Thou Art the Star of Morning

Thou Art the Star of Morning

 

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Thou art the Star of Morning
In God’s broad sky;
Thou art His Tow’r of Iv’ry
Raised up on high.

– Chorus –
Hail, Heaven’s Queen! O lux caelestia!
Thou giver of all gladness,
O plena gratia!

-2-
Thou art the Maid and Mother
Long foretold;
In thee all beauty dwelleth,
O House of Gold. -Chorus-

-3-
Thou art the shining mirror
Of God’s fair love,
The mighty Help of Christians
Enthroned above. -Chorus-

-4-
All men shall rise to bless thee
The ages long,
And angel choirs surround thee
With praise and song. -Chorus-

~~~

I’ve always enjoyed singing this piece because the verses have a mysterious sound, while the chorus sounds triumphant and bright.

It is a song of praise to Mary that calls on her using some of the titles from the Litany of Loreto.

I wish I knew more about this piece, but I’ve never seen a score, and I haven’t found it anywhere on the web. It is sung at the chapel I attend, so I’ve heard it every now and then. If you know more about this piece, please share it with me! Thanks!

Comments

  1. Mary Murphy says:

    An SATB setting of “Thou Art the Star of Morning” appears in the Pius X Hymnal, published in 1953 by McLaughlin and Reilly Co., Boston. The melody is French; the words are by Helen Condon. I still have a copy of that pre-Vatican II hymnal, which was a huge improvement over the ones I grew up with in the 1940s. In particular, it contains other beautiful and theologically sound (not saccharine) Marian hymns, including “O Mary of Graces” and “Mater Plena Gloria,” and a fine mixture of Gregorian chant, old Gaelic melodies (“Spirit Seeking Light and Beauty” is a gem), and classical hymns, both English and Latin.

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