"VOX DICENTIS CLAMA"

"VOX DICENTIS CLAMA" 

This is the title of a motet composed for King's College, Cambridge in 1911 by Edward Woodall Naylor (1867-1934), who was the organist of Emmanuel College from 1898. It puts to music the famous verses 6-11 of Chapter 40 of the 'Book of Isaiah' in the 'Old Testament'. 

Latin text, taken from the 'Vulgate' of St. Jerome:

Verses 6-8:

Vox dicentis "Clama" et dixi "Quid Clamabo?"

Omnis caro foenum,

et omnis gloria eius quasi flos agri.

Vere foenum est populus.

Exsiccatum est foenum, et cecidit flos:

verbum autem, Domini nostri manet in aeternum.

Verse 9:

Super montem excelsum ascende tu, qui evangelisas Sion:

exalta in fortitudine vocem tuam, qui evangelisas Jerusalem

exalta, noli timeri.

Dic civitatibus Judae: Ecce Deus Vester.

Verse 10: 

Ecce, Dominus Deus in fortitudine veniet, 

et bracchium eius dominabitur:

ecce, merces eius cem eo, 

et opus illius coram illo.

Verse 11:

Sicut pastor gregem suum pascet, 

in bracchio suo congregabit agnos,

et in sinu suo levabit.

foetas ipse portabit. 

English translation:

The voice of one saying, "Cry!" and I said "What shall I cry?"

All flesh is grass.

and all its beauty is as the flower of the field.

Surely the people is grass.

The grass has withered and the flower has fallen;

but the word of our Lord stands forever.

Get you up into a high mountain, you who tells good news to Sion:

lift up your voice in strength, you who tells good news to Jerusalem:

lift it up, fear not;

say unto the cities of Judah, "Behold your God!"

Behold, the Lord God shall come in might, 

and His arm shall rule:

Behold, His reward is with Him, 

and His work is before Him.

He shall feed His flock like a shepherd, 

and shall gather the lambs in His arms,

and He shall lift them into His bosom,

and carry Himself those that are with young.

P.S. Sabidius has added this above item to his repertoire at the request of Giles Panton, the beloved son of his coadjutor, Andrew Panton.