======================================================================
= Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming =
======================================================================
Introduction
======================================================================
"" () is a Christmas carol and Marian hymn of German origin. It is
most commonly translated into English as "Lo, how a rose e'er
blooming" and is also called "A Spotless Rose" and "Behold a Rose of
Judah". The rose in the German text is a symbolic reference to the
Virgin Mary. The hymn makes reference to the Old Testament prophecies
of Isaiah, which in Christian interpretation foretell the Incarnation
of Jesus, and to the Tree of Jesse, a traditional symbol of the
lineage of Jesus. Because of its prophetic theme, the hymn is popular
during the Christian season of Advent.
The hymn has its roots in an unknown author before the 17th century.
It first appeared in print in 1599 and has since been published with a
varying number of verses and in several translations. It is most
commonly sung to a melody harmonized by the German composer Michael
Praetorius in 1609. The hymn's popularity endures in the 20th and 21st
centuries.
Meaning
======================================================================
The hymn was originally written with two verses that describe the
fulfilment of the prophecy of Isaiah foretelling the birth of Jesus.
It emphasizes the royal genealogy of Jesus and Christian messianic
prophecies. The hymn describes a rose sprouting from the stem of the
Tree of Jesse, a symbolic device that depicts the descent of Jesus
from Jesse of Bethlehem, the father of King David. The image was
especially popular in medieval times, and it features in many works of
religious art from the period. It has its origin in the Book of
Isaiah:
The second verse of the hymn, written in the first person, then
explains to the listener the meaning of this symbolism: That Mary, the
mother of Jesus, is the rose that has sprung up to bring forth the
Christ child, represented as a small flower '("das Blümlein")'. The
German text affirms that Mary is a "pure maiden" '("die reine Magd")',
emphasizing the doctrine of the Virgin birth of Jesus. In Theodore
Baker's 1894 English translation, on the other hand, the second verse
indicates that the rose symbolizes the infant Christ.
Since the 19th century, other verses have been added, both in German
and in translation.
History
======================================================================
The poetry of Isaiah's prophecy has featured in Christian hymns since
at least the 8th century, when Cosmas the Melodist wrote a hymn about
the Virgin Mary flowering from the Root of Jesse, "", translated in
1862 by John Mason Neale as "Rod of the Root of Jesse".
The text of "" dates from the 15th century. Its author is unknown. Its
earliest source is in a manuscript from the Carthusian , in Trier,
Germany, that is now preserved in the and is thought to have been in
use at the time of Martin Luther. The hymn first appeared in print in
the late 16th century in the ' (1599). The hymn has been used by both
Catholics and Protestants, with the focus of the song being Mary or
Jesus, respectively. In addition, there have been numerous versions of
the hymn, with varying texts and lengths. In 1844, the German
hymnologist added three more stanzas, the first of which, "",
remained popular and has been included in Catholic and Protestant
hymnals.
The tune generally used for the hymn originally appeared in the
'Speyer Hymnal' (printed in Cologne in 1599), and the familiar
harmonization was written by German composer Michael Praetorius in
1609. A canon version for four voices also exists, based on
Praetorius's harmony and sometimes attributed to his contemporary,
Melchior Vulpius. The metre of the hymn is 76.76.676.
In 1896, Johannes Brahms used the hymn's tune as the base for a
chorale prelude for organ, one of his 'Eleven Chorale Preludes' Op.
122, later transcribed for orchestra by Erich Leinsdorf.
During the Nazi era, many German Christmas carols were rewritten to
promote National Socialist ideology and to excise references to the
Jewish origins of Jesus. During Christmas in Nazi Germany, "" was
rewritten as "" ("A light has arisen for us/on a dark winter night"),
with a secularised text evoking sunlight falling on the Fatherland and
extolling the virtues of motherhood.
The hymn's melody has been used by a number of composers, including
Hugo Distler who used it as the base for his 1933 oratorio (The
Christmas Story). Arnold Schoenberg's 'Weihnachtsmusik' (1921) for two
violins, cello, piano and harmonium is a short fantasy on 'Es ist ein
Ros entsprungen' with 'Stille Nacht' as a contrapuntal melody. In
1990, Jan Sandström wrote for two a cappella choirs, which
incorporates the setting of Praetorius in choir one.
