[Magdalen] Mary, Marry, and Merry

[cantor03 at aol.com]

It is said one cam spot an Upper Midwesterner by how he/she pronouncesthese three words - Mary, marry, and merry.
In some English speaking areas all three have distinctive different pronunciations.In other English speaking areas world wide two of three have identical pronunciations.In the USA Upper Midwest, all three have the same pronunciation.

In any case, May is the traditional month of Mary.
In the local Procathedral, the choir used to give Mary her dueby chanting from back in the apse the Marian antiphon for Eastertide:We abided by the notion that you can get by with anything if yousimply sing it in Latin:
The Regina Caeli

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

Queen of heaven be joyful, alleluia.For He whom you have humbly borne, alleluia.Has risen as he said, alleluia..Pray to God for us, alleluia.


David Strang.