“Of the Father’s Love Begotten” is a Christmas carol that pairs a text based on the Latin poem “Corde natus ex parentis” by the Roman poet Aurelius Prudentius with a medieval plainchant melody, “Divinum mysterium” (Divine Mystery), from the 1582 Finnish song book Piae Cantiones, a collection of 74 sacred and secular church and school songs of medieval Europe. “Corde natus ex parentis” was translated into English by John Mason Neale in 1854, further expanded by Henry Baker in 1859, and included in the book Hymns Ancient and Modern in 1861.
The text is a rich theological statement that speaks of the Son of God’s eternal nature, of creation, the fall of mankind into sin, the prophecies of a coming Messiah, the virgin birth and the incarnation of God, and salvation in Christ, concluding with stanzas of praise to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
In this arrangement, traditional harmonies, extended chords and open intervals in parallel motion evoke both the ancient and modern.
Score, parts (Bb tpt. 1, Bb tpt. 2, F horn, tbn, tuba) — $12.99
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