canasg choral music publishing - The virgin's cradle hymn

CH4012

The virgin's cradle hymn

medieval words set to music for SATB chorus
by Douglas Cook

SATB performance time approx 1m 15s

from

A sequence of carols

Composer's note

This is a lullaby to the Christ child, written in Latin, and brought to light by the English poet S T Coleridge, who found the manuscript in a German village in the 18th century. The words themselves date from medieval times. Each two-bar phrase of the lower parts' accompanying figure, as far as 'blandule', should swell and die slightly, giving a rocking feeling.

The other carols in the sequence are: A boy was born, I sing of a maiden and In excelsis gloria (all published by Canasg). Total duration c 5' 00.

Music

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Hear a MIDI file of the song

Words

The virgin's cradle hymn

Dormi, Jesu! Mater ridet
Quae tam dulcem somnum videt.
Dormi Jesu blandule.

Si non dormis mater plorat
Inter fila cantans orat.
Blande, veni, somnule.

Medieval lyric (Latin)

Translation

Sleep, Jesus! Your mother smiles
To see such sweet sleep.
Sleep Jesus, dear little one.

If you don't sleep, your mother weeps
And chants prayers as she spins.
Come, sweet sleep.

Canasg editors

Full pronunciation guide provided

see the next... song in the cycle

Price per copy Ł1.00 ($1.50)

Note: This price is for the first 20 licensed copies of the song, further copies cost only 25% of this price.

Companion pieces

Browse the Christmas section of the Canasg catalogue for more songs like this one. To go there now, click on the 'catalogue' box to the right.

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