Vox clara ecce intonat is a Latin hymn used traditionally in the Liturgy of the Hours at Lauds during Advent. An alternative version of the same hymn begins "En clara vox redarguit."
History
The original version of the hymn dates from the 6th century. Whilst it has been attributed to a number of different authors, including St Ambrose, it is generally recorded in modern books as "anonymous." As a result of Pope Urban VIII's revision of the Breviary, the hymn was re-written in a more classical Latin style and published in 1632, with the opening line "En clara vox redarguit."
Style
The hymn is written in iambic dimeter and it is a retelling of the preaching of John the Baptist, announcing the coming of Christ in Luke's Gospel.
Latin versions of the Hymn
English Versions
It is estimated that there are at least 27 English translations of the hymn. The following examples were widely used in the nineteenth and twentieth century.
The Caswell translation is often sung to the tune Merton (87.87) by William Henry Monk.
See also
- List of Roman Catholic hymns
- Canonical Hours
- Lauds
References
External links
- Matthew Britt, The Hymns of the Breviary and Missal, Benziger Brothers, New York, 1922
- Alan Mc Dovgall, Pange Lingua: Breviary Hymns of old uses with an English rendering, Burns & Oates 1916
- Joseph Connelly, Hymns of the Roman Liturgy, 1957.
- Vox clara ecce intonat performed by Ensemble Officium
- Hark! A Herald Voice is Calling, sung (to the tune "Merton") by the Choir of King's College, Cambridge