English translations
======================
Well-known versions of the hymn have been published in various English
translations. Theodore Baker's "Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming" was
written in 1894 and appears in the Psalter Hymnal (Christian Reformed
Church in North America) and The United Methodist Hymnal (American
United Methodist Church).
The British hymn translator Catherine Winkworth translated the first
two verses of the hymn as "A Spotless Rose". In 1919 the British
composer Herbert Howells set this text as a motet for SATB choir.
Howells stated that:
I sat down and wrote A Spotless Rose...after idly watching some
shunting from the window of a cottage in Gloucester which overlooked
the Midland Railway. In an upstairs room I looked out on iron railings
and the main Bristol to Gloucester railway line, with shunting trucks
bumping and banging. I wrote it and dedicated to my mother - it always
moves me when I hear it, just as if it were written by someone else.
Howells' carol is through-composed, switching between 7/8, 5/4 and 5/8
time signatures, unconventional for a carol of this era. The plangent
final cadence ("On a cold, cold winter's night"), with its multiple
suspensions is particularly celebrated. Howells' contemporary, Patrick
Hadley reportedly told the composer "I should like, when my time
comes, to pass away with that magical cadence". Winkworth's
translation was again set to music in 2002 by the British composer and
academic Sir Philip Ledger.
A further English translation of the hymn, "Behold, a rose is
growing", was written by the American Lutheran musician and writer,
Harriet Reynolds Krauth Spaeth (1845-1925). Her four-verse version is
often published with an additional 5th verse, translated by the
American theologian John Caspar Mattes (1876-1948).
Another Christmas hymn, "A Great and Mighty Wonder", is set to the
same tune as this carol and may sometimes be confused with it. It is,
however, a hymn by St. Germanus, (Μέγα καὶ παράδοξον θαῦμα),
translated from Greek to English by John M. Neale in 1862. Versions of
the German lyrics have been mixed with Neale's translation of a Greek
hymn in subsequent versions such as Percy Dearmer's version in the
1931 'Songs of Praise' collection and 'Carols for Choirs' (1961).
Lyrics
======================================================================
German original Baker's version Winkworth's version Spaeth's
translation with Mattes' 5th verse
| |Lo, how a rose e'er blooming, From tender stem hath sprung. Of
Jesse's lineage coming, As men of old have sung; It came, a flow'ret
bright, Amid the cold of winter, When half spent was the night. |A
Spotless Rose is blowing, Sprung from a tender root, Of ancient seers'
foreshowing, Of Jesse promised fruit; Its fairest bud unfolds to light
Amid the cold, cold winter, And in the dark midnight. |Behold, a
Branch is growing Of loveliest form and grace, as prophets sung,
foreknowing; It springs from Jesse's race And bears one little Flow'r
In midst of coldest winter, At deepest midnight hour.
| |valign=top|Isaiah 'twas foretold it, The Rose I have in mind, With
Mary we behold it, The virgin mother kind; To show God's love aright,
She bore to men a Savior, When half spent was the night.
|valign=top|The Rose which I am singing, Whereof Isaiah said, Is from
its sweet root springing In Mary, purest Maid; The Blessed Babe she
bare us In a cold, cold winter's night. |valign=top|Isaiah hath
foretold it In words of promise sure, And Mary's arms enfold it, A
virgin meek and pure. Thro' God's eternal will This Child to her is
given At midnight calm and still.
|The shepherds heard the story, Proclaimed by angels bright, How
Christ, the Lord of Glory, Was born on earth this night. To Bethlehem
they sped And in a manger found him, As angel heralds said.
|{{Lang|de|Das Blümelein, so kleine, das duftet uns so süß, mit
seinem hellen Scheine vertreibt's die Finsternis. hilft uns aus allem
Leide, rettet von Sünd und Tod.|italic=no}} With sweetness fills the
air, Dispel with glorious splendour The darkness everywhere; True man,
yet very God, From Sin and death now save us, And share our every
load. |This Flow'r whose fragrance tender With sweetness fills the
air, Dispels with glorious splendor The darkness ev'rywhere. True Man,
yet very God; From sin and death He saves us And lightens ev'ry load.
|
| |O Saviour, Child of Mary, Who felt our human woe; O Saviour,
King of Glory, Who dost our weakness know, Bring us at length we pray,
To the bright courts of Heaven And to the endless day.
