Antiphon: Caritas habundat

Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179)

Dendermonde, St.-Pieters-&-Paulusabdij, Cod. 9 [D]
Anonymous 4: The Origin of Fire f. 157r
harmonia mundi 907327 (2004) transcribed and edited by Susan Hellauer

œ œ œ œ 3b 3 3 , ,,
&b œ œ m œœ3 3 3 3 œ m œœ3 3 3 œ3 3 œ
Ca - ri - tas
b
œ œ 33 œ e œ œ œ ,
2

& b œ m œ œ e œ 33 œ œ
ha - bun- dat in om - ni - a,

œ œ 3 3b 3
3

&b œ 3 3 œ
,
e œ œ œ œ œ œ œ e œ œ œ3 3 œ œ
,
de i - mis ex - cel - len - tis - si - ma
4

& b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ3 3 3 œ 33 œ œ ,
su - per si - - de - ra,

, , œ œœ 3b33
5
œ œ œ e œ œ3 ,
&b 3 3 œ œ m œ œ œ œ œ œ 33 œ
at - que a - man - tis - si - ma in omni - a,

edition copyright © 2003 Susan Hellauer

Sheet Music Plus Order 4852486096. 1 copy purchased by Georgine Stark on Dec 6, 2021.
2
Caritas habundat in omnia

6
œ œ, œ œ œ œ bœ œœb 3 œ , œb b
œ 33œ
&b œ 33 œœ 3 œ œ œ
qui - a sum - mo re - gi o - scu - lum pa - cis

œ 3 3b 3 œ , œ bœ
7

&b œ œ œ œ
,
3 œ 3 3 Í 3 3 œ œ mœ œ œ œ œ œ œ
de - - - - - - - dit

8
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
&b
E V O V A E

Caritas habundat in omnia

de imis excellentissima super sidera
atque amantissima in omnia
quia summo regi osculum pacis dedit.

Love flows down to all things,

most exalted from the depths up to the stars,
and most loving toward all,
for she gave the highest king the kiss of peace.

Translation: Susan Hellauer

______________________________
Note: "EVOVAE" is an abbreviation for the words seculorum. Amen. This phrase ends the doxology, which is appended
to the psalm that is paired with this antiphon. This is a shorthand way of indicating the pattern of tones that would
end each line of that psalm, creating a good music link when the antiphon returns after the chanting of the psalm. If
performing this antiphon without a psalm or canticle, ignore the "EVOVAE."
Sheet Music Plus Order 4852486096. 1 copy purchased by Georgine Stark on Dec 6, 2021.
This transcription, by Susan Hellauer, uses a modified modern notation to reflect the original notation, while
being easy for modern singers to read and interpret. The aim is to show the shape of phrases, and to make it
possible to recognize melodic sequences, as well as turns of phrase (or melodic cells) when they recur. We
found that it made the music easier to learn and interpret, with more recognizable “landmarks” along the way.

Excerpt from antiphon O eterne deus

Phrase mark, sometimes indicated in the score by a short line, sometimes added in
performance.

Second, smaller note joined by a slur mark represents a liquescent neume.

Usually a passing or neighbor tone. In the time of non-diastematic chant sources
(8th-10th centuries) it indicated a light, sliding ornament, with a voiced consonant
slightly “swallowed.” At this late date in chant notation, it was probably usually
(but not necessarily always) just a scribal shortcut.

The mordent, or “squiggle” represents the ornamental quilisma. Modern

Solesmes chant practice calls for lengthening the note before, and then passing lightly through
the quilisma. Anonymous 4 interprets it as a shake, starting and ending on the note one step
above the quilisma.

Excerpt from responsory O felix anima

The two “commas” that open this passage are a bistropha, indicating that both notes are
articulated, and not run together.The diamond-shaped notes that follow are called currentes
(running notes). They are used for descending scale passages, and are quick to write for the
scribe, who turns the pen on an angle and makes quick downward strokes.

The oriscus (the penultimate figure in this passage) was an old ornamental neume that may
have had a microtonal component. Anonymous 4 interprets it as an intensified vibrato—much
less defined than the quilisma.

Sheet Music Plus Order 4852486096. 1 copy purchased by Georgine Stark on Dec 6, 2021.