We’re headed to the Sixteenth Century for today’s Advent music. Specifically to The Netherlands for a motet by Jan Pieterzoon Sweelinck. Sweelinck was the organist at the Oude Kerk in Amsterdam and composed a whole lot of organ and harpsicord music.
Today’s selection, “Hodie
Christus Natus Est” might more reasonably be for Christmas day; I mean, it flat
out says “Today Christ is born”. But I came across this particular performance
and thought it was time we had a virtual presentation. This being the pandemic
year, it seems like a major oversight not to have something that reflects the
virtual concerts musical groups all over the world are putting on.
Basically, the text is
from the liturgy of the vesper service for Christmas Day. It proclaims:
Today Christ is born
Today the Savior has appeared
Today the Angels sing
The Archangels rejoice
today the righteous rejoice, saying:
Glory to God in the highest
Alleluia!
I don’t know what to
tell you about the singers, except that they seem to be based in the UK and
their bass edited the video. Beautifully
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