O SAPIENTIA

 

About the Work:

 

“O Sapientia" is a work centered around one of the O Antiphons of the advent season and the carol Veni Veni Emmanuel.  I was struck by the last stanzas calling for wisdom to bind hearts and minds together in unity and calling for war and strife to cease.  At a time where we're inundated by hard-to-swallow news, calls for 'thoughts and prayers', and daily unprecedented events, we find our minds overwhelmed by the immensity of such things. 

 

Interestingly, O Antiphons and the text for Veni Veni Emmanual differ due modifications made to accommodate the hymns or verses within.  So while their translations might not be exact, the essence of the each verse was intended to be preserved.  The original text for the first verse,

 

O Sapientia,

quae ex ore Altissimi prodisti,

attingens a fine usque ad finem,

fortiter suaviter disponensque omnia:

veni ad docendum nos viam prudentiae. 

 

And the text below (Veni, O Sapientia…) are the same verse, but the one below was modified for the hymn.

 

While the O Antiphons call for a scriptural Messiah of varying types (Wisdom – Sapientia; King of Nations – Rex Gentium), there are hosts of non-liturgical entities we could choose to associate with this instead – a call for wisdom in our nations, a call for world leaders to agree, etc.

 

A fulfilling performance of this work is one where the truest of hearts, minds, and voices are uniting in communicating a desire for a better world, one away from fighting, corruption, war, and more.

 

Text:                                                                                        Translation:
 

Veni, o sapientia,                                                                    Come, O Wisdom

quae hic disponis omnia.                                                      Which here you distribute to all

Veni, viam prudentiae ut doceas et gloriae.                   Come, way of prudence and glory that you might teach

 

Gaude                                                                                         Rejoice                                   

 

Veni Rex Gentium                                                                   O Come thou Desire of Nations

Veni Redemptor Omnium                                                     Bind in one the hearts of all mankind

Ut Salvas tuos famulus                                                          Bid every strife and quarrel cease

Peccati sibi conscios                                                               And fill the world with Heaven’s peace

 

Gaude                                                                                         Rejoice

 

                                                                                                     Additional translations for verse two

                                                                                                     Come, King of Nations

                                                                                                     Come, Redeemer to all

                                                                                                     To save thy servants

                                                                                                     Conscious of their sins

Voicing: SATB with divisi, a cappella

Premiered by The New American Voices, Z. Randall Stroope, conductor

Published by Walton Music (GIA)