Benedictine nuns release Gregorian chants to help ease coronavirus isolation
A monastery of Benedictine nuns living in seclusion in southern France has opened its doors to allow recordings of its Gregorian chants to be made available to the outside world.
In what is believed to be the largest recording project ever conducted, the US musician John Anderson followed the 45-strong order for three years. He installed microphones in the abbey church of Notre-Dame de Fidélité de Jouques near Aix-en-Provence in southern France and captured the nuns singing their eight daily “offices”. The result is thousands of chants, the entire Gregorian repertoire, about 7,000 hours long.
The Gregorian chant originated in the 8th century and spread throughout Europe. It accords to St Benedict’s “rule”, in which the day is divided into balanced divisions of manual and intellectual work, prayer and rest, starting at 5am with the chanting of matins, and concluding with compline at 8pm, followed by the “great silence” of night.
You can access the Holy Week chants at the link in this paragraph:
They have ... allowed the release of a week’s worth of their chants https://www.neumz.com/
for the six days Christians refer to as holy week, preceding Easter
Sunday, the highlight of the religious calendar, when the chants have a
particular importance. The rest is to go live next month.
The singers here are the Benedictine Monks of Saint-Benoît-du-Lac.
This chant was originally appointed for "The Sunday Within the Octave of the Epiphany." It's gorgeously melismatic and extravagant, with a beautiful text:
Benedictus Dominus Deus Israel, qui facit mirabilia magna solus a saeculo. V. Suscipiant montes pacem populo tuo: et colles justitiam. Alleluia, alleluia. V. Jubilate Deo omnis terra: servite Domino in laetitia. Alleluia.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone doth wonderful things.
V. Let the mountains receive peace for thy people: and the hills justice. Alleluia, alleluia.—
V. Sing joyfully to God all the earth: serve the Lord with gladness. Alleluia.
Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things.
The verse after that first section is taken from Psalm (71/)72:3:
The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness.
The Alleluia (Verse 2 as given above) is the famous incipit from Psalm (99/)100, along with more of Verse 1 and some of Verse 2:
O be joyful in the Lord, all ye lands: serve the Lord with gladness.
Here's the chant score:
It's a bit complicated to explain the history of Epiphany and Baptism of
Our Lord in a couple of sentences, so I'll just cite the following
passages, which come from the Wikipedia entry for Baptism of the Lord, and its pre- and post-Vatican II history:
The Baptism of the Lord is observed as a distinct feast in the Roman rite, although it was originally one of three Gospel events marked by the feast of the Epiphany. Long after the visit of the Magi had in the West overshadowed the other elements commemorated in the Epiphany, Pope Pius XII instituted in 1955 a separate liturgical commemoration of the Baptism.
The Tridentine Calendar
had no feast of the Baptism of the Lord for almost four centuries. Then
the feast was instituted, under the denomination "Commemoration of the
Baptism of our Lord", for celebration on 13 January as a major double,
using for the Office and the Mass those previously said on the Octave
of the Epiphany, which Pius XII abolished; but if the Commemoration of
the Baptism of Our Lord occurred on Sunday, the Office and Mass were to
be those of the Feast of the Holy Family without any commemoration.[1]
In his revision of the calendar five years later, Pope John XXIII kept on 13 January the "Commemoration of the Baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ", with the rank of a second-class feast.
A mere 14 years after the institution of the feast, Pope Paul VI
set its date as the first Sunday after January 6 (as early as January 9
or as late as January 13) or, if in a particular country the Epiphany
is celebrated on January 7 or 8, on the following Monday.[2]
To give the flavor of what "The Sunday Within the Octave of the Epiphany" was like a hundred and fifty years ago, I'll quote from Dom Prosper Guéranger's Christmas volume on the Liturgical Year. Guéranger was Abbot of Solesmes Abbey, and he wrote extensively on the Liturgical Year (among other things); this volume was first published in 1867.
The Introit is this mystical one, taken perhaps partly from Isaiah 6:1 and perhaps partly from Revelation and Daniel 7 (see below for citations); the Psalm verse from the Jubilate Deo: (Psalm (99/)100):
In excelso throno vidi sedere virum, quem adorat multitudo Angelorum psallentes in unum : ecce cujus imperii nomen est in aeternum. Ps. Jubilate Deo omnis terra : servite Domino in laetitia.
I saw a man seated on a high throne, whom a multitude of Angels adored, singing all together : Behold him, whose name and empire are to last for ever. Ps. Sing joyfully to God, all the earth : serve ye the Lord with gladness.
Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands,
And these verses from Daniel 7 could very well be source inspirations, too:
9 “As I looked,
thrones were placed,
and the Ancient of Days took his seat;
his clothing was white as snow,
and the hair of his head like pure wool;
his throne was fiery flames;
its wheels were burning fire.
.....
13 “I saw in the night visions,
and behold, with the clouds of heaven
there came one like a son of man,
and he came to the Ancient of Days
and was presented before him.
14
And to him was given dominion
and glory and a kingdom,
that all peoples, nations, and languages
should serve him;
his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
which shall not pass away,
and his kingdom one
that shall not be destroyed.)
Prior to the singing of the gradual, the priest prays a collect for the day, and then a collect for the commemoration of the Epiphany:
According to thy divine mercy, O Lord, receive the vows of thy people, who pour forth their prayers to thee : that they may know what their duty requireth of them, and be able to comply with what they know. Through etc.
O God, who by the direction of a star, didst this day manifest thy only Son to the Gentiles ; mercifully grant, that we, who now know thee by faith, may come at length to see the glory of thy Majesty. Through the same, etc.
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.
Guéranger then has this to say about the gradual; he introduces it here by first commenting on the Epistle above:
The Apostle invites us to make our offering to the new-born King, after the example of the Magi ; but, the offering which this Lord of all things asks of us, is not anything material or lifeless. He that is Life, gives his whole self to us ; let us, in return, present him our hearts, that is, a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing unto God ; whose service may be reasonable, that is, whose obedience to the divine will may be accompanied by a formal intention of offering itself to its Creator. Here again, let us imitate the Magi, who went back another way into their own country — let us not adopt the ideas of this world, for the world is the covert enemy of our beloved King. Let us reform our worldly prudence according to the divine wisdom of Him, who may well be our guide, seeing he is the Eternal Wisdom of the Father. Let us understand, that no man can be wise without Faith, which reveals to us that we must all be united by love, so as to form one body in Christ, partaking of his life, his wisdom, his light, and his kingly character.
