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Posted on by Jeffrey Tucker

Qui Manducat this weekend

The communion chant this weekend (as an option) has a melody that tends to linger in the head and heart for years and years. It is Qui Manducat, with the text: “He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood abideth in me: and I in him, saith the Lord.” I’m drawn to the clean phrases in this chant: flesh, blood, abide, with the longest melisma on the last phrase. The mode VI here provides a feeling of contentment and joy.

Here is a audio presentation of the above.

However, CPDL also carries two very beautiful polyphonic presentations of this text, both scored for male voices. The first is for TTBB by Claudio Merulo (1533-1604) and it so happens that it has just the same feeling of contentment and joy about it. It is not a difficult piece, given that it navigates the major scale up and down so effortlessly. From the CPDL page you can see the PDF and listen to the midi file.

The second is by Jacobus Gallus (1550-1591). It does a similar thing except for five male voices. Here is the PDF. (The midi file appears to be down).

Whether you sing the chant or one of these polyphonic presentations, you get a sense of what it means to say that a piece of music has a timeless quality to it. The chant is at least 1000 years old, and these polyphonic pieces are some 500 years old, and yet they sound fresh and beautiful, evocative of the text and thoroughly uplifting of the true liturgical spirit.

(P.S. just to underscore the point I’m making in the post just before this one, I can show you all this music and you can listen to it because all of this [text, sheet music, and audio] are part of the commons of the faith. Hence, this evangelization. Can anyone think of any good that would come to the faith by re-copyrighting these things?)

Posted on by Jeffrey Tucker

ICEL’s Copyright Policies

Sometimes people tell me that my relentless focus on the copyrighting of liturgical texts – which is contrary to the practice of the whole of Christian history and introduces an artificial legal limit on what by nature and God’s design is a universal good – is really exaggerated, that this really isn’t a big deal in practice. Well, here is some evidence that these policies really are a big deal and have done terrible things to inhibit the spreading of the Gospel and to cartelize the Catholic publishing market. Google’s algorithms rank the page for ICEL’s copyright policies as number 2 in its search ranking on the term ICEL.

What that means is that there is universal curiosity about these policies. Every time a parish, monastery, school, or small publisher wants to spread the good news, it is inhibited by these policies, which are obscure, strange, intimidating, and potentially very costly. These institutions do a search and read this page, which strangely excludes any information on digital print rights (as if the digital age doesn’t exist). It does however include a helpful list of books that ICEL is keeping under wraps, forbidding universalization in complete disregard of Matthew 28:19: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations…” The texts have been artificially commodified and for no good reason. If the Church Fathers have used such methods with regard to texts, sermons, teachings, and the Gospel generally, Christianity might never have stood a chance against paganism, Gnosticism, and heresy.

