Remembering PRESTAGS

On the road again

After an awesome drive from Brisbane to Toowoomba, and back, I find myself pining for the open road again. This time my animal magnetism was overstretched, and I had neither man nor dog as companion. I did have a beast though!

Although it looks much the same as the Thrifty (best car hire firm ever!) beast, this one was noisy. I had forgotten how much noisy it makes. And Thirsty. For this journey, I used my entire quarter's fuel allowance for the Prius. Old tech, I suppose.

Spring was showing on the road with the wattles just starting to burst.

I stopped at a rest area and found some Rosellas and Grass Parrots enjoying a midday feed.

I had all these lenses in the car, but the trouble with those is by the time you have them all set up, the target has gone!

Just before jumping into the car again, I checked out the name of the reserve.

I can just image the Germans saying "There is a mad Aussie down there chucking grenades. Let's decamp." Thomas Derrick did inspire me though: next time I'm with my mates, I'll spend some time chucking grenades around.

Road Trip Stage One is a success, and Blust is in the Black.

Now I wonder if I will get a turn. The again, if John Michael Young wanted a turn, he had to invent a whole game. I just have to be patient, I suppose.

Jerusalem desolata est

Demetri has swept away not only my beloved capital city but my whole home island.

It brings to mind the lines from Byrd's motet setting of  Civitas sancti - "Jerusalem, Jerusalem. Jerusalem, Jerusalem, desolata est."

 

Civitas sancti tui facta est deserta.        Your holy city has become a wilderness.
Sion deserta facta est,                               Sion is made a wilderness, 
Jerusalem desolata est.                            Jerusalem has been made desolate.

and meanwhile the survivors weep as in Palestrina's Super flumina Babylonis

 

15 August - the Assumption of Our Lady into Heaven

From the definition prompulgated by Pope Pius XII on 1 November 1950 in Munificentissimus Deus  (the most bountiful God ... link to full text):

"44. For which reason, after we have poured forth prayers of supplication again and again to God, and have invoked the light of the Spirit of Truth, for the glory of Almighty God who has lavished his special affection upon the Virgin Mary, for the honor of her Son, the immortal King of the Ages and the Victor over sin and death, for the increase of the glory of that same august Mother, and for the joy and exultation of the entire Church; by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and by our own authority, we pronounce, declare, and define it to be a divinely revealed dogma: that the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory."

Signum magnum (audio link) is the Introit of the Mass (composed after the definition)  - taken from the Apocalypse - "A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars."

Gaudeamus (audio link) is the ancient introit (which is an option for the new Mass).

Let us jecoice in this great feast and join our voices to Mary's Magnificat (audio link) and continue to ask her to pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.

1. Magnificat * anima mea Dominum. 2. Et exsultavit spiritus meus * in Deo salutari meo. 3. Quia respexit humilitatem ancillae suae: * ecce enim ex hoc beatam me dicent omnes generationes. 4. Quia fecit mihi magna qui potens est: et sanctum nomen ejus. 5. Et misericordia ejus a progenie in progenies * timentibus eum. 6. Fecit potentiam in brachio suo * dispersit superbos mente cordis sui. 7. Deposuit potentes de sede, * et exaltavit humiles. 8. Esurientes implevit bonis: * et divites dimisit inanes. 9. Suscepit Israel puerum suum, recordatus misericordiae suae. 10. Sicut locutus est ad patres nostros * Abraham at semini eius in saecula. 11. Gloria Patri, et Filio, * et Spiritui Sancto. 12. Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, * et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.

1. My soul doth magnify the Lord. 2. And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. 3. Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid: for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. 4. Because he that is mighty hath done great things to me: and holy is his name. 5. And his mercy is from generation unto generations, to them that fear him. 6. He hath shewed might in his arm: he hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart. 7. He hath put down the mighty from their seat and hath exalted the humble. 8. He hath filled the hungry with good things: and the rich he hath sent empty away. 9. He hath received Israel his servant, being mindful of his mercy. 10. As he spoke to our fathers: to Abraham and to his seed for ever. 11. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. 12. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

23 December - O Emmanuel; hymn Veni, Veni Emmanuel

last of the preparatory O antiphons - Vespers of the 24th will be 1st Vespers of Christmas

Listen to O Emmanuel click here

Listen to the hymn Veni, Veni Emmanuel as set by Zoltán Kodály  click here Latin + English below

22 December - O Rex gentium

O King of the Gentiles - To listen click here

 

 

21 December - O Oriens & 4th Sunday of Advent

O Dayspring! in the words of the carol "People look East"

To listen to O Oriens click here

The Introit of today's Mass is Rorate caeli desuper - Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the just, Let the earth be opened and send forth a Saviour.

 

20 December - O Clavis David

He is drawing nearer ...

Veni, Veni

To listen to O Clavis David click here

First 3 Os in The Poissy Antiphonal - a Dominican antiphonal c1350

 

Magnificat

The O antiphons are the antiphons for the Magnificat at Vespers.

