But it's doubtful that singers at the time the song was written would have used classical Latin, rather a post-Reformation version of church Latin. Gaudete comes from Piae Cantiones, a collection of late medieval, mostly Finnish and Swedish songs, some from elsewhere in Europe, that were sung in Finnish cathedral schools. They were compiled by a Finnish choirmaster and published in Germany in 1582 (A number of well-known Christmas carols, for example Good King Wenceslas and Good Christian Men Rejoice first appeared in that collection and were later given English lyrics). It's likely that the pronunciation of the Latin in these songs wouldn't have been either classical or Catholic liturgical when they were sung in the cathedral schools in Finland; they probably would have used the Germanized pronunciation; e.g., with hard Gs and Cs.

Classical Latin in school, as I was. There is a few distinctions.


I’m happy to read your thoughts! Thanks!