The Simple Gradual, 1968
Rite of Marriage, 1969
Rite of Baptism for Children, 1969
Lectionary for Mass, 1969, 1981, 1997
Roman Calendar, 1970 (superseded)
Rite of Funerals, 1970 (superseded)
Rite of Holy Week, 1970
The Revised Order of Blessing an Abbot or Abbess, of Consecration
to a Life of Virginity and of the Blessing of Oils, 1971 (superseded)
Daily Worship: First Week of Advent, 1972
Rite of Confirmation/ Rite of Blessing of Oils/ Rite of
Consecrating the Chrism, 1972 (Confirmation superseded)
The Roman Missal, 1973
Directory for Masses with Children, 1973
Order of Mass (Musical Setting A), 1974
Order for the Celebration of the Holy Year in the Local Churches, 1974
Rite of Penance, 1974 (superseded)
Rite of Reception of Baptized Christians into Full Communion
with the Catholic Church (Second Edition), 1974
Rite of Religious Profession, 1974
Holy Communion and Worship of the Eucharist outside Mass, 1974
Rite of Penance (Second Edition), 1974
The Liturgy of the Hours (Four Volumes), 1974
Eucharistic Prayers for Masses of Reconciliation, 1975
Rite of Penance (Appendix II and III), 1975
Eucharistic Prayers for Masses With Children, 1975
Rite of Confirmation (second edition), 1975
The Ordination of Deacons, Priests, and Bishops, 1975 (superseded)
The Rite of Blessing of An Abbot or Abbess and the Rite of
Consecration to a Life of Virginity, 1975
The Roman Calendar, 1975
The Institution of Readers and Acolytes/ The Admission to
Candidacy for Ordination as Deacons and Priests, 1976
Christian Prayer, 1976
New Musical Settings for the Liturgy of the Hours, 1976
Let Everyone Celebrate, 1977
Music for Rite of Funerals and Rite of Baptism for Children, 1977
Rite of Commissioning Special Ministers of Holy Communion, 1978
Music for the Rites: Baptism, Eucharist, and Ordinations, 1978
Dedication of a Church and an Altar, 1978, 1989
Christian Prayer Organ Accompaniment, 1978
Sunday Celebrations, 1978
Reflections on the Constitution on the Liturgy 1963-1978, 1978
The Roman Pontifical, 1978
Music for the Liturgy of the Hours: Easter Triduum of the
Passion and Resurrection of the Lord (People’s Edition), 1979
Music for the Liturgy of the Hours: Easter Triduum of the
Passion and Resurrection of the Lord (Organ Edition), 1979
Sacramentary: Additional Presidential Prayers, 1980
Eucharistic Prayers, 1980
A Lectionary Translated for Proclamation (sample texts), 1981
Musical Settings for the Liturgy: Hymns and Service Music, 1981
ICEL: The First Years, 1981
Resource Collection of Hymns and Service Music for the Liturgy (GIA), 1981
Pastoral Care of the Sick: Rites of Anointing and Viaticum, 1982
A Book of Prayers, 1982
ICEL Lectionary Music: Psalms and Alleluia and Gospel Acclamations
for the Liturgy of the Word, 1982
Documents on the Liturgy, 1963-1979: Conciliar, Papal, and Curial Texts, 1982
Eucharistic Prayer of Hippolytus, 1983
Presidential Prayers for Experimental Use at Mass, 1983
Emendations in the Liturgical Books following upon the
New Code of Canon Law, 1984
Consultation on a Liturgical Psalter (Organ edition), 1984
Consultation on a Liturgical Psalter (People’s edition), 1984
An Original Eucharistic Prayer: Text 1, 1984
Liturgical texts for the memorial of Maximilian Mary Kolbe, 1984
The Language of the Liturgy, 1984
Liturgical texts for the memorial of St. Andrew Kim Taegon, St. Paul Chong
Hasang, and Companions Memorial, 1985
Eucharistic Prayer of Saint Basil, 1985
Order of Christian Funerals, 1985
Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, 1985
Eucharistic Prayer A, 1986
Order of Crowning an Image of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 1986
Opening Prayers for Experimental Use at Mass, 1986
Psalms for All Seasons, 1987
Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 1987
Book of Blessings, 1987
Liturgical texts for the memorial of Lawrence Ruiz and Companions, 1988
Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 1989
Lectionary for Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 1989
Liturgical texts for the memorial of Andrew Dung-Lac and Companions, 1989
Ceremonial of Bishops, 1989
Mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Star of the Sea, 1993
Rites of Ordination of Bishops, Presbyters, and Deacons, 1993 (superseded)
Eucharistic Prayer for Masses for Various Needs and Occasions, 1994
Liturgical Psalter: A Text for Study and Comment, 1994
Order of Celebrating Marriage (Second Typical Edition), 1996 (provisional text)
The Sacramentary (Revised Edition): Volume One: Sundays and Solemnities, 1998
The Sacramentary (Revised Edition): Volume Two: Weekdays, 1998
Rites of Ordination of a Bishop, of Priests, and of Deacons, 2000, 2003
Sections of The Roman Missal
Order of the Dedication of a Church and an Altar (provisional text), 2003
Order of Blessing the Oil of Catechumens and of the Sick and of Consecrating the Chrism (provisional text), 2009
Posted on by Jeffrey Tucker

The Post-Concilar Text Thicket

Adoremus offers a very helpful guide for those confused by the post-conciliar issue of translations. As I look through the list of releases, revisions, commissions, releases, revisions, commissions, seemingly without end, I gain sympathy for the traditionalist impulse to say: down with the new; give me that old-time religion and the stability that comes with it. When you play with the core ritual of a people, and really an entire civilization, you really are playing with fire.

And remember that the textual and translations upheavals compromise on a small amount of what’s gone on. There were massive architectural changes that, strangely, find little or no support in the documents but were worldwide. The same is true of the music for liturgy. What was presumed to be the ideal – however rarely reached – was thrown out and replaced with the peculiar view that music of the liturgy ought to sound less like Church and more like anything else.

When one gets frustrated with reactionary impulses alive among traditionalists – and I’m among those who can easily become so – it is good to remember what we’ve been through. It may or not be unprecedented in Catholic history but it this upheaval has been a defining mark of our age, one that has deeply unsettled the Catholic mind and heart.