In the chant which follows the Epistle, the
Church returns to her praise of the ineffable wonders of a God with us :
Justice and righteousness have come down from heaven, to take up their
abode on our mountains and hills.
And then, immediately following this gradual came the reading about the event in the Temple, from Jesus' childhood. It's taken from Luke Chapter 2, vv 42-52:
And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, but supposing him to be in the group they went a day's journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.” And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?” And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.
Guéranger comments:
Thus, O Jesus! didst thou come down from heaven to teach us. The tender age of Childhood, which thou didst take upon thyself, is no hindrance to the ardour of thy desire that we should know the one only God, who made all things, and thee, his Son, whom he sent to us. When laid in the Crib, thou didst instruct the Shepherds by a mere look ; when swathed in thy humble swaddling-clothes, and subjected to the voluntary silence thou hadst imposed on thyself, thou didst reveal to the Magi the light they sought in following the Star. When twelve years old, thou explainest to the Doctors of Israel the Scriptures which bear testimony to thee. Thou gradually dispellest the shadows of the Law by thy presence and thy words. In order to fulfil the commands of thy heavenly Father, thou dost not hesitate to occasion sorrow to the heart of thy Mother, by thus going in quest of souls that need enlightening. Thy love of man will pierce that tender Heart of Mary with a still sharper sword, when she shall behold thee hanging on the Cross, and expiring in the midst of crudest pain. Blessed be thou, sweet Jesus, in these first Mysteries of thine Infancy, wherein thou already showest thyself devoted to us, and leaving the company of thy Blessed Mother for that of sinful men, who will one day conspire thy death. During the Offertory, the Church resumes her canticles of ioy; the presence of the Divine Infant fills her with joy.
The Offertory which follows is the first few verses of Psalm (99/)100 again, the beginning of the Jubilate Deo:
Sing joyfully to the Lord, all the earth : serve ye the Lord with gladness : present yourselves to him with transports of joy : for the Lord is God.
And then the Communion song refers back to the Gospel:
Fili quid fecisti nobis sic? Ego et pater tuus dolentes quaerebamus te. Quid est quod me quaerebatis? Nesciebatis, quia in his, quae patris mei sunt oportet me esse?
Son, why hast thou done so with us? I and thy father have sought thee with sorrow, — And why did you seek me? Did you not know that I must be about the concerns of my Father?
So there was a lot going on in those days, on this Sunday! I actually prefer it this way, personally; I love it when there are multiple themes on a single feast day. These tend to draw together disparate Scriptural themes in very interesting and enlightening ways. And so interesting that the Jubilate Deo plays so prominent a role on this Sunday; it's found in three of the five propers on the day.
I wish I knew more about this chant, though. I looked at Dom Dominic Johner's commentary on the chants, published in 1934, but it is not there; he wrote on the "Feast of the Holy Family" (which has an entirely different set of proper chants), but not on this "Sunday Within the Octave of Epiphany."
The Feast of the Holy Family is a liturgical celebration in the Catholic Church
in honor of Jesus of Nazareth, his mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and
his foster father, Saint Joseph, as a family. The primary purpose of
this feast is to present the Holy Family as a model for Christian
families.[1]
From the 17th century, the feast has been celebrated at a local and regional level and at that level was promoted by Pope Leo XIII. In 1921, Pope Benedict XV made it part of the General Roman Calendar and set on the Sunday within the Octave of the Epiphany; that is to say, on the Sunday between January 7 through January 13, all inclusive (see General Roman Calendar of 1954).[3][4] The 1962 Roman Missal, whose use is still authorized in the circumstances indicated in the 2007 motu proprio Summorum Pontificum, follows the General Roman Calendar of 1960, which has the celebration on that date.
The 1969 revision of the General Roman Calendar moved the celebration to Christmastide, assigning it to the Sunday within the Octave of Christmas, that is, the Sunday between Christmas Day and New Year's Day (both exclusive), or if both Christmas Day and the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God are Sundays, on 30 December (always a Friday in such years). When not celebrated on a Sunday, it is not a holy day of obligation.[5]
Formerly, the Sunday within the Octave of Christmas was in fact
celebrated only if it fell on 29, 30 or 31 December, since it gave way
to the higher ranked feasts of Saint Stephen, Saint John the Apostle and the Holy Innocents. The Feast of the Holy Family that has replaced it outranks these three feasts.
This explains the absence of "The Sunday Within the Octave of Epiphany"
in Dom Johner's book. Too bad; his comments are always so interesting
and valuable.
You can see all the propers at this online Manuscript from Cluny ("Graduale et prosarium ad usum Cluniacensem"),
published between 0975-1100. It's in the old staffless notation, and looks as
complex and melismatic as the one in the video above. Looks like this
is public domain, and I can use it here, so here's the first page; this
chant begins at the bottom of the page.
Source gallica.bnf.fr / BnF
Looks to me as if they used a different Introit for this day ("Venite, adoremus Deum et procidamus ante Dominum : ploremus ante eum, qui fecit nos : quia ipse est Dominus Deus noster"
from Psalm (94/)95?), but that all the rest of the propers are the
same. That is interesting, and I'm going to see if I can find out where
the Trent introit came from.
Benedicite, omnia opera Domini is the Lauds Canticle for Sundays and Feast Days. This version uses the Pentecost antiphon, Fontes, et omnia. It's sung by the Schola Liturgiczna, Wyższego Seminarium Duchownego Zakonu Paulinów (The Liturgical Schola Of the Major Seminary of the Pauline Order), based in Krakow, Poland. Their website is linked below the video, as is their Facebook page.
From the YouTube page, some information and the words to the canticle:
"Ant. 2 Fontes, et omnia. Benedicite, omnia opera Domini. Canticum Dn 3, 57 – 88. 56" w wykonaniu kleryckiej paulińskiej scholi liturgicznej. Gregorian chant - Ant. 2 Fontes, et omnia. Benedicite, omnia opera Domini. Canticum Dn 3, 57 – 88. 56.
Chorał gregoriański o Duchu Świętym. Gregorian Chant for the Solemnity of Pentecost. Jutrznia i Msza św. z Uroczystości Zesłania Ducha Świętego w wykonaniu Scholi Gregoriańskiej kleryków Wyższego Seminarium Duchownego Zakonu Paulinów w Krakowie.
Ant. 2 − Canticum Dn 3, 57 – 88. 56 Fontes, et omnia quae moventur in aquis, hymnum dicite Deo, alleluia.
