Britten

In a week of notable anniversaries, yesterday marked the centenary of the birth of Benjamin Britten. This was written while the composer was still at school - a setting of the anonymous medieval lyric, A Hymn to the Virgin - sung here by the Choir of Westminster Cathedral, directed by David Hill



A Hymn to the Virgin

Of on that is so fayr and bright  
        Velut maris stella,  
Brighter than the day is light,  
        Parens et puella:  
Ic crie to the, thou see to me,          
Levedy, preye thi Sone for me,  
        Tam pia,  
That ic mote come to thee  
        Maria.  

Al this world was for-lore   
        Eva peccatrice,  
Tyl our Lord was y-bore  
        De te genetrice.  
With ave it went away  
Thuster nyth and comz the day   
        Salutis;  
The welle springeth ut of the,  
        Virtutis.  

Levedy, flour of alle thing,  
        Rose sine spina,   
Thu bere Jhesu, hevene king,  
        Gratia divina:  
Of alle thu ber'st the pris,  
Levedy, quene of paradys  
        Electa:   
Mayde milde, moder es  
        Effecta.