Music
======================================================================
\header { arranger = "Setting: Michael Praetorius" tagline = ##f }
\layout { indent = 0 \context { \Score \remove "Bar_number_engraver" }
}
global = { \key f \major \time 4/4 \partial 2 }
soprano = \relative c' {
\global \set Staff.midiPanPosition = -0.5 \set midiInstrument =
"violin"
\repeat volta 2 { c2 | c4 c d c | c2 a | bes a4 g~ | g f2 e4 | f2 }
\break
r4 a | g e f d | c2 r4 c' | c c d c | c2 a | bes a4 g~ | g f2 e4 |
f2 \bar "|."
}
alto = \relative c' {
\global \set Staff.midiPanPosition = 0.5 \set midiInstrument =
"violin"
\repeat volta 2 { a2 | a4 f f f | e2 d | d c2 | d4. (a8) c2 | c }
r4 f | d c c b | c8 (d e4) r e | g f f f | e2 d | d f4 d | e (f g)
c, | c2 \bar "|."
}
tenor = \relative c' {
\global \set Staff.midiPanPosition = -1 \set midiInstrument =
"viola"
\repeat volta 2 { c2 | c4 a bes a | g2 f | f a4 c | bes (a2) g4 | a2
}
r4 c | bes a a g | g2 r4 g | g a bes a | g2 fis | g c4 bes | a2 g |
a2 \bar "|."
}
bass = \relative c {
\global \set Staff.midiPanPosition = 1 \set midiInstrument = "cello"
\repeat volta 2 { f2 | f4 f bes f | c2 d | bes f'4 e | d2 c | f, }
r4 f' | g a f g | c,2 r4 c | e f bes, f' | c2 d | g, a4 bes | c2 c |
f,2 \bar "|."
}
verse = \lyricmode {
Es ist ein Ros ent -- sprun -- gen
aus ei -- ner Wur -- zel zart,
Und hat ein Blüm -- lein bracht,
mit -- ten im kal -- ten Win -- ter,
wohl zu der hal -- ben Nacht.
}
verseR = \lyricmode {
Wie uns die Al -- ten sun -- gen,
von Jes -- se kam die Art,
}
\score {
\new ChoirStaff <<
\new Staff \with { \consists "Merge_rests_engraver" }
<<
\new Voice = "soprano" { \voiceOne \soprano }
\addlyrics { \verse }
\addlyrics { \verseR }
\new Voice = "alto" { \voiceTwo \alto }
>>
\new Staff \with { \consists "Merge_rests_engraver" }
<<
\clef bass
\new Voice = "tenor" { \voiceOne \tenor }
\new Voice = "bass" { \voiceTwo \bass }
>>
>>
\layout { }
}
\score { \unfoldRepeats { << \soprano \\ \alto \\ \tenor \\
\bass >> }
\midi {
\tempo 4=100
\context { \Score midiChannelMapping = #'instrument }
\context { \Staff \remove "Staff_performer" }
\context { \Voice \consists "Staff_performer" }
}
}
See also
======================================================================
* Es ist ein Ros entsprungen (Sandström)
* List of Christmas carols
External links
======================================================================
*
*
[http://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/Hymns_and_Carols/NonEnglish/Es_ist_ein_Ros_entsprungen.htm
List of all verses in German, from 'The Hymns and Carols of
Christmas']
* Free [http://cantorion.org/music/489/Christmas%20Carol%20Songbook
sheet music] of "Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming" for SATB, Cantorion.org
*
*
* [https://archive.org/details/SisselEsIstEinRosEntsprungen MP3] of
Sissel Kyrkjebø singing at a 2005 Christmas concert in Moscow,
Internet Archive
License
=========
All content on Gopherpedia comes from Wikipedia, and is licensed under CC-BY-SA
License URL: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
Original Article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lo,_How_a_Rose_E'er_Blooming