1. Benedicite, omnia opera Domini, Domino; laudate et superexaltate eum in saecula.
2. Benedicite, angeli Domini, Domino; benedicite, caeli, Domino.
3. Benedicite, aquae omnes quae super caelos sunt, Domino; benedicite, omnes virtutes Domini, Domino.
4. Benedicite, sol et luna, Domino; benedicite, stellae caeli, Domino.
5. Benedicite, omnis imber et ros, Domino; benedicite, omnes spiritus Dei, Domino.
6. Benedicite, ignis et aestus, Domino; benedicite, frigus et aestus, Domino.
7. Benedicite, rores et pruina, Domino; benedicite, gelu et frigus, Domino.
8. Benedicite, glacies et nives, Domino; benedicite, noctes et dies, Domino.
9. Benedicite, lux et tenebrae, Domino; benedicite, fulgura et nubes, Domino.
10. Benedicite, terra Dominum; laudet et superexaltet eum in saecula.
11. Benedicite, montes et colles, Domino; benedicite, universa germinantia in terra, Domino.
12. Benedicite, fontes, Domino; benedicite, maria et flumina, Domino.
13. Benedicite, cete et omnia quae moventur in aquis, Domino; benedicite, omnes volucres caeli, Domino.
14. Benedicite, omnes bestiae et pecora, Domino; benedicite, filii hominum, Domino.
15. Benedicat Israel Domino; laudet et superexaltet eum in saecula.
16. Benedicite, sacerdotes Domini, Domino; benedicite, servi Domini, Domino.
17. Benedicite, spiritus et animae iustorum, Domino; benedicite, sancti et humiles corde, Domino.
18. Benedicite, Anania, Azaria, Misael, Domino; laudate et superexaltate eum in saecula.
19. Benedicamus Patrem et Filium cum Sancto Spiritu; laudemus et superexultemus eum in saecula.
20. Benedictus es, Domine, in firmamento caeli; et laudabilis et gloriosus et superexaltatus in saecula.
O all ye Works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord :
praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye Angels of the Lord, bless ye the Lord : praise him &c.
O ye Heavens, bless ye the Lord :
O ye Waters that be above the Firmament, bless ye the Lord :
O all ye Powers of the Lord, bless ye the Lord :
O ye Sun and Moon, bless ye the Lord :
O ye Stars of Heaven, bless ye the Lord :
O ye Showers and Dew, bless ye the Lord :
O ye Winds of God, bless ye the Lord :
O ye Fire and Heat, bless ye the Lord :
O ye Winter and Summer, bless ye the Lord :
O ye Dews and Frosts, bless ye the Lord :
O ye Frost and Cold, bless ye the Lord :
O ye Ice and Snow, bless ye the Lord :
O ye Nights and Days, bless ye the Lord :
O ye Light and Darkness, bless ye the Lord :
O ye Lightnings and Clouds, bless ye the Lord :
O let the Earth bless the Lord:
yea, let it praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye Mountains and Hills, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify…
O all ye Green Things upon the Earth, bless ye the Lord :
O ye Wells, bless ye the Lord :
O ye Seas and Floods, bless ye the Lord :
O ye Whales, and all that move in the Waters, bless ye the Lord :
O all ye Fowls of the Air, bless ye the Lord :
O all ye Beasts and Cattle, bless ye the Lord :
O ye Children of Men, bless ye the Lord :
O let Israel bless the Lord :
O ye Priests of the Lord, bless ye the Lord :
O ye Servants of the Lord, bless ye the Lord :
O ye Spirits and Souls of the Righteous, bless ye the Lord :
O ye holy and humble Men of heart, bless ye the Lord :
O Ananias, Azarias and Misael, bless ye the Lord :
The Pentecost antiphon, sung before and after the Canticle, is this one:
Fontes, et ómnia quæ movéntur in aquis, hymnum dícite Deo, allelúja.
In English, it's:
See ye fountains, * and all that move in the waters, ascribe ye praise to God, alleluia.
More about the Benedicite, from the St. Bede Blog (in re: the Episcopal Church's 1979 Book of Common Prayer):
The Benedicite comes from one of the additions to the book of Daniel that is found in the Greek Old Testament, but not in the Hebrew version. It’s best understood as an expansion of the content and theme of Psalm 148 where all creation is called upon to worship and give glory to God. In the narrative, this is a song put into the mouth of Daniel’s three companions which they sang in the midst of the fiery furnace. As a result, sometimes this will be referred to as “the song of the three young men.” In the former prayer books, this canticle was used as the first canticle during penitential seasons when the Te Deum was suppressed. That’s not because there’s anything penitential about it—it’s one of the most joyful canticles around! Rather it’s because this was the second canticle found in the pre-Reformation prymers and Books of Hours; if the Te Deum—which was the first canticle in them—was dropped, this one was next in line. Hence, the tradition grew that the Benedicite should replace the Te Deum, and it subsequently entered and formed the prayer book tradition.
Here's a beauty of a polyphonic composition! Herbert Sumsion's setting of the Benedicte, in B flat - written for Choral Mattins, no doubt. I like Sumsion, and I like this piece.
An interesting piece of information about the Sumsion, from the YouTube page:
From an edition of John Betjeman’s BBC radio series “Britain’s Cathedrals and their Music”, broadcast on 11 February 1966. This is the only recording in the Archive of Herbert Sumsion conducting one of his own works.
Here's Henry Purcell's gorgeous setting, also in B flat:
Ralph Vaughan Williams set this Canticle, too as have quite a number of other composers. I don't believe I've ever heard it used, but that is because Choral Mattins is becoming a rare service.
Here's Vaughan Williams' setting; it's clearly not liturgical. It's prefaced with another text, and written for orchestra and choir; it's also quite long.
While we're still in Epiphany season - one of my favorite seasons of the year - I wanted to post another Epiphany chant. This is the first responsory of Epiphany Day Matins in the Sarum Breviary; it's the fourth Responsory in the Roman Breviary. It's sung here beautifully by the Schola Gregoriana Assisiensis:
R. Illuminare, illuminare Jerusalem, quia venit lux tua:
* Et gloria Domini super te orta est. V. Et ambulabunt Gentes in lumine tuo, et reges in splendore ortus tui. R. Et gloria Domini super te orta est.
R. Shine, shine, O Jerusalem, for thy light is come
* And the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. V. And the Gentiles shall walk in thy light, and kings in the brightness of thy rising. R. And the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.
1 Arise, be enlightened, O Jerusalem: for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.
2 For behold darkness shall cover the earth, and a mist the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
3 And the Gentiles shall walk in thy light, and kings in the brightness of thy rising.
Interestingly, most translations do not include the word "Jerusalem" - except The Message (and a few others)! According to the Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges, "The name 'Jerusalem' is inserted by the LXX., Targ[um]. and Vulg[ate]., but the addition is unnecessary (cf. Isaiah 54:1)." I'm taking this to mean that it's not in the original Hebrew.
