Tune of the Day: In Dulci Jubilo
“In Dulci Jubilo” is latin for “In Sweet Rejoicing”, but the hymn is commonly known in English as “Good Christian Men, Rejoice”. It dates back at least to the year 1328, when the German mystic Heinrich Seuse claimed that he had learned the song from dancing angels.
Its most distinctive feature is its mixture of Latin and German in the text; texts of this type are charmingly designated by scholars as macaronic.
A lively instrumental arrangement of the piece by English musician Mike Oldfield reached number 4 in the UK in 1976. This version featured 2 recorders, kortholt (a Renaissance woodwind), snare drum, and Mike Oldfield on acoustic and electric guitars, piano and string synthesizer. It is one of his most re-issued short songs, and the video is still shown occasionally on television.