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Candlemas: its Stories & its Songs, updated

03 Tuesday Feb 2015

Posted by in Feasts, Hymnology

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Putti, by Raphaël

Putti (Chérubins), by Raphaël

Marian Antiphons (Antiennes)

Today, 2 February 2015, we are entering the Marian year’s second season, the first takes us from Advent to Candlemas (la Chandeleur), once an observed feast commemorating the presentation of the child Jesus at the Temple. The second lasts until Good Friday.

In other words, as of today the Marian song is the Ave Regina Cælorum. From the beginning of Advent until today, it had been the Alma Redemptoris Mater. Several composers have set the words of the Alma Redemptoris Mater and the same is true of the Ave Regina Cælorum.

In the Church of England, today, Candlemas, is the end of the Epiphany season which follows the Christmas season.

The “Nunc dimittis” or Canticle of Simeon (Cantique)

Also sung today is the Nunc dimittis (“Now you dismiss…,” Luke 2:29–32), The Song of Simeon or Canticle of Simeon). Simeon had been promised he would see Jesus and did.  A canticle is a song of praise. In this respect, the Nunc Dimittis resembles the Magnificat, or Canticle of Mary.  Mary sang the Magnificat when she heard her cousin Elizabeth was with child. To listen to the Nunc Dimittis and read its story, simply click on one of the links below:

Groundhog Day

Moreover, today is Groundhog Day. How long will winter last? See the link below.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/groundhog-day-what-do-meteorologists-think-1.2940617

Humans have always situated their feasts when a change occurs in the weather. We go from season to season and the following year, we also go from season to season and this continues year after year.

The Labours of the Months

Remember Jean de France’s Très Riches Heures. (See Les Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry). It’s a Book of Hours, but it is also a calendar. The Très Riches Heures has a large illuminated (enluminures) page for each month of the year illustrating the Labours of the Months.  With Jean de France, there was another motive. In the background of each page, we see one of his castles.

Greek poet Hesiod, who is believed to have been active between 750 and 650 BCE, wrote Works and Days, a book Wikipedia describes as a farmer’s almanac. In Works and Days, he is teaching his brother Perses about the agricultural arts. (See Works and Days.)

Although we are leaving the first Marian season, I am including both the Alma Redemptoris Mater and the Ave Regina Cælorum.

—ooo—

During Canonical Hours, the Antiphon (antienne) is a liturgical chant that precedes and follows a Psalm or a Canticle.  In a Mass, it is also a chant to which a choir or the congregation respond with a refrain.  It is therefore a call and response chant.

Sources and Resources

Hesiod’s Works and Days (r. 700 BCE) is an online publication (click on the title).

—ooo—

Posts on Marian Hymnology & More

composer: Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (3 February 1525 or 2 February 1526 – 2 February 1594)
piece: Alma Redemptoris Mater
performers: Cappella Gregoriana (Tokyo, Japan)
From First Vespers of Christmas until the Presentation
 
piece: Ave Regina Cælorum
performers: Philippe Jaroussky (French countertenor, b. 13 February 1978)
Marie-Nicole Lemieux (Quebec contralto, b. 26 June 1975)
From the Presentation of the Lord through Good Friday
Raffael_027© Micheline Walker
2 February 2013
WordPress
updated
2 February 2015

News, Comments & Andrea Mantegna

03 Sunday Feb 2013

Posted by in Art, Sharing

≈ 4 Comments

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Présentation de Jésus au temple, Andrea Mantegna, 1465
Présentation de Jésus au temple, Andrea Mantegna, 1465
Andrea Mantegna (c. 1431 – 13 September 1506) Italian Renaissance
Photo credit: Wikipedia
 

More on Candlemas

Today is February 3rd, but there are more Candlemas stories to tell.  For instance, Candlemas is also “pancake feast,” la fête des crêpes, a tradition that goes back to ancient Greece.  In ancient Greece, Lupercus was the god Pan.  In ancient Roman, the feast was called Lupercalia (lupus, loup) but it was usually celebrated in mid-February, on the 13th.  It had to do with keeping the wolf away from innocent sheep.  Lupercus was the god of shepherds.  I will tell more stories next February 2nd.

We now have three posts on Candlemas and know about

  • the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple,
  • the Nunc dimittis, a canticle, Simeon’s song of praise,
  • the Purification of the Virgin,
  • the beginning of a new Marian season,
  • the antiphon of the season “Ave Regina Cælorum,”[i]
  • and Groundhog Day.

I realize that fewer people go to a service on Sunday or attend Mass, but music and the fine arts have kept alive religious, mythological and mythical “reality.”  Aert de Gelder (or Arent, 26 October 1645 – 27 August 1727), a student of Rembrandt, painted Simeon holding the child Jesus and, as noted above, Simeon sang the Nunc dimittis when he saw Jesus, as he had been told by none other than the Holy Ghost.  (See Nunc Dimittis, Wikipedia).  Religious feasts are usually associated with the seasons, mythologies give us a past, myths provide metaphors, and feed the imagination.  Yet myths are the fruit of imagination.

William Byrd (English Renaissance) composed a very fine “Nunc Dimittis.”  It is featured in a post entitled: Nunc Dimittis, Simeon’s Song of Praise (2 February 2012).  A second “Nunc Dimittis,” composed by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (3 February 1525 or 2 February 1526 – 2 February 1594), is featured in Candlemas: the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple & a Festival of Lights (2 February 2012).

