Thou art the Star of Morning
In God’s broad sky;
Thou art His Tow’r of Iv’ry
Raised up on high.
– Chorus –
Hail, Heaven’s Queen! O lux caelestia!
Thou giver of all gladness,
O plena gratia!
-2-
Thou art the Maid and Mother
Long foretold;
In thee all beauty dwelleth,
O House of Gold. -Chorus-
-3-
Thou art the shining mirror
Of God’s fair love,
The mighty Help of Christians
Enthroned above. -Chorus-
-4-
All men shall rise to bless thee
The ages long,
And angel choirs surround thee
With praise and song. -Chorus-
~~~
I’ve always enjoyed singing this piece because the verses have a mysterious sound, while the chorus sounds triumphant and bright.
It is a song of praise to Mary that calls on her using some of the titles from the Litany of Loreto.
I wish I knew more about this piece, but I’ve never seen a score, and I haven’t found it anywhere on the web. It is sung at the chapel I attend, so I’ve heard it every now and then. If you know more about this piece, please share it with me! Thanks!
An SATB setting of “Thou Art the Star of Morning” appears in the Pius X Hymnal, published in 1953 by McLaughlin and Reilly Co., Boston. The melody is French; the words are by Helen Condon. I still have a copy of that pre-Vatican II hymnal, which was a huge improvement over the ones I grew up with in the 1940s. In particular, it contains other beautiful and theologically sound (not saccharine) Marian hymns, including “O Mary of Graces” and “Mater Plena Gloria,” and a fine mixture of Gregorian chant, old Gaelic melodies (“Spirit Seeking Light and Beauty” is a gem), and classical hymns, both English and Latin.