Sunday, April 12, 2009

Haec dies

Which is the Gradual prescribed for Easter Day:



Haec dies quam fecit Dominus;
exultemus et laetemur in ea.
Alleluia.


This is the day which the Lord hath made;
we will rejoice and be glad in it.
Alleluia.


The text is from Psalm 118 (117 in the Roman reckoning). Here are the Latin chant propers for Easter Day, and here is an mp3 of Haec dies from that page; it's listed as the "Chant after 1st Reading." The Benedictines of Brazil, of course, also offer all the Easter Day chants, here. Here's the score for Haec dies:





Here's William Byrd's polyphonic version:



Easter is one of four Feast days for which a Sequence Hymn is still prescribed: the beautiful Victimae Paschali Laudes. Here's an interesting version posted at YouTube:




Here's the full list of propers for Easter Day at ChristusRex.org:
Dominica Paschæ in Resurrectione Domini

Ad Missam in Die
Introitus: Ps. 138, 18.5.6 et 1-2 Resurrexi (cum Gloria Patri)(5m29.3s - 5148 kb) score
Graduale: Ps. 117, 24 et 1 Hæc dies... V. Confitemini (2m58.6s - 2794 kb) score
Alleluia: 1 Cor. 5, 7 Pascha nostrum (1m59.3s - 1866 kb) score
Sequentia: Victimæ paschali laudes (1m36.6s - 1510 kb) score
Offertorium: Ps. 75, 9.10 Terra tremuit (1m21.9s - 1282 kb) score
Communio: 1 Cor. 5, 7.8 Pascha nostrum (1m25.2s - 1334 kb) score
ad dimitendum populum: Ite, Missa est (28.7s - 451 kb) score

And here are posts for most of these on Chantblog:


The Office during the Octave of Easter is here; the Office for the rest of Eastertide is here.

One of my very favorite pieces of Easter Day art: Peter and John Running to the Tomb, by Eugène Burnand (1850 – 1921). Oil on canvas, 1898, now at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris:






Here's a fresco at Chora Church, Istanbul: Anastasis: Harrowing of Hell and Resurrection, from the 14th century:





This is the day! A blessed Easter to all.

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