HEAR YE HEAR YE and feast thine ears – the fruits of my labour with @Beedle The Bardcore, a Medieval/Renaissance cover of Hozier's “Take Me to Church”!
Latin counterpoint on the final chorus is from the Gloria movement from William Byrd's Mass for 4 Voices, which you should totally listen to the whole thing because those harmonies are just chefs kiss
Lyrics and Vocals are mine, any reposts without permission will be reported because that's just not very nice 🙂
Image is a rendering by Ken Hendrickson of “The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa”, a sculpture by Gian Lorenzo Bernini.
Lyrics and translation:
my mistress hath whimsy
she brings mirth out of misery
has all the courts denunciation
yet to worship her i hasten
if'twere true the heavens didst speak
then their prophetess is she
ev'ry sabbath seeming more bleak
new plagues on us each week
we were born to sin, thou hast heard it
Mine church offers no indulgence
she bids me worship in her chambers
the sole heaven t'will admit me
were i alone with thee
I was born base
but twas my fate
proclaim me to be pure
amen
hasten to church
i worship like a cur at thy shrine of deceit
to confess my sins, may my penance be fleet
unto me that sweetest death
mon dieu, fealty shall i swear,
laudamus te,
(we praise you)
adoramus te, benedicimus te,
(we adore you, we bless you)
glorificamus te, credo in te,
(we glorify you, I believe in you)
quoniam tu solus sanctus
(for you alone are holy)
amen miserere mei –
(amen, have mercy)
twere I a heathen in mine own right
i, the east and she the sunlight
to stay aligned with mine saviour
she demands of me favour
parch the seven seas
a bauble to appease
bring us flesh for the main course
tis a well bred high horse
what lies in yonder stable?
lo, a horde of hungered faithful
yon looks savory
yon looks plenty
tis voracious work
hasten to church
i worship like a cur at thy shrine of deceit
to confess my sins, may my penance be fleet
unto me that sweetest death
mon dieu, fealty shall i swear,
laudamus te,
(we praise you)
adoramus te, benedicimus te,
(we adore you, we bless you)
glorificamus te, credo in te,
(we glorify you, I believe in you)
quoniam tu solus sanctus
(for you alone are holy)
amen miserere mei –
(amen, have mercy)
no masters, nor kings
when the sacrament begins
there is no sweeter innocence than our gentle sin
in the madness and mire
of that debased scene
only then am i mortal
only then am i clean
hasten to church
i worship like a cur at thy shrine of deceit
to confess my sins, may my penance be fleet
unto me that sweetest death
mon dieu, fealty shall i swear,
laudamus te,
(we praise you)
— Et in terra pax
— (on earth, peace)
— Hominibus bonae voluntatis.
— (and to all those of good will)
adoramus te, benedicimus te,
(we adore you, we bless you)
glorificamus te, credo in te,
(we glorify you, I believe in you)
quoniam tu solus sanctus
(for you alone are holy)
amen miserere mei –
(amen, have mercy)
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