Archives for May 2014

Found in the St. Gregory Hymnal and Catholic Choirbook from 1920, O Gloriosa Virginum is a Marian hymn with a sweet melody that is easy to sing and love. You might consider using it for the feasts of the Assumption or Immaculate Conception at church or home. Children and adults will be able to learn the Latin without too much trouble.  I have a feeling this joyful hymn might become a family favorite!

If you will be teaching this to your children,  here are a few suggestions:

1. Let the children practice the words first, by reading and/or repeating the words after you. I like to say the words with the rhythm of the melody, too. (“O Gloo–ri-oo–sa Viir–gi-nuum.”) When I do this, I “speak” on one pitch or tone; this is called recto tono, or a reciting tone.
2. First graders (or younger) can learn to sing Latin if you take it 1-2 phrases or lines at a time. Just read the words and have them repeat them back to you. Then sing one line together several times until you both feel comfortable enough.
3. Continue practicing for as long as the child is interested, and then sing it to them (or simply out loud as you go about your day) a few times to review. Soon, you will start to hear your children singing as they play or relax!

Sheet Music and Sound Recording

Melody-only score from Hymnary.org

Link to Musescore, where you can listen and follow along. (Use this link if the sheet music player isn’t compatible with your device, or if you want to download the sheet music I made. Otherwise, click play, listen, and follow along!)

O Gloriosa Virginum by erin.mcfarland.16

Lyrics

O gloriosa virginum,
Sublimis inter sidera,
Qui te creavit, parvulum,
Lactente nutris ubere.

Quod Heva tristis abstulit,
Tu reddis almo germine:
Intrent ut astra flebiles,
Caeli recludis cardines.

Tu Regis alti janua
Et aula lucis fulgida:
Vitam datam per Virginem,
Gentes redemptae, plaudite.

Jesu, tibi sit gloria,
Qui natus es de Virgine,
Cum Patre, et almo Spiritu,
In sempiterna saecula. Amen.

Translation

(by Percy Dearmer)

O glorious Maid, exalted far beyond the light of burning star,
From Him who made thee thou hast won grace to be Mother of His Son.

That which was lost in hapless Eve Thy holy Scion did retrieve:
The tear-worn sons of Adam’s race through thee have seen the heavenly place.

Thou wast the gate of heaven’s high Lord, the door through which the light hath poured.
Christians rejoice, for through a Maid to all mankind is life conveyed.

All honour, laud, and glory be, O Jesu, Virgin-born to thee;
All glory, as is ever meet to Father and to Paraclete.

This work (O Gloriosa Virginum, by P.J. Van Damme), identified by Erin McFarland, is free of known copyright restrictions.

One thing I love about hymns is that the words and melodies have a way of coming to my mind in stressful situations, and when I sing them out loud, I usually find comfort, joy, and (a little more) peace. The third verse of this traditional Marian hymn has given me strength through difficult times.

This song dates back to a period in history when the restrictions on Catholics in England were starting to be lifted. (For example, one law that was repealed was the “Test Acts”, enforced in 1673, which restricted Catholics by not allowing them to hold public office.) Here’s a little more history about the hymn from Wikipedia:

“Hail, Queen of Heaven, the Ocean Star” is a Marian hymn written by Father John Lingard (1771–1851), a Catholic priest and historian who, through the works of William Cobbett, helped to smooth the passage of the Catholic Emancipation Act in England. Loosely based on the medieval Latin plainchant Ave Maris Stella, the hymn is generally sung to a specially modified traditional English melody.

The tune was written by Henri Frederick Hemy (1818-1888).  Hemy played the organ at St. Andrew’s Roman Catholic Church in Newcastle, and later taught music at Tynemouth and at St. Cuthbert’s College, in Ushaw, UK. Fun fact about Hemy? He might have composed the tune we know as “Jingle Bells.”

If I had to choose a favorite verse, I think I’d chose the first.  It reminds me of the Memorare, in that we are putting all our trust in Mary to help us choose good and avoid evil, and that without her lighting the way to Christ, it is easy to get lost as we wander through life.

Enjoy learning this hymn if it is new to you! May Our Lady bless you!

Sheet Music and Audio

Sheet music here.

Sheet music in a lower key here. (This is the version I play in the recording below.)

Lyrics

Hail, Queen of heaven, the ocean star,
Guide of the wanderer here below,
Thrown on life’s surge, we claim thy care,
Save us from peril and from woe.
Mother of Christ, Star of the sea
Pray for the wanderer, pray for me.

O gentle, chaste, and spotless Maid,
We sinners make our prayers through thee;
Remind thy Son that He has paid
The price of our iniquity.
Virgin most pure, Star of the sea,
Pray for the sinner, pray for me.

Sojourners in this vale of tears,
Blest advocate, to thee we cry,
Assuage our sorrows, calm our fears,
And soothe with hope our misery.
Refuge in grief, Star of the sea
Pray for the mourner, pray for me.

And while to Him Who reigns above
In Godhead one, in Persons three,
The Source of life, of grace, of love,
Homage we pay on bended knee:
Do thou, bright Queen, Star of the sea,
Pray for thy children, pray for me.