Palestrina is known for composing “transparent” polyphonic (many voices) music.  Although the voices blend, one can still hear the text.  This was important because the Reformed Churches favoured simple songs.  I have found precious gems in the Church of England’s anthems.  They engaged the faithful who were invited to sing.  The English wrote lovely, melodious anthems.  Martin Luther wrote hymns, the most famous of which is Ein’ feste Burg is unser Gott  (A Mighty Fortress is our God).

In the News

Canadian Conrad Black, no choirboy himself, has stated that “[t]he election of Kathleen Wynne and Pauline Marois’ Scotland visit might incite fear that much of Canada is being led by nasty women.”  (See The National Post.)

He could be right; women can be as nasty as men.  I know, from personal experience, that women can in fact surpass men in cruelty, jealousy, hypocrisy, etc.  They can be extremely manipulative, devious and vindictive.  Think of my little blue house.  (See From House to House.)  My “case manager” was a woman employed by a fine insurance company.  She did not lose her position.

One day, a “good” woman posted the results of an examination on the door of her office, listing her students’ marks, not next to a number, but next to a name.  I talked with her gently, but she did not know what I was talking about…   However, a little later, such behaviour became an official violation.  This may seem a detail, but good educators respect their students.  That’s rule number one.

Not that men are better.  I am thinking of that student in India, raped and probably impaled to death.  The poor young woman and her poor parents!  And there is violence in the Middle East.  Why?  Also in the news is suicide.  Young people are committing suicide!

The News

English
The Globe and Mail
The Montreal Gazette
The National Post
The New York Times
The Washington Post
Le Monde diplomatique EN 
 
CBC News
CTV News
CNN News
 
French 
Le Devoir
La Presse
Le Monde
Le Monde diplomatique
 
German 
Die Welt
_________________________

[i] or Cœlorum.  The two are used.

Andrea Mantegna was capable of crying.

madonna_with_childb5f2© Micheline Walker
February 3, 2013
WordPress

Candlemas: its Stories & its Songs

02 Saturday Feb 2013

Posted by in Feasts, Marian Hymnology

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , ,

Putti, by Raphaël

Putti (Chérubins), by Raphaël

Marian Antiphons

Today, 2 February 2013, we are entering the Marian year’s second season, the first takes us from Advent to Candlemas (la Chandeleur), once an observed feast commemorating the presentation of the child Jesus at the Temple. The second lasts until Good Friday.

In other words, as of today the Marian song is the Ave Regina Cælorum. From the beginning of Advent until today, it had been the Alma Redemptoris Mater. Several composers have set the words of the Alma Redemptoris Mater to music and the same is true of the Ave Regina Cælorum. 

In the Church of England, today, Candlemas, is the end of the Epiphany season which follows the Christmas season.

The “Nunc dimittis” or Canticle of Simeon

Also sung today is the Nunc dimittis (“Now you dismiss…,” Luke 2:29–32), The Song of Simeon or Canticle of Simeon). Simeon had been promised he would see Jesus and did.  A canticle is a song of praise. In this respect, the Nunc Dimittis resembles the Magnificat, or Canticle of Mary. Mary sang the Magnificat when she heard her cousin Elizabeth was with child. To listen to the Nunc Dimittis and read its story, simply click on one of the links below:

Groundhog Day

Moreover, today is also Groundhog Day. Punxutawney Phil has not seen his shadow which means that we are nearing spring. (See the Washington Post.) So, humans have always situated their feasts when a change occurs in the weather. We go from season to season and the following year, we also go from season to season and this continues year after year.

The Labours of the Months

Remember Jean de France’s Très Riches Heures. (See Les Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry).  It’s a Book of Hours, but it is also a calendar. The Très Riches Heures has a large illuminated (enluminures) page for each month of the year illustrating the Labours of the Months. With Jean de France, there was another motive. In the background of each page, we see one of his castles.

Greek poet Hesiod, who is believed to have been active between 750 and 650 BCE, wrote Works and Days, a book Wikipedia describes as a farmer’s almanac. In Works and Days, he is teaching his brother Perses about the agricultural arts. (See Works and Days.)

Although we are leaving the first Marian season, I am including both the Alma Redemptoris Mater and the Ave Regina Cælorum.

—ooo—  

During Canonical Hours, the Antiphon (antienne) is a liturgical chant that precedes and follows a Psalm or a Canticle. In a Mass, it is also a chant to which a choir or the congregation respond with a refrain. It is therefore a call and response chant. The following links take one to Notre-Dame de Paris:

Sources and Resources

Hesiod’s Works and Days is an online publication.

—ooo—

Posts on Marian Hymnology & More

composer: Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (3 February 1525 or 2 February 1526 – 2 February 1594)
piece: Alma Redemptoris Mater
performers: Cappella Gregoriana (Tokyo, Japan)
From First Vespers of Christmas until the Presentation
piece: Ave Regina Cælorum
performers: Philippe Jaroussky (French countertenor, b. 13 February 1978)
Marie-Nicole Lemieux (Quebec contralto, b. 26 June 1975)
From the Presentation of the Lord through Good Friday
 
Raffael_027© Micheline Walker
2 February 2013
WordPress