Two Excruciatingly Beautiful Dominican Chants

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Below are two exquisite Domincan Chants.

Our Church’s patrimony consists of beautiful, traditional music, that unfortunately, many Catholics are unaware of.

The Dominican order, for example, has two beautiful chants that will elevate your soul.

If you like Gregorian chant, you will love these!

Enjoy

Dominican Chant – O Lumen Ecclesiae

Often sung on the Feast of St Dominic, the founder of the Order of Preachers (The Dominican Order), this hymn highlights it’s founder, who is called “the light of the Church” and “Doctor of the Truth.

“Not long after St. Dominic’s death, these words were written by Constantine of Orvieto as an antiphon. The antiphon likely began to be recited or sung at the conclusion of Compline after Dominic was canonized. This puts the nightly singing of the O Lumen in an important context: the recognition of Dominic’s heroic holiness. As Dominicans, we are each called to heroic holiness lived in and for Christ’s Church and so the O Lumen leads us to contemplate the virtues that united Dominic to Christ.”
Nashville Dominicans

O Lumen Ecclesiae, Doctor veritatis,
Rosa patientiae, Ebur castitatis,
Aquam sapientiae propinasti gratis:
Predicator gratiae, nos iunge beatish,

Oh, Light of the Church

Teacher of truth
Rose of patience
Ivory of chastity,
You freely offered
the waters of wisdom.
Preacher of grace,
Unite us with the blessed.

Dominican Salve Regina

Throughout history Catholics, including the Knights Templar, have sung the Salve Regina as an ode to our Lady.

Although most Catholics have sung some version of it, the Dominican tone of this chant is truly beautiful.

“Since the time of St. Bernard, the Salve Regina (Hail Holy Queen) has been sung by religious in monasteries throughout the world in honor of the Blessed Mother. In 1221, very soon after the death of St. Dominic, Bl. Jordan of Saxony instituted a procession after Compline, which was to accompany the singing of the Salve. This was done in response to a crisis in the community. In Bologna at this time, several Dominican houses were having trouble with assaults from the devil, and a certain brother by the name of Bernard was suffering acutely. His difficulty caused disturbance to the whole community. It was decided to invoke the aid of our Heavenly Mother. The Salve was thereafter sung in procession, seeking the Blessed Mother’s special protection. Immediately, peace was restored to the monastery. The practice of the Salve procession spread rapidly to other Dominican houses, as well as to other religious orders in the Church.”
Nashville Dominicans

Salve, Regina, mater misericordiae;
vita, dulcedo et spes nostra, salve.
Ad te clamamus exsules filii Hevae.
Ad te suspiramus gementes et flentes
in hac lacrimarum valle.
Eia ergo, advocata nostra,
illos tuos misericordes oculos ad nos converte.
Et Iesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui,
nobis post hoc exsilium ostende.
O clemens, o pia, o dulcis Virgo Maria.

V. Ora pro nobis, sancta Dei Genitrix.
R. Ut digni efficamur promissionibus Christi.

Dominicans from Saint Thomas Aquinas , to lay Dominicans such as St Catherine of Siena and Rose of Lima, to the unknown saints of today, have worked tirelessly to provide truth to the Church by studying and sharing the fruits of their study.

All ye Dominican Saints, pray for for us!