I've just cobbled together the second instalment in the project to record all the music in A New Book of Old Hymns - the podcast Radio Public widget should appear here:

In other news, today is the 17th December which is the first day of the O Antiphons! There are many forms this can take. The original are the Magnificat Antiphons for Vespers, so you would sing the O Antiphon of the day, then the Magnificat in Mode 2, then back to the O Antiphon. Here's a booklet you can print and sing.

It was also adapted into that ever popular Carol: O Come O Come Emmanuel, or in the Latin Veni Veni Emmanuel or Veni O Sapientia as I have it in the Hymnbook.

The "O Come O Come Emmanuel" verse that is so famous is from the O Antiphon on 23rd December. J M Neale put that one first then worked backwards through to 17th December. In A New Book of Old Hymns I started with "Veni O Sapientia" / "O Come Thou Wisdom" which is the 17th December and proceeded through to Emmanuel last.

Also worth repeating is the acrostic in the petitions - which is visible when putting the 23rd December first:

  • Emmanuel
  • Rex Gentium - King of Nations
  • Oriens - Daystar
  • Clavis Davidica - Key of David
  • Radix Jesse - Root of Jesse
  • Adonai - Lord
  • Sapientia - Wisdom

Ero Cras means I will come tomorrow. Cras is where we get the word procrastinate meaning for tomorrow.

Happy Christmas everyone! Next section of the book is for the feast of the Holy Name of Jesus - 2nd January - so I'd better get working on that one!