O day of penitence (Charles Gounod)
Music files
| ICON | SOURCE |
|---|---|
 |
|
 |
Midi |
 |
MusicXML |
 |
Sibelius |
 |
File details |
 |
Help |
- (Posted 2021-06-24) CPDL #64875:
- Editor: Ian Haslam (submitted 2021-06-24). Score information: A4, 14 pages, 232 kB Copyright: CPDL
- Edition notes: The original Novello has 2 staves for the bass part from bar 28 to bar 70. As the staves are rhythmically the same they have been merge into one stave.
General Information
Title: O day of penitence
Composer: Charles Gounod
Lyricist: Alexis Badoucreate page (French text)
Number of voices: 4/6vv Voicing: "Chœur à 4 et à 6 voix"
Genre: Sacred, Cantata
Language: English
Instruments: Orchestra (organ reduction of CPDL #64875 omits postlude, doubling voices instead)
First published: 1866
2nd published: 1868 Chouens piano version, in Douze chœurs et une cantate
Description: Originally published by Novello. This is an arrangement of the French work Le vendredi-saint.
External websites:
- Chouens piano version at the Petrucci Music Library (IMSLP)
Original text and translations
English text
O day of penitence! O day of mourning!
Remember how th'incarnate Son of God,
nail'd to His Cross,
hung between earth and heaven,
was put to death by His own people's hands,
To save us all from Satan's iron bondage,
He bore with patience all these cruel wrongs!
O come let us with hearts and voices utter our grief,
and weep beside His Tomb.
Come let us kneel, in sorrow and contrition,
Before the Cross which His pure Blood doth lave;
Come rich and poor, offer Him all your hearts,
Who gave Himself the world to save!
Just as the sea by stormy winds is driven,
Whose angry waves do hoarsely rage and roar,
The people with madness to the slaughter are crowding,
And shouting, To death! To death! To death! Crucify Him!"
Striving to save Him Pilate has vainly labour'd:
His cruel foes thirst for their Victim's Blood;
Behold they crown with thorns His Sacred head!
Beat Him with scourges!
and then smite Him on His cheek!
Come let us kneel, in sorrow and contrition,
Before the Cross which His pure Blood doth lave:
Come rich and poor, offer Him all your hearts,
Who gave Himself the world to save!
Slowly, ah slowly, drag on the fatal hours!
Now having drain'd His bitter cup of pain,
The Lamb of God completes His Sacrifice,
Into His Father's hands commends His spirit,
Cries with loud voice, "It is finish'd," and expires!
Then, as He died, darkness obscured the land
In dim eclipse, the earth with horror shook:
The Temple trembled: the Veil was rent in twain!
Come let us kneel, in sorrow and contrition,
Before the Cross which His pure Blood doth lave:
Come rich and poor, offer Him all your hearts,
Who gave Himself the world to save!