe you'll like some of my versions. Will have to re-shuffle.
Have a blessed mass.
Oops, sorry judiang! Maybe we should have coordinated Christmas music after all. I can't wait to see your post!
ReplyDeleteFantastic post. I like that the Christian year begins with this recognition of Mary. (Oh, and I always have to explain to my students the difference between virgin birth and immaculate conception -- and it always happens on the day that we discuss the meaning of the word "almah" in Isaiah in light of the chains of translation that ended in the Vulgate).
ReplyDeleteI've learned to love medieval chants, especially Ave Stella Maris, which is sung at Vespers. For example, http://www.youtube.co/watch?v=bophRePGe-0
Anonymous 4 have made a lot of great recordings.
That should be http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bophRePGe-0
ReplyDelete