About a year ago, the members of Maggie’s Music Makers began working on four movements of Britten’s “A Ceremony of Carol’s”. This is challenging music, and they worked hard. During the 2022 Christmas services three of the chosen movements were ready to be sung. I have written about “This Little Babe” and “As Dew in Aprille” earlier this year. The third is “Deo Gracias”, which translates as “thanks be to God”. Each time those words are sung, the music is jubilant. The words Deo gracias are of course Latin, and this phrase intersperses a 15th century poem in middle-English. St Ambrose, St Augustine, and later Thomas Aquinas, are all thought to have developed the poem.
The first three verses are more subdued and tell the story of Adam and Eve, the fall from grace, and how that led – eventually – to Mary being asked by Gabriel to consent to being the mother of God:
| Deo gracias! | Thanks be to God! |
| Adam lay ybounden Bounden in a bond Four thousand winter Thought he not too long; |
Adam lay bound in chains in hell for four thousand years, which was not too long to atone for his sin. |
| Deo gracias! | Thanks be to God! |
| And all was for an apple An apple that he took As clerkès finden Written in their book |
The sin was taking a forbidden apple, as clerics see in their book (the Bible). |
| Deo gracias! | Thanks be to God! |
| Né had the apple takè been The apple takè been Né haddè never Our Lady A been hev’nè Queen |
If the apple had never been taken, Our Lady would never have been heaven’s queen. |
| Blessèd be the time That apple takè was Therefore we moun singen, We moun singen, Singen, singen, singen – |
Blessed be the time that apple taken was. Therefore, we must sing – |
| Deo gracias! | Thanks be to God! |
Verse four builds in intensity, finding redemption in Adam’s sin and blessing the deed, until we reach the final “Deo gracias!” It is of course Eve that is usually blamed for the apple incident. I like that in this poem Adam is culpable and accepts his responsibility.
Originally scored for upper voices (soprano 1, soprano 2 and alto) accompanied by harp, the sound is quite percussive and energetic. I love singing this piece!
There are many recordings available online, including this one by Jennifer, Carol and Tom https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeqpjThRLmE and I like this one by the CBC/McGill Youth Choir https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wlLTZAcyEY
Carol P
St Margaret's Church Prestwich 