A Lenten Musical Journey, Day 28

In recent years, I’ve made a point of posting the Lorica of St. Patrick in honor of the day’s feast. Past posts have included the famous version from Sir Charles Villiers Stanford, a setting of the middle section of the prayer by contemporary composer John Rutter, and a setting of that same section by also-contemporary composer Bernard Sexton. Today, though, I’m going with a version from one of my most exciting recent finds: Irish film composer Patrick Cassidy, whose soundtrack to Calvary is absolutely devastating.

This version of The Breastplate, from his “Famine Remembrance,” comes in two parts.

Crist dom imdegail indiu
ar neim, ar loscud, ar bádud, ar guin,
condom-thair ilar fochraicce.
Críst limm, Críst reum,
Críst im degaid,
Críst indium, Críst ísum,
Críst uasum,
Críst desum, Críst tuathum,
Críst i llius, Críst i sius,
Críst i n-erus,
Críst i cridiu cech duini immumrorda,
Críst i ngin cech oín rodom-labrathar,
Críst i cech rusc nonom-dercathar,
Críst i cech cluais rodom-chloathar.

Atomriug indiu niurt tréun:
togairm Trindóit,
cretim Treodatad,
faístin Oendatad,
i nDúlemon dáil.

Domini est salus,
Domini est salus,
Christi est salus
salus tua, Domine,
sit semper nobiscum.

Attribution(s): “Saint Patrick (window)” by Sicarr (via Flickr) under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons; “Bells” via Shutterstock.