Description: | This is the 22nd entry in the Advent-Hymn-of-the-Day project. Although it has become common to use this hymn throughout the Advent season, technically speaking, this is an Office Hymn for Christmas.
When King's College, Cambridge began doing the yearly "Procession with Carols on Advent Sunday", this hymn followed immediately after the Matin responsory (Palestrina), "I look from afar, and lo, I see the power of God coming, and a cloud covering the whole earth", etc.
The text, "Veni, Redemptor gentium", is by Words, St. Ambrose (340-397), with the translation being by John Mason Neale (1818-1866) and others, as it appears in "The New English Hymnal".
The music is from the 15th centruy Trier manuscript, which was adapted by Michael Praetorious (1571-1621). In this performance, I use two harmonizations. The first being by George R. Woodward (1848-1934), and the second one coming from the "Cowley Carol Book", 1907. |