Redemptor omnium

Today marks the beginning of Advent, the period of preparation for the arrival of God-made-man. Many traditions mark these four weeks before Christmas with contemplation and reflection, with prayer and music.

I myself crack out the Christmas CDs and go through way too many candles, because both help me through this dark period.

Let’s have a definitive Advent piece to start us off, “Veni Veni Emmanuel”. Veni is one of the “O Antiphons” sung at Vespers during the during the octave before Christmas (17-23 December). So technically, it’s a little early for it, but it’s my blog, my rules.

Here it’s performed by The Gesualdo Six, a small, recently-formed British group devoted to renaissance polyphony. I like their restraint in a song that often ends up being a Katy-bar-the-door choral blow-out.

The Gesualdo Six are singing it in Latin, which I think flows with more grace than the English translation. They skipped over several of the verses, including one we could really, really stand to consider this year.

Veni, veni Rex Gentium,

veni, Redemptor omnium,

ut salvas tuos famulos

peccati sibi conscios.

O come, Desire of the nations, bind

in one the hearts of all mankind;

bid every strife and quarrel cease

and fill the world with heaven’s peace.