It's also interesting to me that the chant-writers chose to repeat the
word "Illuminare," rather than using the direct translation itself:
"Surge, illuminare" (i.e., "Arise, shine"). I suppose we'll never know
what the idea here was, but it does go to emphasize Epiphany as "the
season of light."
Here is the chant score from the Sarum breviary; both text and melody are identical, as far as I can tell.
Palestrina and Byrd both set the text as taken directly from Scripture as "Surge, Illuminare," including only Isaiah 60:1-2. Here's Palestrina's setting:
The website of the Schola Assisiensis says this about the ensemble:
The “Schola Gregoriana Assisiensis”
is a vocal ensemble, consisting of only male voices, dedicated to the
study and liturgical and concert execution of monodic liturgical
repertoires of Christian medieval Europe (Gregorian chant, Ambrosian
chant, antique Roman chant) and of polyphonic repertoires of the same
period (especially Ars Antiqua), then expanding to Renaissance
polyphony, again performed by only male voices. The group consists, in
the most part, of professionals from different musical environments:
they include Gregorianists, singers, choir directors, composers,
organists, both lay and religious.
Its
members, together with their own musical activity, in recent years
have matured an experience of study and passion for sacred and
liturgical medieval vocal repertoires, dedicating themselves to an ever
greater understanding of execution praxis even based on recent
semiological and scientific studies. Founded in Assisi, the “Schola
Gregoriana Assisiensis” is based at the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria
degli Angeli, which has always been entrusted to the care of the Friars
Minor of the Seraphic Province of Umbria.
Dominus vobiscum. R/. Et cum spiritu tuo. Initium sancti evangelii secundum Mattheum. R/. Gloria tibi, Domine.
Liber generationis Iesu Christi filii David filii Abraham;
Abraham genuit Isaac; Isaac autem genuit Iacob; Iacob autem genuit Iudam et fratres eius; Iudas autem genuit Phares et Zara de Thamar; Phares autem genuit Esrom; Esrom autem genuit Aram; Aram autem genuit Aminadab; Aminadab autem genuit Naasson; Naasson autem genuit Salmon; Salmon autem genuit Booz de Rachab; Booz autem genuit Obed ex Ruth; Obed autem genuit Iesse; Iesse autem genuit David regem; David autem rex genuit Salomonem ex ea quae fuit Uriae; Salomon autem genuit Roboam; Roboam autem genuit Abiam; Abia autem genuit Asa; Asa autem genuit Iosaphat; Iosaphat autem genuit Ioram; Ioram autem genuit Oziam; Ozias autem genuit Ioatham; Ioatham autem genuit Achaz; Achaz autem genuit Ezechiam; Ezechias autem genuit Manassen; Manasses autem genuit Amon; Amon autem genuit Iosiam; Iosias autem genuit Iechoniam et fratres eius in transmigratione Babylonis; et post transmigrationem Babylonis Iechonias genuit Salathihel; Salathihel autem genuit Zorobabel; Zorobabel autem genuit Abiud; Abiud autem genuit Eliachim; Eliachim autem genuit Azor; Azor autem genuit Saddoc; Saddoc autem genuit Achim; Achim autem genuit Eliud; Eliud autem genuit Eleazar; Eleazar autem genuit Matthan; Matthan autem genuit Iacob; Iacob autem genuit Ioseph virum Mariae, de qua natus est Iesus qui vocatur Christus.
The Lord be with you. R/. And with your spirit. The beginning of the Holy Gospel according to Matthew. R/. Glory to you, Lord.
The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren; And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram; And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon; And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse; And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias; And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa; And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias; And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias; And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias; And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon: And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel; And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor; And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud; And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob; And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
While the melody on the Sequentia video above does not match the score in the Sarum Breviary, you can listen to the McMaster mp3 recording of Liber Generationis here, which does match up, of course, with the chant score they provide.
The melody on the video, though, is somewhat similar to the melody on the video I posted for Luke's genealogy sung at Epiphany. I am very curious where this melody comes from and will continue to search it out, if I can.
Once again, there is an instruction that introduces this chant after the ninth and final responsory; in English, it's:
While this final R. together with its V. and Gloria Patri. are sung, let the Deacon proceed with the Subdeacon and the Thurifer and the Taperer and the Acolyte bearing the Cross, all solemnly vested in preparation to cense the Altar. And, having received a Blessing from the Officiant in the midst of the Choir, let him approach the Pulpit for the singing of the following Gospel.
And the Te Deum is sung after the genealogy, to end the Office.
Divinum Officium does not list either of these two genealogies as part of Christmas or Epiphany Matins in its 1570 Trident versions - but the Matthew genealogy (Matt 1:1-16) is there in the "Pre-Trident Monastic" Matins of Christmas, sung after the Te Deum. It's labeled "Initium Sancti Evangelii secundum Matthaeum" ("The beginning of the HOly Gospel according to Matthew").
In DO's "Pre-Trident Monastic" Matins of Epiphany, it's Matthew 2:1-12 that follows the Te Deum at the very end of the Office; it's labeled "Sequentia Sancti Evangelii secundum Matthaeum" ("Continuation of the Holy Gospel according to Matthew").
On its versions page, the creator of Divinum Officium wrote, about the "Pre-Trident Monastc" version:
The pre-Tridentine Monastic version is an attempt to illustrate the Benedictine Breviary, as it is described in the Regula of St. Benedict, with the exception that, for lack of resources, only 9 lessons are included for Sundays and Feasts, instead of 12 lessons. See details below.
(In his note below, just for your information (although not really relevant to this post!), is this:
Implemented pre-Tridentine Monastic changes:
Matins starts with Domine labia and Psalm 3
First Nocturn is always 6 psalms.
First Nocturn has 3 lessons with responsories from Scriptures from November to Low Sunday,
with one short lesson in summertime
Second Nocturn is always 6 psalms.
Except for Sundays and Feasts (Duplex majus, 2nd class, 1st class), the second nocturn
has a scriptural capitulum with responsory only, and there is no third nocturn.
For Sundays and Feasts (for lack of resources, only 3 * 3 instead of 3 * 4 lessons)
there are three nocturns. The third nocturn has Old Testament canticles under one antiphon.
There is also a responsory after the last lesson, followed by the Te Deum, the reading of the full
passage of Gospel, and the short hymn "Te decet".
