“Media vita in morte sumus” (Kerle) and “In the midst of life” (Purcell)

Great performance (Huelgas Ensemble) of “Media vita in morte sumus” by Jacobus de Kerle (ca. 1531 – 1591)…

Media vita in morte sumus:
quem quaerimus adjutorem,
nisi te, Domine, qui pro peccatis nostris juste irasceris?
Sancte Deus, sancte fortis,
sancte misericors Salvator,
amarae mortis ne tradas nos.

This text was translated into English as one of the “funeral sentences” in the Anglican Book of Common Prayer, and set to music by Henry Purcell (1659 – 1695). This piece became famous as part of the “Music for the Funeral of Queen Mary” (see WIMA or CPDL for scores and The Lied and Art Song Texts Page for further text information). The following videos show a good performance.

The first video includes the opening march, the sentences “Man that is born of a woman” and “In the midst of life”, and the canzona…

Man that is born of a woman

Man that is born of a woman
hath but a short time to live, and is full of misery.
He cometh up, and is cut down like a flow’r.
He flee’th as it were a shadow,
and ne’er continueth in one stay.

In the midst of life

In the midst of life we are in death:
of whom may we seek for succour,
but of thee, O Lord, who for our sins art justly displeased?
Yet, O Lord God most holy, O Lord most mighty,
O holy and most merciful Saviour,
deliver us not into the bitter pains of eternal death.

The second video includes the polyphonic setting of “Thou knowest, Lord” and ends repeating the opening march…

Thou knowest, Lord

Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts;
shut not thy merciful ears unto our pray’rs;
but spare us, Lord most holy, O God most mighty.
O holy and most merciful Saviour,
thou most worthy Judge eternal,
suffer us not, at our last hour,
for any pains of death, to fall from thee.

P. S. (13 – VII – 2009). O texto de “Media vita” foi atribuído durante moito tempo, parece que erroneamente, a un monxe da abadía de Saint-Gall alcumado “Notker o tatexo” (Notker Balbulus, ca. 840 – 912). Este monxe disque prendía na fala, pero destacou como músico e poeta e introduciu a secuencia na liturxia xermánica. É obra súa a notable compilación titulada Liber hymnorum e composta entre os anos 881 e 887.