Dominus illuminatio mea

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I am arranging a song using this phrase. “DOMINUS ILLUMINATIO MEA” I am not familiar with Latin. In all of my limited research, it seems that the “I” is held and the ‘O’ at the end of Illuminatio always runs into "Me’ of Mea, as if it belongs with that word rather than Illuminatio. What would be the rules for breaking this phrase up into notes and phrasing? Thank you very much!
 
julia1234 said:
I am arranging a song using this phrase. “DOMINUS ILLUMINATIO MEA” I am not familiar with Latin. In all of my limited research, it seems that the “I” is held and the ‘O’ at the end of Illuminatio always runs into "Me’ of Mea, as if it belongs with that word rather than Illuminatio. What would be the rules for breaking this phrase up into notes and phrasing? Thank you very much!
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In customary ecclesiastical pronunciation, the first word ends “ah - tsee - oh,” with the syllables distinct. Thus “illuminatio mea” has a total of eight syllables. The i and o are only “held” for as long as whatever note(s) you assign them to, and the o doesn’t particularly “run into” the word “mea,” no more so than it would in the phrase “Hello Mary.”
 
Thank you very much. Just to confirm, I can have the 'tsee" on one note, the “ohh” on another, and then have a rest----- with “Mea” next as a completely separate word with those two syllables?
 
julia1234 said:
Thank you very much. Just to confirm, I can have the 'tsee" on one note, the “ohh” on another, and then have a rest----- with “Mea” next as a completely separate word with those two syllables?
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From the Liber Usualis.
Plainsong being vocal and Latin music, neither its rhythm nor its melody can be rightly appreciated or sung apart from the meaning of the text, the correct pronunciation of the words, and their proper grouping into phrases.
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Pronunciation - Do - mi - us il - lu - mi - na - ti - o me - a

‘illuminatio mea’ is one phrase and should not be broken up. If, however, ‘mea’ has its own musical phrase, it would be alright. Just be careful to not run ‘mea’ into ‘et salus mea’, which is its own phrase.

🙂
 
julia1234 said:
Thank you very much. Just to confirm, I can have the 'tsee" on one note, the “ohh” on another, and then have a rest----- with “Mea” next as a completely separate word with those two syllables?
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Yes, exactly; although, as JM3 remarks, you will naturally want to be duly sensitive to how this one phrase fits into the broader textual and musical context.
 
Thank you. I think I’ve finally got it right, had to switch it around a bit. This may seem odd but I am just using that phrase as a short section within another song. I hope there is not any reason I am not aware of that I should not do this. If there is can you let me know? Thank you again.
 
julia1234 said:
Thank you. I think I’ve finally got it right, had to switch it around a bit. This may seem odd but I am just using that phrase as a short section within another song. I hope there is not any reason I am not aware of that I should not do this. If there is can you let me know? Thank you again.
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No, not at all. I suppose I just guessed you were using it as part of a longer portion from Psalm 27 (26), of which the phrase “Dominus illuminatio mea et salus mea” is the opening.
 
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