Ut queant laxis

Ut queant laxis is the Office hymn for second Vespers of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist (June 24). The more famous of the two Gregorian melodies is attributed to Guido d'Arezzo and begins each phrase on a higher scale degree: hence the naming of the solfeggio notes after the first syllable of each line of the first verse.

External links

• guidonian tune (from Liber Usualis, p. 1342) and translation
• Catholic Encyclopedia article
• Wikipedia article

Settings by composers (hand annotated)

Anonymous Gregorian chant mode ii (also attrib. Guido d'Arezzo) Trent 91 SAATB Trent 92 I SAT Trent 92 II SAT Responsoria hebdomadae sanctae, 1612 SATB.SATB & bc Sixt Dietrich ATTB (v.2, but incorporates solfege from v.1) Hernando Franco (1, SATB; 4, "Ventris…" SATTB) Elzear Genet (Carpentras) SATB (odd, "Gloria Patri genitoque…")

Jan Le Febure SATB (2. "Nuncius celso" & 5. "Ventris") Orlando di Lasso SATTB (v. 1 with scale in Tenor 1) Nicolas Merques AAT (one stroph) Claudio Monteverdi SS, 2 violins, basso continuo (reworking of Iste confessor) José Maurício Nunes Garcia even verses for SATB, figured organ bass for odd. Josef Ohnewald SATB & orchestra (2000-2200-tympani-str) (XIII - vv. 1-2, 6-7) Diego Ortiz SAATB (v. 2) Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina SATB (vv. 1,3), SAATB (Doxology) Jacobus Vaet SATTB (even) Tomás Luis de Victoria SATB (vv. 2,4)

Settings by composers (automatically updated)

• Anonymous — Ut queant laxis  Latin SAATB
• Anonymous — Ut queant laxis (Responsoria hebdomadae sanctae)  Latin SATB.SATB
• Anonymous — Ut queant laxis (tr92) I  Latin SAT
• Anonymous — Ut queant laxis (tr92) II  Latin SAT
• Sixt Dietrich — Nuntius celso  Latin ATTB
• Johann Melchior Dreyer — Hymni brevissimi, Op.5 No.13-24  Latin SATB
• Hernando Franco — Ut queant laxis  Latin SATB,SATTB
• Elzear Genet — Ut queant laxis  Latin SATB
• Gregorian chant — Ut queant laxis  Latin Unison
• Orlando di Lasso — Ut queant laxis  Latin SATTB
• Jan Le Febure — Ut queant laxis  Latin SATB
• Nicolas Merques — Ut queant laxis  Latin AAT
• Claudio Monteverdi — Ut queant laxis  Latin SS
• José Maurício Nunes Garcia — Ut queant laxis  Latin SATB
• Josef Ohnewald — Hymni vespertini  Latin SATB
• Diego Ortiz — Nuntius celso  Latin SAATB
• Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina — Ut queant laxis  Latin SATB
• Jacobus Vaet — Ut queant laxis  Latin SATTB
• Tomás Luis de Victoria — Ut queant laxis  Latin SATB

Text and translations

Latin text Ut queant laxis resonare fibris mira gestorum famuli tuorum, solve polluti labiis reatum, sancte Joannes. Nuntius celso veniens Olympo, te patri magnum fore nasciturum, nomen, et vitae seriem gerendae, ordine promit. Ille promissi dubius superni perdidit promptae modulos loquelae; sed reformasti genitus peremptae organa vocis. Laudibus cives celebrant superni te, Deus simplex pariterque trine; supplices ac nos veniam precamur: parce redemptis. Ventris obstruso recubans cubili, senseras Regem thalamo manentem: hinc parens, nati, meritis, uterque, abdita pandit. Sit decus Patri, genitaeque proli et tibi, compare utriusque virtus, Spiritus semper, Deus unus, omni Temporis aevo. Amen. Carpentras, Monteverdi, Palestrina, Victoria Gloria Patri genitaeque Proli et tibi compar utriusque semper Spiritus alme Deus unus omni tempore saecli. Amen.

English translation For thy spirit, holy John, to chasten Lips sin-polluted, fettered tongues to loosen; So by thy children might thy deeds of wonder Meetly be chanted. Lo! a swift herald, from the skies descending, Bears to thy father promise of thy greatness; How he shall name thee, what thy future story, Duly revealing. Scarcely believing message so transcendent, Him for a season power of speech forsaketh, Till, at thy wondrous birth, again returneth Voice to the voiceless. The heavenly citizens celebrate you with lauds, one God and at once triune; we also come imploring forgiveness; spare us among the redeemed. Thou, in thy mother's womb all darkly cradled, Knewest thy Monarch, biding in His chamber, Whence the two parents, through their children's merits, Mysteries uttered. Praise to the Father, to the Son begotten, And to the Spirit, equal power. possessing, One God whose glory, through the lapse of ages, Ever resoundeth. Amen. Translation by Campelli