Videntes stellam magi

General information

A Responsory at Matins of Epiphany. The Liber Usualis has a shorter Magnificat antiphon for the Octave of Epiphany, identical (except for the Gloria Patri) with the Ambrosian chant.

it is related to another Responsory, Stella quam viderant.

Notes on selected settings

Ambrosian chant see work page for variant Alvise Balbi SSAATTBB (without verse) Mark Chapman (one of a cycle of 3 motets) SATB, based on the Ambrosian chant Giovanni Paolo Cima SATB or ATTB (ellipsis in text, and without verse) Andrea Gabrieli SATT (without verse) Claude Goudimel ATTB (without verse)

Guglielmo Gonzaga SAATT or ATTBB (ellipsis in text, and without verse) Orlando di Lasso SSATB (without verse) Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina SSAATTBB or AATTTTBB (without verse) Christopher Upton SATB (plainchant supplied for verse) Bruno Vlahek SATB

Settings by composers (automatically updated)

• Alvise Balbi — Videntes stellam magi  Latin SATB.SATB
• Mark Chapman — Three Motets for Advent and Christmas  Latin SATB
• Mark Chapman — Videntes stellam  Latin SATB
• Giovanni Paolo Cima — Videntes stellam magi  Latin SATB,ATTB
• Andrea Gabrieli — Videntes stellam magi  Latin SATT
• Guglielmo Gonzaga — Videntes stellam magi  Latin SAATT, ATTBB
• Claude Goudimel — Videntes stellam magi  Latin ATTB
• Orlando di Lasso — Videntes stellam magi  Latin SSATB,AATTB
• Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina — Videntes stellam  Latin 
• Christopher Upton — Videntes stellam Magi  Latin SATB

Text and translations

Latin text Videntes stellam magi gavisi sunt gaudio magno: et intrantes domum, invenerunt puerum, cum Maria, matre eius, et procidentes adoraverunt eum. Et apertis thesauris suis, obtulerunt ei munera: aurum, thus et myrrham. Versus: Stella quam víderant Magi in Oriénte, antecedébat eos, usque dum véniens staret supra ubi erat puer. et intrantes… Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto. Sicut erat in principio, et nunc et semper et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.

English translation Seeing the star, the magi rejoiced with great joy; and entering the house, they found the boy, with Mary, His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And having opened their treasures, they offered Him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The star which the Wise Men saw in the East went before them until it came to where the Child was. Glory be to the Father and Son and Holy Ghost, As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, World without end. Amen.