Ubi caritas


"Ubi caritas" is a hymn of the Western Church, long used as one of the antiphons for the washing of feet on Maundy Thursday. Its text is attributed to Paulinus of Aquileia in 796. The traditional melody probably also stems from the late 8th century. It is now and then sung at Eucharistic Adoration and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament and has for a long time been part of the Holy Thursday evening liturgy. The current Roman Catholic Missal reassigned it from the foot-washing mandatum to the offertory procession at the Holy Thursday evening Mass of the Lord's Supper. It also is found in current Anglican and Lutheran hymnals.
In the second typical edition of the current Roman Missal, the antiphonal response was altered to read "Ubi caritas est vera, Deus ibi est," after certain very early manuscripts. This translates as: "Where true charity is, God is there."

Contemporary versions

In 1960, a translation, "Where Charity and Love Prevail", was copyrighted, set to the hymn tune CHRISTIAN LOVE in common metre; Dom Paul Benoit, OSB adapted this tune from the chant tune for Veni redemptor gentium. The Taizé chant by Jacques Berthier uses only the words of the refrain, with verses taken from I Corinthians 13:2-8. Maurice Duruflé's choral setting makes use of the Gregorian melody, using only the words of the refrain and the first stanza. Paul Halley combined phrases of the original chant melody sung in Latin with other songs in the track "Ubi caritas" on his 1991 album Angel on a Stone Wall.
More recent versions of the hymn for choir have been composed by David Conte, Stephen DeCesare, Ola Gjeilo, and University of Aberdeen professor Paul Mealor. Mealor's setting, entitled "Ubi Caritas et Amor," was included in the ceremony at the 2011 Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton.

Text

Music

• Maurice Duruflé set the prayer in Latin as No. 1 of his Quatre Motets sur des thèmes grégoriens.
• Ola Gjeilo and Paul Mealor have set the prayer to a SATB choir piece.