Lauds starts with Psalm 66
Lauds has 3 psalms, a canticle and psalms 148-149-150 as one unit. Responsory is added
to Capitulum.
Prime has 4 or 3 psalms (parts). Preces, reading of the Regula and Commemoration
of the dead (which was not part of Prime) is added to the office.
Minor Hours have a psalm scheme only for Sunday, Monday and the rest of days.
Capitulum is followed only by Verse.
Vespers has 4 psalms, Responsory is added to Capitulum.
Compline has always the same psalms without antiphons; also without Nunc dimittis)
I will check the Regula to see if this genealogy and the following verses from Matthew are in fact prescribed for Christmas and Epiphany. Will return here to report what I find.
I did find, though, in reading about the Epiphany genealogy Factum Est Autem, these two notes:
* The Gospel from the first chapter of St. Matthew. “The Book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham." It was solemnly sung after the ninth lesson at Matins before the midnight Mass on Christmas, the Gospels being processionally carried with lights on either side to the pulpit or the steps of the chancel. The ceremony is still carried out in many of the churches in France. The chant of the Genealogy is one of the most beautiful in the liturgy.
1‘ The “Factum est autem” is a gospel from St. Luke iii. 21. “ Now it came to pass when all the people was baptized." It was sung after the manner of the Genealogy after the ninth lesson of Matins on the night of the eve of Epiphany, and before the Te Damn.
So apparently this custom was not limited to the Sarum Office, but was also practiced in France. This may be the source of the melody on the videos, but I still haven't found either of these genealogies listed in any of the usual chant databases. Still looking for manuscripts and sources there, too.
The genealogies are really quite a wonderful addition to the Christmas and Epiphany Offices; I really like the way they are bookended at Christmas and Epiphany, too. Would love to know more about the history of this, and hopeful to find out!
Here's a video of one polyphonic setting of this Gospel, without an obvious attribution. Will try to find out more about this, too.
This is a very interesting and unique chant: the singing of the Gospel at Epiphany Matins, after the ninth responsory, almost at the end of the Office. As far as I can tell, the video below comes from this recording by Stirps Iesse and Enrico de Capitani, although the YouTube page doesn't say.
The instruction introducing this part of the Office reads this way:
While this final Responsory with its Verse and with its Gloria Patri. is being sung, the Deacon proceeds together with the Subdeacon and the Thurifer and the Candle Bearer and the Acolyte bearing the Cross, in the same way as on the night of the Nativity of the Lord, all clothed in solemn vestments for incensing the Altar, and having received a blessing from the Officiant they process through the middle of the Quire to the Pulpit for the singing of the Gospel : let it be begun this way.
Dominus vobiscum. R/. Et cum spiritu tuo. Sequentia sancti Evangelii secundum Lucam R/. Gloria tibi, Domine.
Factum est autem, cum baptizaretur omnis populus, et Jesu baptizato et orante, apertum est cælum: et descendit Spiritus Sanctus corporali specie sicut columba in ipsum: et vox de cælo facta est: Tu es Filius meus dilectus, in te complacui mihi.
Et ipse Jesus erat incipiens quasi annorum triginta, ut putabatur, filius Joseph, qui fuit Heli, qui fuit Mathat, qui fuit Levi, qui fuit Melchi, qui fuit Janne, qui fuit Joseph, qui fuit Mathathiæ, qui fuit Amos, qui fuit Nahum, qui fuit Hesli, qui fuit Nagge, qui fuit Mahath, qui fuit Mathathiæ, qui fuit Semei, qui fuit Joseph, qui fuit Juda, qui fuit Joanna, qui fuit Resa, qui fuit Zorobabel, qui fuit Salathiel, qui fuit Neri, qui fuit Melchi, qui fuit Addi, qui fuit Cosan, qui fuit Elmadan, qui fuit Her, qui fuit Jesu, qui fuit Eliezer, qui fuit Jorim, qui fuit Mathat, qui fuit Levi, qui fuit Simeon, qui fuit Juda, qui fuit Joseph, qui fuit Jona, qui fuit Eliakim, qui fuit Melea, qui fuit Menna, qui fuit Mathatha, qui fuit Nathan, qui fuit David, qui fuit Jesse, qui fuit Obed, qui fuit Booz, qui fuit Salmon, qui fuit Naasson, qui fuit Aminadab, qui fuit Aram, qui fuit Esron, qui fuit Phares, qui fuit Judæ, qui fuit Jacob, qui fuit Isaac, qui fuit Abrahæ, qui fuit Thare, qui fuit Nachor, qui fuit Sarug, qui fuit Ragau, qui fuit Phaleg, qui fuit Heber, qui fuit Sale, qui fuit Cainan, qui fuit Arphaxad, qui fuit Sem, qui fuit Noë, qui fuit Lamech, qui fuit Mathusale, qui fuit Henoch, qui fuit Jared, qui fuit Malaleel, qui fuit Cainan, qui fuit Henos, qui fuit Seth, qui fuit Adam, qui fuit Dei. Jesus autem plenus Spiritu Sancto regressus est a Jordane.
The Lord be with you.
R/. And with your spirit.
The continuation of the Holy Gospel according to Luke.
R/. Glory to you, Lord.
Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, the son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Sala, the son of Nahshon, the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan, the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.
And here is the last instruction for Mattins on this day:
At the end of the Gospel, let the Priest in his stall in a Silken Cope in a loud voice immediately begin the Psalm Te Deum. While the Psalm is being sung let the Priest cense the Altar.
You can see the chant score in this PDF file
on its page 554; it's much too long to post here! (The melody on the video above does not match exactly with the score there. Will try to find out why it doesn't.) That document contains the Epiphany Offices, in Latin, from the
Sarum Breviary, courtesy of Dr. William Renwick, et al., of Canada's
McMaster University. (Here's the English translation of that same document.) They have also provided an mp3 file of the chant, as well as a page with links to other chants for the Feast of the Epiphany.
And there is this, the 60th footnote in the Latin PDF file above:
The
“Qui fuit” section cycles through nine small phrases. Each third
phrase comes to rest on the finalis. In AS:88-89. bar lines group the
'Qui fuit N.' phrases in threes. This is followed in the edition. 1519
groups the phrases in threes but with an irregular grouping of two near
the beginning (Matathie, Amos) and with a group of four at the end
(Enos, Seth, Adam, Dei). In the following note numbers in parentheses
refer to lines of the music.
This entire sequence of events appears to be unique to the Sarum Breviary; it does not at any rate appear in the 1570 Roman Breviary at DivinumOfficium.com, or in the "pre-Trident monastic" version of the Office (although a portion of Matthew's Gospel is read after the Te Deum is sung in the pre-Trident monastic). I will have to check some of the others, and will edit this post accordingly whatever I find.
