Melodic Snippets Index

Stabat Mater Dolorosa (“The Mother stood in woeful wise”)
Translation: Historic Roman Catholic Translation • 1599AD
Tune: “Stabat Mater” • 887

In the 1599AD Preface, Richard Verstegan says: “Notwithstanding the difficulty, these hymns have been so turned into English meter that they may be sung unto the same tunes in English that they bear in Latin.” For this particular translation, the harmonic rhythm must be that of Solesmes Abbey, generally known as the “Classical Solesmes Method.” See the following: (1) Daily Hymn Book (Westminster, 1949) p. 64, by Henri Potiron (d. 1972), Maître de Chapelle de la Basilique du Sacré Coeur et Professeur a l’Institut Grégorien; (2) Liber Cantualis Comitante Organo (Solesmes, 1981) p. 37, by Abbé Ferdinand Portier; (3) Accompaniment to the Music of Holy Week (Gregorian Institute of America, 1957) p. 83, by Dr. Eugene Lapierre, organist at Saint-Alphonse-d’Youville in Montréal.

Stabat Mater Dolorosa (“Under the World-redeeming Rood”)
Translation: Historic Roman Catholic Translation • 1687AD
Tune: “Bayeux” • 887

This translation was allowed to be printed in London since it appeared during the reign of James II of England, a Catholic. He had converted from Anglicanism secretly in 1667, and refused to take a mandatory oath (1673 “Test Act”) denouncing the doctrine of Transubstantiation, instead choosing to relinquish the post of Lord High Admiral. A devout man, he once said: “If occasion were, I hope God would give me his grace to suffer death for the true Catholic religion as well as banishment.” His brother, who reigned as King of England until 1685, became a Catholic on his deathbed.