Christe Redemptor omnium, ex Patre

Christe Redemptor omnium is the incipit to two different Office hymns.

Christe Redemptor omnium ex Patre is used for Vespers during the Christmas season. It was revised as Jesu redemptor omnium in the 17c. Recent Anglican & Lutheran hymnals feature Gilbert Doan's version "O Savior of our fallen race" (ç1978).

Christe Redemptor omnium, conserva is for first and second Vespers of the Feast of All Saints (Nov. 1).

Two Gregorian melodies seem to have been used interchangably for these hymns (to go by Fasola's rubric "Serve anco alla festa di tutti i Santi"). The Liber Usualis and more recent books give that starting do-re-mi-sol for the Christmas hymn and sol-la-sol-sol-fa-la do-do-ti for All Saints. Organ settings of the first have been written by Bull (cxxv in the Fitzwilliam book), Cavazzoni (a single verse in Intabulatura d'organo, 1543), Frescobaldi (3vv. preserved in Chigi Q VIII 205) and Fasolo (3vv. & a doxology "Gloria tibi" for accompanied trebles in Annuale, 1645). Cabezon's posthumous Obras (1570) contains a "Christe redemptor" to a less recognizable tune.

Choral settings

Anonymous Trent 89 (fol. 340v) SATB Trent 89 (fol. 341v) STB Trent 88 (fol. 374v) STT Trent 88 (fol. 222r) AT Felice Anerio SATB,SATB, SSAT & SAATTB alternatim (odd)

Loyset Compère ATTB (vv. 1-2) Michel Richard Delalande, S.21 (1690) (5vv & 5 instr.) Dufay, [1] 3vv Grzegorz Gerwazy Gorczycki SATB Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina odd verses for SATB, SSAT, SATB, and SSATTB Tomás Luis de Victoria SATB & SSAT alternatim (even)

Other settings possibly not included in the manual list above

• Orlando di Lasso — Christe redemptor omnium, ex Patre
• Jan Le Febure — Christe Redemptor omnium, ex Patre
• Annibale Orgas — 5 Motetten a 4

Text and translations

Latin text 1  CHRISTE, Redemptor omnium, ex Patre, Patris unice, solus ante principium natus ineffabiliter, 2  Tu lumen, tu splendor Patris, tu spes perennis omnium, intende quas fundunt preces tui per orbem servuli. 3  Salutis auctor, recole quod nostri quondam corporis, ex illibata Virgine nascendo, formam sumpseris. 4  Hic praesens testatur dies, currens per anni circulum, quod a solus sede Patris mundi salus adveneris; 5  Hunc caelum, terra, hunc mare, hunc omne quod in eis est, auctorem adventus tui laudat exsultans cantico. 6  Nos quoque, qui sancto tuo redempti sumus sanguine, ob diem natalis tui hymnum novum concinimus. 7  Iesu, tibi sit gloria, qui natus es de Virgine, cum Patre et almo Spiritu, in sempiterna saecula. Amen.

English translation 1  JESU, the Father's only Son, whose death for all redemption won, before the worlds, of God most high, begotten all ineffably.1 2  The Father's Light and Splendour Thou their endless Hope to Thee that bow: accept the prayers and praise today that through the world Thy servants pay. 3  Salvation's author, call to mind how, taking the form of humankind, born of a Virgin undefiled, Thou in man's flesh becamest a Child. 4  Thus testifies the present day Through every year in long array, that Thou, salvation's source alone proceedest from the Father's Throne. 5  Whence sky, and stars, and sea's abyss, and earth, and all that therein is, shall still, with laud and carol meet, the Author of thine Advent greet. 6  And we who, by Thy precious Blood from sin redeemed, are marked for God, on this, the day that saw Thy Birth, sing the new song of ransomed earth. 7  All honour, laud, and glory be, O Iesu, Virgin-born, to Thee; whom with the Father we adore, and Holy Ghost forevermore. Amen. (John Mason Neale, 1818-1866)

¹ Neale follows Urban VIII's 1632 Roman Brevary, where the first verse reads:

 

1  Iesu, Redemptor omnium
quem lucis ante originem
parem Paternae gloriae
Pater supremus edidit.

External links

• Preces latinae:
  • in Nativitatem
  • pro Omnium Sanctorum
• search results at IMSLP