Divinum Mysterium: Illuminations on a Christmas Plainsong, set for flute choir by Nancy Nourse. The complex origins of this great Christmas hymn began with the liturgical poem “Corde natus ex parentis” from the Liber Cathemerinon. Penned by the Spanish monk, Aurelius Clemens Prudentius (348—c. 410), this collection of verse provided hymns for the different canonical hours of the day as well as for special days of the church year. It is through the 1854 Hymnal Noted that John Mason Neale’s English translation of the “Corde natus” text, “Of the Father’s Love Begotten,” became widely known. Can be performed with a traditional flute choir as the "nuns' chorus" or with a low flute choir as the "monks chorus".

Instrumentation:

• 4 C Flutes
• Alto Flute
• Bass Flute

Alternate Instrumentation:

• 4 Bass Flutes
• Contralto Flute (in G)
• Contrabass Flute (in C)