Veni, Veni, Emanuel

Today we sang O Come O Come Emanuel for the first time. I was the cantor for two Masses and sang two verses each time from Latin.

Veni, veni Emanuel!
Captivum solve Israel!
Qui gemit in exilio,
Privatus Dei Filio.

Gaude, gaude, Emanuel

Nascetur pro te, Israel.

Veni, veni o oriens!
Solare nos adveniens

Noctis depelle nebulas,

Dirasque noctis tenebras.

Gaude, gaude, Emanuel

Nascetur pro te, Israel.

You can do that kind of thing if you've got the St. Gregory Hymnal lying around.

For the choir Mass we sang it in English. No prep was necessary. In general, I've found chant hymns to be remarkably easy to sing and conduct. They're in unison, which helps, but some how the arsis-thesis kind of conducting communicates very well from conductor to choir.

So anyway, the reason I thought that it would be nice to throw this song in is because of the refrain. It seems ideal for Gaudete Sunday, when we rejoice because His coming is near.

What I hadn't realized at the time is that tomorrow (Dec. 17) begins the recitation of the O Antiphons, from which the hymn is derived.