It seems clear to me that the singing of this Gospel is a pointer to how important a day Epiphany was and is. It is one of the oldest feasts on the calendar; early on it was a celebration of all the manifestations of Christ's divinity prior to the start of his earthly ministry. It has celebrated, among other events, the visitation of the Magi, Christ's baptism in the Jordan (as here), and the wedding at Cana. In fact, the Feast Nativity itself was celebrated as one of these events, before Christmas was fixed on December 25.
The singing of Luke's genealogy - a rather odd passage with the ultimate effect of proclaiming Christ's divinity through his human lineage! - is perfect for this most mystical of feasts.
Here's an image that illustrates the threefold celebration of the Epiphany in earlier times; I am not sure where it came from originally, but it has been posted at many sites.
Left to right: the wedding at Cana; the visitation of the Magi; the baptism in the Jordan.
Here's this old carol, sung just recently by the Choir of Ely Cathedral:
From the YouTube page:
"The cherry tree carol" is a 13th-century English traditional carol, appearing here in a world premiere recording of a new arrangement. The words tell the apocryphal tale of Mary and Joseph on the way to Nazareth for the Census: Mary asks Joseph to pluck a cherry for her, and he refuses, spitefully suggesting that the father of the baby should do so instead. Jesus, from within the womb, commands Joseph to do as he is told. The tune is cheery (cherry?) and melodic, and lends itself well to the upper voices used in this arrangement.
Here is one set of words to this; this choir seems to be singing a slightly different set, though:
When Joseph was an old man, an old man was he
He married Virgin Mary, the Queen of Galilee
He married Virgin Mary, the Queen of Galilee
Joseph and Mary walked through an orchard green
There were cherries and berries, as thick as might be seen
There were cherries and berries, as thick as might be seen
Mary said to Joseph, so meek and so mild:
Joseph, gather me some cherries, for I am with child
Joseph, gather me some cherries, for I am with child
Then Joseph flew in anger, in anger flew he
Let the father of the baby gather cherries for thee!
Let the father of the baby gather cherries for thee!
Then up spoke baby Jesus, from in Mary's womb:
Bend down the tallest branches, that my mother might have some
Bend down the tallest branches, that my mother might have some
And bend down the tallest branches, it touched Mary's hand
Cried she: Oh look thou Joseph, I have cherries by command
Oh look thou Joseph, I have cherries by command
This page on the site "Remembering the Old Songs," has some more information on the carol, as well as another set of words to a much longer version. This was originally an article written by by Bob Waltz and published in Inside Bluegrass in December 1995, apparently.
For some reason that I've never been able to fathom, Christianity and the Christmas story have never had a strong place in traditional music. Francis James Child, in The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, listed 305 traditional English-language ballads; by my count, exactly seven of these have religious themes.Vance Randolph's Ozark Folksongs (arguably the best collection of American folk tunes) lists 68 religious pieces, but apart from a few spirituals, all are by church or popular composers.
There is one major exception: The Cherry Tree Carol. This piece, Child #54, was collected in Britain in the seventeenth century (and is probably older), and has been found throughout the Appalachians, as well as in the Ozarks and on into Canada. Jean Ritchie recorded an Appalachian version on "Kentucky Christmas."
The story may have originated in the "Infancy Gospel of the Pseudo-Matthew," an apocryphal Latin work of the ninth century. In it, the miracle took place after Jesus's birth. Joseph, Jesus, and Mary were fleeing from King Herod when Mary became faint from the heat. Joseph led her under a date palm tree to rest. Mary begged Joseph to get her some of the dates. Joseph was astonished; the tree was too tall to climb. But Jesus (who was no more than two years old) commanded the palm, "Bow down, tree, and refresh my mother with your fruit." And bow down it did, and remained until Jesus ordered it to straighten up (and be carried up into heaven!)
The earliest English versions seem to have included three parts: the story of Joseph's jealousy (found in the Bible in Matthew 1:18 & :25) and the cherry tree; the angel's message to Joseph on Christmas Eve, and a conversation between Mary and the baby Jesus (who may not even have been born yet). In it he predicts his crucifixion and, as here, his birth on January 6, the "old-style Christmas" which many people in the Appalachians celebrated until early in this century.
When Joseph was an old man,
An old man was he,
When he courted Virgin Mary,
The Queen of Galilee,
When he courted Virgin Mary,
The Queen of Galilee,
As Joseph and Mary
Were walking one day,
"Here are apples and cherries,"
O Mary did say....
Then Mary spoke to Joseph,
So meek and so mild,
"Joseph, gather me some cherries
For I am with child...."
Then Joseph flew in anger --
In anger flew he,
"Let the father of the baby
Gather cherries for thee!"
Then Jesus spoke a few words,
A few words spoke he,
"Let my mother have some cherries;
Bow low down, cherry tree!
"Bow down, O cherry tree!
Bow low down to the ground!"
Then Mary gathered cherries
While Joseph stood around....
Then Joseph took Mary
All on his left knee;
Saying: "What have I done? Lord,
Have mercy on me!"
Then Joseph took Mary
All on his right knee,
"Pray tell me, little baby,
When your birthday shall be....
"On the sixth day of January
My birthday shall be,
When the stars and the elements
Shall tremble with glee....
***
As Joseph was a-walking,
He heard an angel sing,
"Tonight shall be the birth-time
Of Christ, our heavenly king...."
"He neither shall be born
In house nor in hall,
Nor in the place of paradise,
But in an ox's stall....
"He neither shall be clothéd
In purple nor in pall
But in the bare white linen
That useth babies all....
As Joseph was a-walking,
Then did an angel sing,
And Mary's child at midnight
Was born to be our king....
There are indeed quite a number of bluegrass/Appalachian versions of the carol on YouTube. Here's one example:
Here's something quite interesting for this feast day. It's a 12th century anonymous composition found in a French manuscript; its subject is Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury who was murdered in Canterbury Cathedral on this day in 1170.
The story related in this piece is not Becket's murder, though, but his exile at the hands of King Henry II of England. From the YouTube page:
'In Rama sonat gemitus' (The sound of weeping is heard in Rama) is an anonymous work (conductus) found in the French manuscript source Wolfenbüttel 677. Using biblical allusion, it comments directly on the exile of Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, from England to France in 1164. Although eventually returned to England in [1170], he was murdered just a few months later. This dates In Rama sonat gemitus to the years of his exile: 1165-1170.
