Regina caeli [034]

Pierre Bonhomme

Full title / Other titles

RC034 Regina caeli 8 vv

Type

Motet

Scores

Regina caeli

Polyphonic ensemble SSABXXXX

Two contrasting choirs. Chr. I: C-G2; C II-G2; A-C2; B-C3. Range, f-a’’. C voices share equal range, g’-a’’. Chr. II: Q-G2; Sp-C2; Sx-C3; O-F3. Range, c-a’’. Chant, as breves and semibreves, introduces “Regina coeli” in C of Chr. I (mm. 1-4) and Q of Chr. II (mm. 9-14). Textual phrases are characterized through texture, rhythmic gestures and antiphonal treatment primarily with overlapping statements. Each of the four textual/musical phrases is cast in a distinctive format and style. “Regina…laetare,” the only textual phrase with chant quotation, includes the sole imitative passage (Chr. I, T & B, mm. 1-6); a texture of independent voices prevails. Chr. II states initial pitches of Chr. I with note values doubled; a section of eight independent voices (mm. 13-20) devoted to “laetare” with melismas in each voice conludes the first textual line. The first “alleluia” (mm. 21-7) in homorhythmic style links the first and second lines. In homophonic/homorhythmic style (minums), “quia…portare” emerges in Chr. I; the harmonic progression (a, D, g, A) in semibreves emphasizes “portare.” There follows an “alleluia” section primarily of semiminums in homorhythmic style and a syllabic text setting; a harmonic change usually occurs with each semiminum (Chr. I, mm. 34-6; Chr. II, 36-8). The character of the “alleluia” continues in “resurrexit sicut dixit”; a dotted semiminum/fusa rhythmic gesture introduces a series of semiminums in syllabic style (mm. 38-43). Bonhomme dramatically introduces “ora” with harmonies that span the full range of both choirs (C, mm. 49-51); a series of three antiphonal responses of line 4, “ora…Deum” (mm. 31-7) are unified through the presence of a melodic motive in B that traverses from C through D, G to C, the final of the antiphon. The “alleluia” section (mm. 57-65) concludes the antiphon in a style comparable to the previous “alleluia.” Choirs are harmonically independent. Final C.

Associated people

Pierre Bonhomme - Composer

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Associated sources

Sung texts

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Regina caeli laetare, alleluia;
Quia quem meruisti portare, alleluia,
Resurrexit, sicut dixit, alleluia,
Ora pro nobis Deum, alleluia.

***

The Trope:

Alle Domine nate matris Deus alme nobis confer praestaque vivere:
Quam [quoniam] te decet laus honor O Domine qui de morte surgebas rex pie:
Fac nos tecum surgere, alleluia.

Bibliography

Modern editions

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References

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Contributors

Harry Elzinga - Project manager ; Scientific editor

Ailin Arjmand - Collaborative work

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https://ricercardatalab.cesr.univ-tours.fr/works/1583/

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Regina caeli [034], in RicercarDataLab [https://ricercardatalab.cesr.univ-tours.fr/works/1583/] (accessed 27 January 2026).

Last modification: Nov. 17, 2025