But whence the Magnificat? It is the canticle of praise declaimed by the Blessed Virgin Mary upon the visit to her cousin Elizabeth (Luke 1:46-55) and is part of Vespers every day (just as the Benedictus of Zachary and the Nunc dimittis of Simeon are of Lauds and Compline).

To listen to the Magnificat with O Sapientiae click here

The monks are Spanish and if you listen closely you will hear there are slight variations on the melody of the antiphon relative to the Roman melody. Also the Tone 2 ending of each verse the Magnificat is the Monastic one rather than the Roman one - an extra note.

18 December - O Adonai

Today is the 2nd O antiphon, O Adonai.

To listen to O Adonai  click here

The composers of these offices had a little hidden meaning too if you read the capitals in reverse:

 

17 December - the first Great O - O Sapientia

Today in the Divine Office the first of the Great Os is sung as the Magnificat antiphon at Vespers. They are of ancient origin - at least as early as the 8th century I think. The hymn Veni, Veni Emmanuel is base on the Os.

For more info on the O antiphons including scriptural references click here

To listen to O Sapientia click here

Another anniversary - 50 years since Sacrosanctum concilium

Today is the 50th anniversary of the 2nd Vatican Council document Sacrosanctum concilium.

Here are three different takes on what has happened since that day. This will not be a universally held view but I believe we, the whole western church, was completely dudded by what we were given.

New Liturgical Movement: Is Your Liturgy Like What Vatican II Intended?

http://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2013/12/is-your-liturgy-like-what-vatican-ii.html#.Up7TxOJCrK0

Fr Z: 50 years today: Bugninicare

http://wdtprs.com/blog/2013/12/50-years-ago-today-bugninicare/  (Fr Z must be having a really bad day)

Rorate Caeli:

50 years of Sacrosanctum Concilium and what the Council has wrought "The Destruction of the Roman Rite"

 http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2013/12/50-years-of-sacrosanctum-concilium-and.html

 This:

 

playing pseudo-novel self-centred (immanentist?) games in a building purposely built to lead us to a transcendent worship of the eternal God

or this:

 

Despite the less than transcendent architecture the form and disposition is focussed on the transcendent and the true relation of creature to Creator. The old, tried ways, made new in each generation.

Is this Hymn Heretical?

The famous hymn "I Vow to Thee My Country" is often sung at Remembrance Day services in Commonwealth countries. The words were written by Cecil Spring-Rice in 1908, and the music is by Gustav Holst who adapted music from a section of Jupiter from his suite 'The Planets'. Holst harmonised the tune to make it usable as a hymn, and it was first published in 1921.

The first and second verses are usually taken to refer to the United Kingdom and the sacrifice of those who died during the First World War. The third verse is a reference to heaven, and the final line is based on Proverbs 3:17.

I have always loved the music, and admired the clever lyrics. I believe Remembrance Day services are very important and the sacrifices of fallen soldiers, especially ordinary decent men thrown into wars, deserve to be honoured.

However, I am no fan of the British Empire, and I despise their monarchy and their ruling class. I have always been uncomfortable with the 'religious love' for Britain in this hymn. Only recently I learned that this hymn had been described as "totally heretical" by the Anglican Bishop of Hulme because in his view the hymn placed national loyalties above religious ones and promoted an unquestioning support of governments. Perhaps it takes a heretic to know a heresy, but I think the Bishop of Hulme has hit the nail on the head. He has well described why I have always been a bit uncomfortable with this hymn.

The middle verse is often omitted because it is regarded as "inappropriate". There is another clue in this omission: the government wants unquestioning loyalty but not a clear reminder of the consequences, of "the dying and the dead" in wars in foreign countries.

I vow to thee, my country, all earthly things above,

Entire and whole and perfect, the service of my love;

The love that asks no question, the love that stands the test,

That lays upon the altar the dearest and the best;

The love that never falters, the love that pays the price,

The love that makes undaunted the final sacrifice.

I heard my country calling, away across the sea,

Across the waste of waters she calls and calls to me.

Her sword is girded at her side, her helmet on her head,

And round her feet are lying the dying and the dead.

I hear the noise of battle, the thunder of her guns,

I haste to thee my mother, a son among thy sons.

And there's another country, I've heard of long ago,

Most dear to them that love her, most great to them that know;

We may not count her armies, we may not see her King;

Her fortress is a faithful heart, her pride is suffering;

And soul by soul and silently her shining bounds increase,

And her ways are ways of gentleness, and all her paths are peace.

There are a number of different versions of I Vow to Thee My Country on YouTube, including this typical British pomp and ceremony version, with Royalty, without the middle verse:

 

New Categories for Thygocanberra

I have created twelve (yes 12!) new formal categories especially for Thygocanberra:

1. The Moon
2. Ducks
3. Hockey Sticks
4. Heresy
5. Apostasy
6. Schismatics
7. ACT (Grand Duchy)
8. Crime & Punishment
9. Elephants
10. Liturgical Music
11. Men in White Coats
12. Little House on the Prairie

Steak Knives? Yes, THERE IS MORE. I will undertake to write a post in each of these twelve categories within three months if PythonMagus does the same!