Here are the words, in Latin with an English translation, from CPDL:
In Rama sonat gemitus
plorante Rachel Anglie:
Herodis namque genitus
dat ipsam ignominie.
En eius primogenitus
et Joseph Cantuarie
Exulat (? - or 'si sit') fisto venditus
Egiptum colit Gallie.
A lamentation is heard in Rama:
England's Rachel weeps.
For one begotten by Herod
treats her with ignominy.
Her firstborn -
Joseph of Canterbury -
is exiled as if sold,
and lives in the Egypt of France.
This plaint for solo voice is the earliest surviving piece of music about Becket. Since it mentions his exile in France, it must date from the period 1164-1170, though it was not copied into its only extant manuscript source until much later. In the poem, Rama refers to Canterbury, Rachel to the Mother Church, Herod to Henry II, while the Joseph sold by his jealous brethren is Becket.
Pretty interesting! I was curious about the Scriptural reference; I know it best from this verse from Matthew, where it refers to the slaughter of the innocents (which was yesterday's feast day, in fact):
A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.
I thought it was sort of odd, though, for such a verse to be used for this purpose; the exile of an Archbishop isn't really anything like the slaughter of innocents. So I searched some more on this theme, and found - although I hadn't remembered it - that Jeremiah had Rachel weeping, too:
Thus says the LORD: “A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.”
And here, Rachel IS weeping for an exile: for the exile of Israel in Babylon. So this is the basis for In Rama sonat gemitus, referring to Thomas Becket.
(I could have realized what Matthew was doing a bit sooner by simply reading the verse prior to Matthew 2:18 above! Here's Matthew 2:17: "Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: ".)
That leaves us with the original Rachel; did she actually weep over her children?
....died with "sorrow" in giving birth to Benjamin (Ge 35:18, 19, Margin; 1Sa 10:2), and was buried at Ramah, near Bethlehem, is represented as raising her head from the tomb, and as breaking forth into "weeping" at seeing the whole land depopulated of her sons, the Ephraimites.
The commentators often group several of these things together, as well. It is also true that, again according to Jeremiah (40:1), the captives were taken to Ramah as they began their journey into exile in Babylon:
The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord after Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had let him go from Ramah, when he took him bound in chains along with all the captives of Jerusalem and Judah who were being exiled to Babylon. The captain of the guard took Jeremiah and said to him, “The Lord your God pronounced this disaster against this place. The Lord has brought it about, and has done as he said. Because you sinned against the Lord and did not obey his voice, this thing has come upon you. Now, behold, I release you today from the chains on your hands. If it seems good to you to come with me to Babylon, come, and I will look after you well, but if it seems wrong to you to come with me to Babylon, do not come. See, the whole land is before you; go wherever you think it good and right to go.
(Some commentators have also pointed out that the meaning of the word "Ramah" is "high place." It may be that Er-ram, north of Jerusalem, is the modern-day city that was once Ramah.)
In any case, the choice of text is to symbolize Becket's exile, not his murder - which means that the Scriptural reference is to Jeremiah and not Matthew.
Etenim sederunt is the Introit for the Feast of St. Stephen, December 26. Here's a video of it from the GradualeProject.
The text comes from various parts of Psalm [118/]119; here is the Latin and English from Divinum Officium:
Introitus Ps 118:23; 118:86; 118:23 Sedérunt príncipes, et advérsum me loquebántur: et iníqui persecúti sunt me: ádjuva me, Dómine, Deus meus, quia servus tuus exercebátur in tuis justificatiónibus. Ps 118:1
Beati immaculáti in via, qui ámbulant in lege Dómini V. Glória Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto. R. Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculórum. Amen Sedérunt príncipes, et advérsum me loquebántur: et iníqui persecúti sunt me: ádjuva me, Dómine, Deus meus, quia servus tuus exercebátur in tuis justificatiónibus.
Introit Ps 118:23, 86, 23. Princes met and talked against me, and the wicked persecuted me wrongfully; help me, O Lord my God, for Your servant meditates on Your statutes. Ps 118:1
Happy are they whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord. V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. R. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Princes met and talked against me, and the wicked persecuted me wrongfully; help me, O Lord my God, for Your servant meditates on Your statutes.
Here's the chant score:
In writing this post, I've come across some interesting stuff. Apparently this Introit has at quite a number of tropes associated with it.
Tropes are embellishments of the liturgical chants; they were sung prior to or interspersed with the Proper chants of feast days. They are a development of the Middle Ages, and were abolished eventually at the council of Trent in 1570. Here's a description from the Encyclopedia Britannica:
Trope, in medievalchurch music, melody, explicatory text, or both added to a plainchant melody. Tropes are of two general types: those adding a new text to a melisma (section of music having one syllable extended over many notes); and those inserting new music, usually with words, between existing sections of melody and text.
Troping was rooted in similar practices in the ancient Byzantine liturgy and arose in the West, probably in France, by the 8th century. The custom reached the musically important Swiss monastery of Saint Gall by the 9th century and soon became widespread throughout Europe. It was abolished in the 16th century by the Council of Trent.
Two important medieval musical-literary forms developed from the trope: the liturgical drama and the sequence (qq.v.). A troped chant is sometimes called a farced (i.e., interpolated) chant.
Here is an example of one of the tropes on this Introit, found in the book Early Trope Repertory of Saint Martial de Limoges, by Paul Evans. The book describes it as an example of "line-by-line interpolations, in which a trope introduces each phrase of the official chant":
Trope: Hodie Stephanus martye celos ascendit, quem propheta dudmum intuens eius voce dicebat:
Introit: Etenim sederunt principes et adversum me loquebantur.
Trope: Insurrexerunt contra me Iudeorum populi inique,
Introit: Et iniqui persecuti sunt me.
Trope: Invidiose lapidibus appresserunt me;
Introit: Adiuva me Dominus Deus meus.
Trope: Suscipe meum in pace spiritum,
Introit: Quia servus tuus exercebatur in tuis iustificationibus.
Tropes were new compositions, and the melody and texts were conceived simultaneously, according to Evans. Unfortunately, I was not able to find any audio or video of any of the
tropes for this feast - but I will keep looking. Perhaps there will be
some video online for tropes of major feasts; there are many associated
with Christmas, so I may return there.
[EDIT 11/14/23: Thanks to an anonymous commenter on this post, I now have an example of a trope on this Introit - but unfortunately I haven't yet been able to make out what the words are. Here's the video anyway; you can hear that the trope introduces the Introit, and it is then interspersed between each line of the text. Hopefully at some point I'll succeed in finding the text of the trope, and will return here to post it if I do:
Thanks, Anonymous!]
