A friend sent me a little clip from the Brompton Oratory in London. It is appropriate for this time at the end of the liturgical year and just before the beginning of another at Advent.
This is a beautifully sung Laudes Regiae, though a shortened version and with a variant melody. It is still worth hearing. The Laudes are regularly sung at the end of Pontifical Masses and other great occasions. In history, the Laudes hearken back to ancient Rome, when people chanted the praises of a general in triumph. They later were used during coronations.
No matter what we do to the Church, Christ remains Victor Rex, triumphant.
Enjoy!
UPDATE:
Another of you readers sent this from St. John Cantius in Chicago.
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We sang this hymn yesterday at the end of mass. It is a beautiful hymn. My parish is increasingly choosing latin hymns from the St. Michael hymnal. We’re probably not going to have a latin mass anytime soon, but at least we’re starting to sing beautiful music together.
Thank you for pasting this beautiful rendition of a great hymn.
This version of the tone is English mediaeval, from the 13th century Worcester Cathedral Antiphonal. It is included in the London Oratory’s own fine hymnal.
The choir at our novus ordo parish sung a variant of this during Communion yesterday. I’d never heard it before. It seemed very fitting. I’m very glad to have found a parish where there’s at least some sense of continuity across Vatican II.
They did pretty well, although unsurprisingly not as well as the rendition above. I had trouble figuring much of it out beyond “Christus regnat” with my limited Latin, except to recognize it was not one of the litanies I was familiar with.
It is a very long time indeed since I sang this. What a stirring hymn! It really captures the glory and dignity due to God.
These are great, thanks to the Brompton Oratory, St. John Cantius, and Fr. Z.
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