O Antiphons

Each text, in the original Latin, begins with the vocative particle "O". Each antiphon is a title of Christ, one of his attributes mentioned in Scripture. They are: • 17 December: O Sapientia (O Wisdom) • 18 December: O Adonai • 19 December: O Radix Jesse (O Root of Jesse) • 20 December: O Clavis David (O Key of David) • 21 December: O Oriens (O Dawn of the East) • 22 December: O Rex Gentium (O King of the Nations) • 23 December: O Emmanuel In the Roman rite, the O Antiphons are sung or recited for the Magnificat at Vespers from 17 December to 23 December. ==Origin==

The antiphon texts are believed to have originated in Italy in or before the sixth century. but the precise phrasing almost certainly refers to O sapientia. ==Analysis==

Each antiphon has the following structure: • a Messianic title preceded by "O". Example: "O Wisdom" • elaboration of the title: "coming forth from the mouth of the Most High, reaching from one end to the other, mightily and sweetly ordering all things" • the verb "come" • elaboration of the request to come: "and teach us the way of prudence." Below is the traditional Latin text of each antiphon, as well as the English text from the Church of England's Common Worship liturgy. Each antiphon is a cento of passages from the Bible. In the text of each antiphon below, the passages from the Bible are indicated by underlining, and the quotation in the footnote is from the Vulgate (for Latin passages) or (for English passages) the NRSV unless indicated otherwise. O Sapientia Source: O Adonai O Radix Jesse O Clavis David O Oriens O Rex gentium O Emmanuel ==Other Antiphons==

In addition to the seven antiphons above, a number of other O antiphons have been in use over the centuries in different churches: “O Virgo virginum”, "O Gabriel, nuntius cœlorum", "O Thoma Didyme", “O Rex pacifice”, "O Mundi Domina", “O Hierusalem”, "O sancte sanctorum", “O pastor Israel”. The Parisian Rite had 9 antiphons beginning on December 15, and some other churches had 12 antiphons. The chant repertory knows also other antiphons built using the musical model of O antiphons, but not related to the Advent season - O doctor optime (Common of Doctors of the church), O Rex gloriae (Ascension). ==Current practice==

In the Catholic Church, the seven standard O antiphons continue to serve as Magnificat antiphons at Vespers from 17 to 23 December. Since the liturgical reforms following Vatican II, they are also used as the Alleluia verses for Mass in the Ordinary Form on the same days. For the Alleluia verses, the Lectionary moves O Emmanuel to the 21st, uses Rex Gentium on both the 22nd and 23rd, and places O Oriens on the morning of the 24th, but the traditional ordering from the 17th through the 23rd is also permitted. and Alleluia Verse at Mass, either in the traditional order as indicated in Divine Worship: The Missal or in the order indicated in the Lectionary, but also use O Virgo virginum on the morning of 24 December, both as the Benedictus antiphon at morning prayer and as the Alleluia verse at Mass. Some Anglican churches, such as the Church of England, use the O Antiphons at evensong; often according to medieval English usage, beginning on 16 December. In 1986, St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral, Seattle conceived a special Advent liturgy using the O Antiphons, which has remained in practice every year since. Use of the O Antiphons also occurs in many Lutheran churches. For example, an English translation of "The Great O Antiphons" appears with the hymn O Come, O Come, Emmanuel in the Lutheran Service Book . In the Book of Common Worship published by the Presbyterian Church (USA), the antiphons can be read as a praise litany at Morning or Evening Prayer. ==Musical settings==

• Carlo Gesualdo, Ô Oriens (1603). • Jean-Baptiste Geoffroy, ''Les Antiennes Ô de l'Avent'', with basso continuo. • Marc-Antoine Charpentier, 7 Antiennes Ô, H 36–43, completed in the early 1690s. • Louis Nicolas Clérambault, 7 Antiennes Ô C.221–227 (1700). • , 7 Antiennes Ô (1766). • Ralph Vaughan Williams, plainsong setting in English, published in The English Hymnal. • Herman Strategier, Dutch composer and organist, Cantica pro tempore natali (1953). • Arvo Pärt, Estonian composer, a German translation Sieben Magnificat-Antiphonen für gemischten Chor a cappella. • Bob Chilcott, British composer, Advent Antiphons, in Latin, for unaccompanied SSAATTBB. • Paweł Łukaszewski, Polish composer, (1995–1999). • Peter Hallock, American composer of music in the Episcopalian and Anglican traditions, two settings, 1986 and 1989. • Healey Willan, Anglo-Canadian composer, whose setting is in use throughout the Anglican Communion. • James MacMillan, Scottish composer, has set to music an English paraphrase of the antiphon O Oriens ('O Radiant Dawn') as part of his Strathclyde Motets. The setting borrows harmony from Thomas Tallis's motet O nata lux. ==See also==

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