This page in the book The Winchester Troper, from Mss. of the Xth and XIth Centuries - edited by Walter Frere - contains a complete list of tropes associated with this feast from those sources. Here's screen-cap of that page, listing all the tropes, with some footnotes; as you can see, there are several tropes each associated with the Introit, the Offertory, and the Communio:
I am now reading a bit more about the tropes on this Introit, but want
to get this post published today, so that will be another post.
Here's an interesting painting
of St. Stephen by Mariotto di Nardo; the full title is apparently
"Predella Panel Representing the Legend of St. Stephen: Devils Agitating
the Sea as Giuliana Transports the Body of St. Stephen from Jerusalem
to Constantinople / The Re-interment of St. Stephen beside St. Lawrence
in Rome."
Here's the beautiful 1st Responsory of Christmas Matins, sung by Coro de Monjes de la abadía de Montserrat.
From Divinum Officium, here is the text in Latin and English, from its "1570 Trident" source:
R. Hodie nobis cælórum Rex de Vírgine nasci dignátus est, ut hóminem pérditum ad cæléstia regna revocaret: * Gaudet exercitus Angelórum: quia salus æterna humano generi appáruit. V. Glória in excélsis Deo, et in terra pax homínibus bonæ voluntátis. R. Gaudet exercitus Angelórum: quia salus æterna humano generi appáruit. V. Glória Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto. R. Hodie nobis cælórum Rex de Vírgine nasci dignátus est, ut hóminem pérditum ad cæléstia regna revocaret: * Gaudet exercitus Angelórum: quia salus æterna humano generi appáruit.
R. This is the day whereon the King of heaven was pleased to be born of a Virgin, that He might bring back to heaven man who was lost. * There is joy among the hosts of Angels, because eternal salvation hath appeared unto men. V. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, to men of goodwill. R. There is joy among the hosts of Angels, because eternal salvation hath appeared unto men. V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. R. This is the day whereon the King of heaven was pleased to be born of a Virgin, that He might bring back to heaven man who was lost. There is joy among the hosts of Angels, because eternal salvation hath appeared unto men.
Here's the chant score, from the McMaster Sarum Breviary (PDF); it's a slight bit different than what the Roman Breviary does. The latter returns to "gaudet exercitus angelorum" in the response, while the former to "Quia salus eterna."
First Antiphon. The LORD hath said unto Me : * Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee. Psalm II.
Why do the heathen rage ? &c. Second Antiphon. The Lord is as a bridegroom * coming out of his chamber. Psalm XVIII.
The heavens declare, &c. Third Antiphon. Grace is poured into Thy lips: * therefore God hath blessed Thee for ever. Psalm XLIV.
Mine heart is overflowing, &c. Verse. The Lord is as a bride groom.
First Lesson. (Isa. ix. I.) AT the first He lightly afflicted the land of Zabulon and the land of Naphtali : and afterward did more grievously afflict the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles. The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light : they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. Thou hast multiplied the nation and not increased the joy. They shall joy before Thee according to the joy in harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. For Thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, and the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian. For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood, and it shall be with burning and fuel of fire. For unto us a Child is born, and unto us a Son is given : and the government is upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Ever lasting Father, the Prince of Peace.
First Responsory.
This is the day whereon the King of heaven was pleased to be born of a Virgin, that He might bring back to heaven man who was lost. There is joy among the hosts of Angels, because eternal salvation hath appeared unto men. Verse. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, to men of goodwill. Answer. There is joy among the hosts of Angels, because eternal salvation hath appeared unto men. Verse. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. Answer. This is the day whereon the King of heaven was pleased to be born of a Virgin, that He might bring back to heaven man who was lost. There is joy among the hosts of Angels, because eternal salvation hath appeared unto men.
Second Lesson. (Isa. xl. i.) COMFORT ye, comfort ye, My people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned ; for she hath received of the LORD'S hand double for all her sins. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness : Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert an highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low : and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain. And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together ; for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. The voice said, Cry. And I said : What shall I cry ? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field. The grass withereth and the flower fadeth, because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it : surely the people is grass. The grass withereth and the flower fadeth : but the word of our Lord endureth for ever.
Second Responsory.
This day is the true peace come down unto us from heaven. This day throughout the whole world the skies drop down sweetness. Verse. This day is the daybreak of our new redemption, of the re storing of the old, of everlasting joy. Answer. This day throughout the whole world the skies drop down sweetness.
Third Lesson. (Isa. lii. I.) AWAKE, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion : put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, thou city of the Holy One ! for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean. Shake thyself from the dust, arise, sit down, O Jerusalem : loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion ! For thus saith the LORD : Ye have sold yourselves for nought, and ye shall be redeemed without money. For thus saith the Lord GOD : My people went down aforetime into Egypt, to sojourn there : and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause. Now, therefore, what have I here, saith the LORD, that My people is taken away for nought ? They that rule over them do evil, saith the LORD, and My name continually every day is blasphemed. Therefore My people shall know My Name in that day : they shall know that I am He That spake, behold, it is I.
Third Responsory.
O ye shepherds, speak, and tell us what ye have seen ; who is appeared in the earth ? We saw the new-born Child, and Angels singing praise to the Lord. Verse. Speak ; what have ye seen ? And tell us of the Birth of Christ. Answer. We saw the new-born Child, and Angels singing praise to the Lord. Verse. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. Answer. We saw the new-born Child, and Angels singing praise to the Lord.
Lovely, to me, that all three Lessons are taken from Isaiah. The fourth through sixth Lessons are taken from a Christmas sermon of Pope Leo II - and then the seventh and eighth Lessons, finally, are Luke's Nativity. The ninth Lesson is the beautiful Prologue of John's Gospel. Really a wonderful Feast of the Nativity Matins. Also: I love that second Psalm antiphon: "The Lord is as a bridegroom * coming out of his chamber." That's a reference to Psalm 19:5, where it refers to the Sun! The use made here of it is terrific, though - the "chamber" being the womb of Mary. Here's Thomas Tallis' setting of the Responsory, sung by the Taverner Consort; the chant alternates with his composition:
This manuscript page that contains Hodie nobis caelorum Rex - right at the top - comes from a Twelfth-century antiphoner from Klosterneuburg, Austria. This is staffless chant notation, above the text:
Lastly, here's a closeup from a later ms (1555-ish), taken from a Cistercian
antiphoner from the Abbey of Salzinnes, Namur, in the Diocese of Liège
[Belgium]. That beautiful piece of art is the "h" of "hodie"!
