Jesu! dulcis memoria

Details

Description

From a poem attributed to Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, these words have inspired five centuries of composers. This setting by Richard Shephard, considered to be one of the most significant composers of church music in his time, moves between a cappella and accompanied textures, gentle four-part setting, and exquisite solo lines.

Jesu dulcis memoria dans vera cordis gaudia:
sed super mel et omnia ejus dulcis praesentia.

Nil canitur suavius, nil auditur jucundius,
nil cogitatur dulcius, quam Jesus Dei Filius.

Jesu, spes paenitentibus, quam pius es petentibus!
quam bonus te quaerentibus! sed quid invenientibus?

Jesu dulcedo cordium, fons vivus, lumen mentium,
Excedens omne gaudium et omne desiderium.

Nec lingua valet dicere, nec littera exprimere:
expertus potest credere, quid sit Jesum diligere. Amen.

linear translation :

The sweet memory of Jesus
Giving true joy to the heart:
But more than honey and all things
His sweet presence.
Nothing more delightful is sung,
Nothing more pleasing heard,
Nothing sweeter thought,
Than Jesus, the Son of God.
O Jesus, hope of the penitent,
How gracious you are to those who ask
How good to those who seek you;
But what [are you] to those who find?
No tongue may tell,
No letter express;
He who has experience of it can believe
What it is to love Jesus.
O Jesus, may you be our joy,
You who are our future reward.
May our glory be in you
Throughout all eternity. Amen

The ensemble rehearsed on-line from their kitchens and living rooms, and subsequently made their video recordings in isolation, using smart phones, computers, and other gadgetry. Director Paul Nicholson assembled the uploaded files using DaVinci Resolve.