" (Latin for "Resound in praises") is a 14th-century

Christmas carol A Christmas carol is a carol (a song or hymn) on the theme of Christmas, traditionally sung at Christmas itself or during the surrounding Christmas holiday season. The term noel has sometimes been used, especially for carols of French ori ...

which was widely known in medieval Europe, and is still performed today. Although probably earlier, in manuscript form it first appears in the

Moosburg Moosburg an der Isar (Central Bavarian: ''Mooschbuag on da Isa'') is a town in the ''Landkreis'' Freising of Bavaria, Germany. The oldest town between Regensburg and Italy, it lies on the river Isar at an altitude of 421 m (1381 ft). ...

gradual The gradual ( la, graduale or ) is a chant or hymn in the Mass, the liturgical celebration of the Eucharist in the Catholic Church, and among some other Christians. It gets its name from the Latin (meaning "step") because it was once chanted ...

of 1360 and occurs in several 15th, 16th and 17th century printed collections from both Catholic and Lutheran traditions."Resonet in laudibus"
''Hymns and Carols of Christmas''. Accessed 27 November 2010. There is no definitive version of the Latin text, and there are many variations and parodies in various sacred songbooks, as well as extended, embellished versions (for example

motet In Western classical music, a motet is mainly a vocal musical composition, of highly diverse form and style, from high medieval music to the present. The motet was one of the pre-eminent polyphonic forms of Renaissance music. According to Margar ...

s by the Franco-Flemish composer

Orlande de Lassus Orlande de Lassus ( various other names; probably – 14 June 1594) was a composer of the late Renaissance. The chief representative of the mature polyphonic style in the Franco-Flemish school, Lassus stands with Giovanni Pierluigi da Palest ...

or the Slovenian-German composer

Jacobus Gallus Jacobus Gallus (a.k.a. Jacob(us) Handl, Jacob(us) Händl, Jacob(us) Gallus; sl, Jakob Petelin Kranjski; between 15 April and 31 July 155018 July 1591) was a late-Renaissance composer of presumed Slovene ethnicity.Skei/Pokorn, Grove online Born ...

Georg Witzel Georg Witzel (Wizel, Wicel, Wicelius) (b. at Vacha, Landgraviate of Hesse, 1501; d. at Electorate of Mainz, 16 February 1573) was a German theologian. Life He received his primary and academic education in the schools of Schmalkalden, Eisenach, ...

, a contemporary of

Martin Luther Martin Luther (; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, and professor, and Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. He is the seminal figure of the Reformation, Protestant Refo ...

, referred to the carol as "one of the chief Christmas songs of joy" in 1550. In addition to its literal English translation, it has also appeared as "Christ was born on Christmas Day" in two different translations by

John Mason Neale John Mason Neale (24 January 1818 – 6 August 1866) was an English Anglican priest, scholar and hymnwriter. He worked and wrote on a wide range of holy Christian texts, including obscure medieval hymns, both Western and Eastern. Among his most ...

in 1853 (who based his version on the 1582 Swedish song collection ''

Piae Cantiones ''Piae Cantiones ecclesiasticae et scholasticae veterum episcoporum'' (in English ''Pious ecclesiastical and school songs of the ancient bishops'') is a collection of late medieval Latin songs first published in 1582. It was compiled by Jacobus F ...

'') and

Elizabeth Poston Elizabeth Poston (24 October 1905 – 18 March 1987) was an English composer, pianist and writer. Early life and career Poston was born in Highfield House in Pin Green, which is now the site of Hampson Park in Stevenage. In 1914, she moved ...

in 1965. In Germany, the melody is used for the traditional song "" ("Joseph dearest, Joseph mine"), originally sung as a lullaby by the Virgin Mary in a 16th-century

mystery play Mystery plays and miracle plays (they are distinguished as two different forms although the terms are often used interchangeably) are among the earliest formally developed plays in medieval Europe. Medieval mystery plays focused on the represen ...

Leipzig Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as wel ...

(and doubtfully credited to

Johannes Galliculus Johannes Galliculus (Alectorius, Hähnel, Hennel; c. 1490 in Dresden – c. 1550 in Leipzig) was a German music theorist and composer. He was active ca. 1520 in Leipzig. He was the cantor of the Thomanerchor from 1520 to 1525. Works Editions: ...

). The Lutheran poet and composer

Johann Walter Johann Walter, also known as ''Johann Walther'' or ''Johannes Walter'' (original name: ''Johann Blankenmüller'') (1496 – 25 March 1570) was a Lutheran composer and poet during the Reformation period. Life Walter was born in Kahla, in present-d ...

wrote one of his finest motets using this song. Sir

David Willcocks Sir David Valentine Willcocks, (30 December 1919 – 17 September 2015) was a British choral conductor, organist, composer and music administrator. He was particularly well known for his association with the Choir of King's College, Cambridge ...

' arrangement in '' Carols for Choirs 2'' titles the work "Resonemus laudibus".Willcocks, David; Rutter, John,
Carols for Choirs 2
' (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1970), p. 177

Tune

\header \layout global = sopranoVoice = \relative c'' verse = \lyricmode verseR = \lyricmode \score \score Source:

References

{{reflist Christmas carols 14th-century hymns German songs Piae Cantiones

Tune

See also

References