John Taverner (±1490–1545): O splendor gloriae

• published: 17 Feb 2015
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Taverner's Jesus antiphon O splendor gloriae probably dates from Taverner's later years in Boston and was most likely a commission from the Boston Guild of Corpus Christi, to Taverner he belonged. It's composed on a very grand scale but the scale in no way detracts from the clarity of its texture. Taverner made heavy use of imitation when he was writing it and also made use of repetition in the latter part of the piece. In doing so he was further laying the groundwork for English sacred music to move away from the abstract melismatic style that still prevailed towards a more modern direct expressiveness that reflected the text. It represents a move away from medievalism to a renaissance sensibility. All of this is within a very English structure that exploits the high tessitura treble to maximum effect. If ever there was a work that testifies to the extraordinarily high standards of pre-reformation English choristers that Taverner and his fellow composers could take for granted this is it. Enjoy :-). mfi O splendor gloriae O splendor gloriae et imago substantiae Dei Patris omnipotentis, Jesu Christe, unice eiusdem Fili dilecte totius boni fons vive, redemptor mundi, servator, et Deus noster, salve. Gloriosa, Domine, tua est maiestas, et opera mirabilia: tu caelum et terram cum omnibus quae in eis sunt creaturis divino tuo verbo ex nihilo fecisti: quae sapientissimae mox disponens, nobis quos ad imaginem tuam novissime formasti, ut deservirent, benignissime cuncta subdidisti. Mortem intulerat protoplasti inobedientia; sed quo facturae tuae vitam redimeres, de Maria virgine humillima, Jesu, sumpsisti carnem: ex qua enim de Spiritu Sancto conceptus, natus es Deus et homo, ac illa tua mater integra permansit et perpetua virgo. Et cum pro nobis duram tolerasses vitam, flagris caesus et tormentis laceratus, qui peccatum non feceris, in corpore tuo scelera nostra perferens, ac eadem tuo pretiosissimo sanguine effuso abluens, mortem denique infamem, agnus mitissimus, passus es et crudelissimam: hinc, tuo Patri suavis hostia oblatus, pro nobis miseris peccatoribus es afflictus. Dein, tertia die a morte exsuscitatus, ad caelestem Patrem cum gloria summa es elevatus, ut illi dexter assideas; inde sanctum Paracletum nobis dedisti, qui ut nostra caelesti doctrina confirmet pectora, te prece precamur humili. Amen. O Jesus Christ, radiant light and image of the nature of God the almighty Father, his beloved and only Son, living fountain of all good, redeemer of the world, our saviour and our God, hail. Glorious, O Lord, is your majesty, and marvellous your works: you made heaven and earth with all the creatures in them by your divine word, from nothing: then, having ordered them by your great wisdom, to us, newly fashioned in your own image, so that they might serve us, you graciously subjected all things. The disobedience of your first creation brought death, but, that you might redeem the life of your creation, from Mary, humble virgin, Jesus took human flesh: for, of her, conceived by the Holy Spirit, you were born both of God and man, and she, your mother, remained pure, ever a virgin. And when, for us, you had borne a hard life, scourged with whips and lacerated by tortures, you who had committed no sin, bearing our sins on your body, and also washing them away by the effusion of your most precious blood, finally you, the gentle lamb, suffered a most cruel and degrading death: hence, offered to your Father as a pleasing sacrifice, you were afflicted for us miserable sinners. Then, awoken from death on the third day, you were elevated in glory to your heavenly Father that you might sit at his right hand: after this, you gave the Holy Spirit to us, and that we may strengthen our hearts by his heavenly teaching we now humbly pray you. Amen.