Notes on the music for Advent IV
This Sunday’s anthem is from the 15th century, and like many English carols from that period has a text which alternates between English and Latin. The Latin refrain, “Nova! Nova! Ave fit ex Eva!”, can be translated as “News! News! ‘Ave’ has been made from ‘Eve’!”.
Ave refers to Mary (as in Ave Maria), and the name is especially symbolic in that it is Eve (Eva) spelled backward.