Middle Ages/Geistliche Kultur

Christ ist erstanden is the oldest sacred song still in use in our area today. It was probably composed by an Augustine monk in Passau around the year 1150 and has survived in various musical manuscripts. The illustration from Codex Admont 323 clearly demonstrates the derivation of the melody from the Easter Sequence Victimae paschali laudes , since Christ ist erstanden has been directly interpolated into it; the melody is written in quadratnotation. Unlike Gregorian chant, German language church songs such as this one were not a permanent part of the liturgy, but it was the custom on certain feast days (liturgies of Holy Week, Easter and Christmas) that the congregation participated in the ceremonies with German songs. (E. Stadler)