Brano: [...]ightness and truth is symbolised in the form of a mystcrious unicavened bread.

The dose ties between Jewish and Christian life are most dearly expressed in the celebration of Easter. It is no wonder that the words of the Jewish Passover occur throughout the Christian festival. The whole Easter Office is a marvellous mixturc of texts from the Jewish tradition and from the stories of the Resurrection told by thè Evangelisti.

This reladonship can also be recognised in the hymns recorded here. The responsory Christus resnrgeiis tells in the words of Paul (Rom. 6, 9) of the fa et of Christ’s Resurrection and His deliverance from the sovereignty of death. The melody has that majcstic and, at the same time, transparent responsory style which must go back to the old Jewish style as regards its structure : a hymn sung by soloist and choir. Not only the development as a whole but the very motifs uscd show traces of traditional Jewish music.

In thè opening hymn Resurrexi, which introduces the Mass, the Lord himself, in a variation of the L[...]

[...] vespers Et respicientes and thè Post dies otto of Low Sunday. In a happy key we leam at Easter in the words of the Evangelist of thè amazement of the women who, coming to the grave, saw that the heavy stone had been rolled back. On Low Sunday we are told how Jesus, eight days after His Resurrection, appeared to His disciples and blessed them with His peace.

Infectious and boundless in its joy is thè melody of the great Regina taeli

Easter candelabrum of the left ambo in the Basilica of San Clemente, Rome (Photo by Alinari)

antiphony. It dates from the late Middle Ages, but its wealth of musical themes recalis the sparkling splendour of the most wonderful of the old Alleluia verses of the liturgy of the Mass.

The Salve festa dies finds us once again in the midst of medieval, sumptuous Easter liturgy. This song of praise, so fàvoured for singing in processions, shows, at least as regards thè thoughts expressed, some of thè ties of the Middle Ages with the liturgies of the Christian East which have not yet been wholly explained[...]

[...]essions, shows, at least as regards thè thoughts expressed, some of thè ties of the Middle Ages with the liturgies of the Christian East which have not yet been wholly explained.

We now have a simple, syllabic medieval hymn that tells of the events at the grave. What is typical in this hymn is the Constant recurrence of the buoyant Alleluia, the word which expresses the joy of Easter in the Latin liturgy.

The simple melody of the Ave Maria can be added to the hymns of the actual Easter liturgy. It expresses a lofty medieval piety and follows the stress of the words in a flowing line. As in the words of the Bible which give us the message of the angel Gabriel and of Mary’s niece Elizabeth, there now follows the prayer to Jesus' mother for intercession. She stood under the cross of her Son as a witness of His death which opened the way to Resurrection to all men.

Lastly comes the great ancient Christian prose hymn Te Deum, the culmination of the expression of gratitude for salvation.

The Easter mystery is expressed in the words[...]

[...] on the way to life.

The recitative melody of the Te Deum sung here is an older version than the usuai one, which lattcr is generally indicated by the words “More Romano."

B. Brockbemd O. S. B.

Illustratimi on front of the tover:

The resurrection. Flemish book of hours from Malines

Ms. ÌOE2, Museum MeermannoWestreenianum, The Hague.fol.95 v(c.1450)

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I ASPERGES MEKYRIEGLORIA CREDO I SANCTUS

n TE DEUMSUB TUUM PRAESIDIUM TU ES PASTOR OVIUMM AGNIFICAT AVE MARIA TANTUM ERGO 400188 AE

IN THE HYMNODIA S

IH ADORO TE DEVOTE VENI CREATOR SPIRITUS ALMA REDEMPTORIS MATER AVE REGINA CAELORUM REGINA CAELI SALVE REGINA 400189 AE

IV VENI SANCTE SPIRJTUSSTABAT MATERVICTIMAE PASCHALI LAUDES SACRIS SOLEMNIIS AVE VERUM CORPUS

400190 AE

V LAUDA SIONO SACRUM CONVIVIUM O S ALUTARIS HOSTIA H[...]