Story Behind The Song

This is not one of the better known Christmas carols. I might never have become acquainted with it, if my guitar teacher, Nancy Rech (now Masson) hasn't insisted I learn it when I was about 12 years old. It was only this year that I noticed it would lend itself well to a slow meditative rock arrangement. I wanted to make a Christmas song for 2011. I elected to make this recording as a "low hanging fruit," an easy recording to make as I tested some new recording equipment, just in case I couldn't finish "plan A," a dramatic version of "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing." But "Sanctissima" took all my time and I never even got to "Hark."

Song Description

"Sanctissima" means "most holy one" in latin and the latin version is actually an ode to the Virgin Mary. Most English translations, however make it a Christmas carol and speak of the joy and sanctity of the Christmas holiday. Each of the 3 verses in my version are from different English translations. The descant is actually the original Latin of the song.