TheLatin text is a typical medieval song of praise, which follows the standard pattern for the time – a uniform series of four-line stanzas, each preceded by a two-line refrain (in the early English carol this was known as theburden). Carols could be on any subject, but typically they were about theVirgin Mary, theSaints or Yuletide themes.
British folk rock groupSteeleye Span had a hit in 1973 (No. 14, UK singles chart) with ana cappella recording of the song. GuitaristBob Johnson had heard the song when he attended a folk-carol service with his father-in-law inCambridge, and brought it to the attention of the rest of the band. (Unlike the album version which fades up slowly and fades down slowly, the single was at the same volume for the entire length of the song.) This single is one of only two top 20 British hits to be sung fully in Latin (the other was a recording of "Pie Jesu" fromAndrew Lloyd Webber'sRequiem performed bySarah Brightman andPaul Miles-Kingston in 1986).[1] "Gaudete" is also one of only a handful of a cappella performances to become hit singles. When "Gaudete" was performed onTop of the Pops, the resident dance troupe walked onto the set in medieval-style robes, holding candles, followed by the members of Steeleye Span.
Pertti Neumann, a Finnish singer-songwriter and frontman of the 1980s pop-rock groupDingo recorded a version of "Gaudete" for his first solo albumAlbion, released in 1986.Boy soprano solo vocals were provided by Niko Haukkala of the choirCantores Minores.
TheBoston Camerata, under the direction ofJoel Cohen, recorded a version of "Gaudete" entitled "Gaudete, Gaudete" for the Dec 1985 albumA Renaissance Christmas.
An arrangement featuring theChoir of Clare College Cambridge, accompanied by a cello ensemble, descant recorder and medieval tabor under the direction of Geoffrey Simon, was recorded in 1996 for a CD entitledA Cello Christmas on the Cala Records label.
In 1997, it was recorded by the female vocal groupMediæval Bæbes as part of their No. 2 selling classical recordingSalva Nos and also on their Christmas themed recordingMistletoe and Wine (2003).
In 1999, harpistKim Robertson offered a rendition of the song on her discThe Spiral Gate.
In 1999, a version by El Duende was included on Projekt Records' compilation albumExcelsis Vol. 2: a winter's song.
A group ofDominican friars based in Cracow, Poland, recorded a choral version of "Gaudete" for their 2004 albumJezu, Śliczny Kwiecie (Jesus, Oh Lovely Flower), released under the name Bracia dominikanie (Brothers Dominicans).
The British boy choirLibera recorded "Gaudete" on their 2001 albumLuminous, and performed the song onAled Jones' DVDAled's Christmas Carols in 2008. Libera has also included this song on at least 3 Christmas albums, in 2011, 2013, and 2019.
A version using a male soloist was released onAnúna's CD and DVDCeltic Origins (2007) and was broadcast across the USA in 2007–2008 onPBS.
Tenebrae released a version arranged byKarl Jenkins, both with percussion and as a purea cappella version in October 2004 on the albumGaudete.
Germanmedieval rock band Schelmish performed "Gaudete" on their 2006 albumMente Capti.
Choral ensembleAnúna included the song in an arrangement byMichael McGlynn on thePBS Television specialAnúna : Celtic Origins and the CD release of the same name (2007).
"Gaudete" was recorded a cappella byPure Reason Revolution as a Christmas bonus track on their EP, "Valour" (2011).
British alternative rock bandCauda Pavonis included a recording of "Gaudete" on their 2012 Christmas EP entitledSaturnalia.
The Irish groupCeltic Thunder recorded "Gaudete" on their 2013 albumChristmas Voices.
On 28 October 2013, Britishsynth-pop groupErasure released their electronic version of "Gaudete" as the first single off their Christmas-themed albumSnow Globe. Their version reached the Top 30 inUK indie singles chart and the Top 40 inBillboard dance chart.[2]
Serpentyne recorded an ambient/rock version on their 2014 CDMyth & Muses.
The St. Paul's Cathedral Choir included the song on their 2015 Christmas album "Carols with St. Paul's Cathedral Choir" under director Andrew Carwood.
The Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist included a traditional choral version of "Gaudete" on their 2017 album, "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring: Christmas with the Dominican Sisters of Mary".
All-female acapella groupPapagena sang a 'funky upbeat' version of Gaudete onThe Darkest Midnight tour in December 2017, and released it on the eponymous album in early 2018.
Celtic music groupRuna included an upbeat rendition of the song in an arrangement of Brightest and Best, Gaudete and Noel Nouvelet on their 2020 CD album, "The Tide of Winter".
Sam Battle ofLook Mum No Computer rearranged the song to be played on a set of modular analog synthesisers as part of an electro 2022 Christmas Carol compilation.
In 2013, a parody arrangement of "Gaudete", called "Crudités",[3][4] was released by the Britishfolk duet Blanche Rowen & Mike Gulston.
A parody of "Gaudete", replacing the original words of the verses by sex-related terms, was recorded by the Germanmedieval metal bandPotentia Animi on their 2004 albumDas Erst Gebet.
In the TV comedyI'm Alan Partridge, Alan manages to take Jill from his production company on a date to an owl sanctuary. In the car on the way home, Alan promises Jill something that "will blow your socks off" before singing along in an over-the-top manner to the Steeleye Span version of Gaudete on the car stereo.
^abConsidering thatgaudete is thesecond-personplural present active imperative case ofgaudeo ("I rejoice"), whilstgaude is the second-personsingular present active imperative, it can thus be more accurately and poetically interpreted that the former is "rejoiceye", and the latter is "rejoicethou". However, most English translations of the carol merely translate the word as "rejoice!", with the plurality being implicit in its address to the audience.
