A hymn of glory let us sing;New songs throughout the world shall ring:
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Christ, by a road before untrod,
Ascendeth to the throne of God.
The holy apostolic band
Upon the Mount of Olives stand;
Alleluia! Alleluia!
And with His followers they see,
Jesus’ resplendent majesty.
To whom the angels, drawing nigh:
“Why stand and gaze upon the sky?”
Alleluia! Alleluia!
“This is the Savior,” thus they say,
“This is His noble triumph day.”
“Again shall ye behold Him so
As ye today have seen Him go,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
In glorious pomp ascending high,
Up to the portals of the sky.”
The Venerable Bede (673-735);
Trans. by Benjamin Webb, 1854
7 comments:
I cannot think which tune these lovely words are sung to! It is the two alleluias half way through each verse which puzzle me! I can think of many suitable tunes without the two alleluias, and of one tune if there were five alleluias added to the end of each verse.
Indeed, you are correct in thinking that the subtraction of the two Alleluias would allow the use of several different tunes. And the addition of five alleluias at the end would allow the words to be sung to Vigiles et Sancti.
Dear Fr. Phillips
I have had trouble accessing some of these blogs. They are blank. Is there something that I am doing incorrectly. Some are great others there is nothing there except for the comments.
Thanks
Bernadette
Bernadette, I'm no expert on these things, but I've heard that sometimes people have found the problem is their browser. You might want to try downloading the Firefox browser at www.mozilla.com, and see if that works any better.
OK, I'm not an expert on music. I would love to hear this tune and be able to sing it.
I do like Italian Art and can identify this fresco of the Ascension by the great Giotto painted for the chapel of Scrovogni 1303-05. Father, please ask Deacon Orr to add this chapel to the pilgrimage tours!
SP
After researching this text a bit more, I believe the "alleluias" were added later. If you take them out, the text can be sung to any Long Meter tune. "Gonfalon Royal" would be a great choice, with an "alleluia" at the end of the final verse. "Winchester New" would be another obvious tune.
Keeping the "alleluias" and adding another five "alleluias" at the end of each verse allows it to be sung to "Vigiles et sanci" -- Ye Watchers and ye Holy Ones.
Hope this helps.
If the alleluias are omitted, the tune 'Morning Hymn', which we usually associate with the hymn 'Awake, my soul, and with the sun', works really well.
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