Back to Germany for today’s Advent carol, which
is about the Visitation of Mary to Elisabeth—the mother of Jesus and the mother
of John the Baptist, both miraculously pregnant. “Maria durch ein Dornwald ging”
describes Mary’s journey, and themes related to the mother and child during
this season are woven into the narrative.
We know from Luke that when Mary arrived (early
in her pregnancy), John in Elisabeth’s womb “leapt for joy” at the recognition
of the godhead Mary was carrying. So, there’s joy.
In other carols, the divinity of yet-to-be-born
Jesus is made apparent, as in “The
Cherry Tree Carol”, where he causes the eponymous tree to lower its boughs
so Mary can pick the fruit that a somewhat churlish Joseph refuses to gather
for her. In this one, as Mary walks through the woods, a thorn tree—which hasn’t
bloomed in seven years—suddenly flowers. (Possibly a reference to Elisabeth,
who had aged childless out of her fertile years becoming pregnant with John,
who was quite the thorn in the Establishment’s side, both Roman and Hebrew.)
The “thorn bush” is also a frequent Christmas symbol—in the form of roses. Lotta
carols about roses.
The part I like is that it refers to the
pregnancy by saying that Mary carries Jesus “beneath her heart”. Just as how—in
the Annunciation—she is said to have “treasured up all these things and
pondered them in her heart.” As you do when an archangel pays a call and tells
you you’ve been chosen to give [virgin] birth to the Messiah.
I’m thinking Mary’s heart must have been large,
strong and welcoming.
Anyhow, we’ll have two versions of “Maria durch
ein Dornwald ging”; first from Patricia Janečková,
she of the sublime voice, and singers from the Janáček Conservatory in Ostrava
(Czech Republic).
Voces8 have a different take, so have a listen
to this one, too:
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