CATENA (Who is She that comes forth as the Morning Rising?)

For choirs involved with the Legion of Mary, the Catena Legionis is a familiar and deeply loved daily prayer. Jude Nnam’s choral setting of the "Catena" brings this devotion to life in a sweeping, through-composed anthem. It opens with the striking antiphon—"Who is she that comes forth as the morning rising?"—before flowing directly into the Magnificat.

The arrangement is beautifully structured to reflect the text. The opening questions are bright and majestic, painting the image of Mary "fair as the moon, bright as the sun." As the piece transitions into the Magnificat ("My soul glorifies the Lord"), the voices weave together in a rich polyphonic texture. Different sections of the choir take turns carrying the verses of Mary's canticle, echoing the way a congregation might alternate lines during a spoken rosary or legion meeting.

This is a wonderful piece for Marian feast days, especially the Annunciation or the Assumption, or for special celebrations honoring the Legion of Mary in the parish. It requires a bit of stamina from the choir to carry the continuous flow of the text, but the return of the opening antiphon at the end brings the whole piece to a powerful, triumphant close.