Praetorius, Lo How a Rose E’er Blooming

Christmas is not over yet. We are in the midst of the Christmas Season—the twelve days of Christmas—although this post probably won’t hit the weekly digest until the season is almost over.

The source of the text of Es Ist ein Ros’ entsprungen is not known. It dates from the 15th century and was found in the Carthusian Monastery of St. Alban in Trier. Michael Praetorius (1571-1621) created the familiar harmonization in 1599. The English translation that appears in many English language hymnals as Lo How a Rose E’er Blooming was done by the American musicologist Theodore Baker in 1894.

The text comes from the prophecy of Isaiah concerning the lineage of the Savior. The rose symbol signifies Mary stemming from the line of Jesse, thus placing Jesus as descendant of King David.

We featured a performance by The Gesualdo Six several years ago, singing a work by their namesake, the Renaissance composer Carlo Gesualdo. They are among a growing number of vocal ensembles, many from England, with a strong online presence. Like others, Voces8 comes immediately to mind, they place an emphasis on music education and helping others achieve a high level of musicianship.