O lux beata Trinitas

Michael Praetorius (1571 – 1621) was a German composer, organist, and music theorist. He was one of the most versatile composers of his age, being particularly significant in the development of musical forms based on Protestant hymns.

Praetorius was born Michael Schultze, the youngest son of a Lutheran pastor, in Creuzburg, in present-day Thuringia. After attending school in Torgau and Zerbst, he studied divinity and philosophy at the University of Frankfurt (Oder). He was fluent in a number of languages. After receiving his musical education, from 1587 he served as organist at the Marienkirche in Frankfurt.

From 1592/3 he served at the court in Wolfenbüttel, under the employ of Henry Julius, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg. He served in the duke's State Orchestra, first as organist and later (from 1604) as Kapellmeister (court music director).

The nine parts of his Musae Sioniae (1605–10) and the 1611 published collections of liturgical music (masses, hymns, magnificats) follow the German Protestant chorale style.

This lovely setting of "O lux beata Trinitas" is found in "Hymnodia Sionia, Nr. 145 - Wolfenbüttel (1611)."

"O lux beata Trinitas" is the Office hymn for both Saturday Vespers and Trinity Sunday.

The first verse of the text is:

O lux beata Trinitas,
Et principalis unitas,
Iam sol recedat igneus,
Infunde lumen cordibus.

O Trinity of blessed light,
O Unity of princely might,
The fiery sun now goes his way;
Shed Thou within our hearts Thy ray.

The score is attached below, as well as a picture of Michael Praetorius, a picture of the Marienkirche in Frankfurt, dated as 1690, and a photo of the court at Wolfenbüttel.