This edition was prepared by Barry Johnston — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Caledonia
Staff Notation • Sacred, Set pieces
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Caledonia by Samuel Holyoke — Lyrics
In finem. Filiis Core ad intellectum.
Deus, auribus nostris audivimus, patres nostri annuntiaverunt nobis,
opus quod operatus es in diebus eorum, et in diebus antiquis.
Manus tua gentes disperdidit, et plantasti eos;
afflixisti populos, et expulisti eos.
Nec enim in gladio suo possederunt terram,
et brachium eorum non salvavit eos:
sed dextera tua et brachium tuum, et illuminatio vultus tui,
quoniam complacuisti in eis.
Tu es ipsi rex meus et Deus meus, qui mandas salutes Jacob.
In te inimicos nostros ventilabimus cornu, et in nomine tuo spernemus
insurgentes in nobis.
Non enim in arcu meo sperabo, et gladius meus non salvabit me:
salvasti enim nos de affligentibus nos, et odientes nos confudisti.
In Deo laudabimur tota die, et in nomine tuo confitebimur in saeculum.
Nunc autem repulisti et confudisti nos, et non egredieris, Deus, in virtutibus nostris.
Avertisti nos retrorsum post inimicis nostros, et qui oderunt nos, diripiebant sibi.
Dedisti nos tamquam oves escarum, et in gentibus dispersisti nos.
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About Caledonia
Samuel Holyoke's Caledonia is a sacred work for STB voices, setting a text that begins with a prayer for divine aid, invoking past mercies and proclaiming God as the source of salvation. The Latin psalm verses speak of God's intervention in history, driving out enemies and establishing His people, highlighting human reliance on divine power rather than earthly weapons. This is followed by an English translation, making the psalm's message accessible. The composer Samuel Holyoke was active in early American sacred music, and this piece reflects the tradition of setting biblical texts for congregational or choir use within the church.