Still, this is the setting into which we were born and we must endure with faith and hope. There is much to be hopeful for. In fits and starts, we are clawing our way out of the trouble and into safe harbor. The mistake the traditionalists make is in thinking that safety comes only through an attempt to recreate the past. But time moves forward, and the urgency of examining and learning from the past must serve the project of looking to a brighter future.

Posted on by Jeffrey Tucker

Signum magnum apparuit in caelo.

Guest column from Jake Tawney of Roma locuta est.

_____________________

Tomorrow is the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Mother. The Introit chant from the Graduale is the every timeless Signum magnum. Listen carefully to the chant:

Before discussing the translation, take a listen to a far better known Introit: the Puer natus from the Mass of Christmas Day.

Did you catch it? Listen to them both again carefully. The first thing you will notice is that they are both in mode 7, so they have a similar “sound” to one another. Mode 7 always strikes me as a “solemn joy” mode. It is bright enough to convey the sense of the jubilant, yet toned down enough to emphasize the great solemnity of the event. Keeping in mind that the Introit is the first thing heard at Mass, it (excuse the pun) sets the tone for the rest of the celebration. The mode is appropriate for Nativity of the Lord as well as the Assumption of the Blessed Mother. Both are joyous events to be sure, yet each in its own unique way is an event to be pondered with a great sense of awe and mystery.

The similarity is not just in the mode, however. If you listen to them once more, pay careful attention to the verse that is sung after the Introit and before its repetition. It is not only the same mode, but the same melody. This, of course is not unusual, for most of the mode 7 Introits take this melody for their verses. But these two Introits share not only the same melody for their verse; in this case they also share the same words.

Cantate Domino canticum novum: quia mirabilia fecit.

Sing unto the Lord a new song, for he has done wondrous deeds.

The verse is an alteration of the opening of the 96th Psalm and is appropriate for both of these great solemnities. The Nativity of the Lord is that day on which the darkness of the cosmos begins to decrease and the light of salvation begins its increase. Even the dating of Christmas near the winter solstice shows off this cosmic significance, as pointed out in The Spirit of the Liturgy (Ratzinger). The light will find its definitive victory in the Resurrection. (Incidentally, the very same verse, mode, and melody are found in the Introits for the Feria Quarta and Feria Qunita following Easter. Moreover, although different in structure and mode, the same phrase forms the main Introit text for the fourth Sunday after Easter, which has thus been dubbed “Cantate Sunday”.) As for the Assumption, the Church is emphasizing that perennial apologetic truth, that Mary’s bodily Assumption was not something she accomplished, but was a “wondrous deed” accomplished by the Lord. The first “wondrous deed” done through the Blessed Virgin was precisely that event of its paired Introit: the Nativity, which was the culmination of the event that begun with her fiat at the Annunciation. (As expected, there are musical connections between the Annunciation and the Assumption. The same mode 2 Introit is prescribe for the Feast of the Annunciation and the Vigil of the Assumption; the Introit is Vultum tuum and comes from the Common of Virgins.)

The very structure of the Introits themselves is similar, though some of this is to be expected given that most Introits are very similar in basic structure, and these two find themselves composed in the same mode. However, there is one melodic line that is identical and shares a similar text. In the Puer Natus we hear, “et vocabitur” which translates, “and shall be called.” (The phrase actually pairs with the subsequent words “et vocabitur nomen ejus” to translate, “And his name shall be called.”) In the Signum magnum we hear, “et in capite” which translates, “and on her head” (when the Latin ejus is added to the phrase). Both phrases share the same melody line with a sustained pitch (the Puer natus on the end of vocabitur and the Signum magnum on the end of capite. The word ejus, present at the close of both phrases and given an ornate melisima, can be translated from Latin as either “his” or “hers” according to context. By giving this pronoun a musical emphasis, the paired Introits point out the two key players in the history of salvation: Christ (the new Adam) and Mary (the New Eve). In fact, both Introits have the same word (ejus) ending the previous phrase as well. The full reality of the texts is that each eloquently describes the person whom the respective Mass is celebrating: the Puer Natus describes the infant Jesus and the Signum magnum describes the Assumed Virgin. Both are laden with lyrical and musical mystery appropriate to their reality.

The full translations of the texts are:

Puer natus est nobis,
et filius datus est nobis:
cujus imperium
super humerum ejus:
et vocabitur nomen ejus,
magni consilii Angelus.

A child is born to us, and Son is given to us: whose government is upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called, the Angel of great counsel.

Signum magnum
apparuit in caelo:
mulier amicta sole,
et luna sub pedibus ejus,
et in capite ejus
corona stellarum duodecim.

A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.

It never ceases to amaze me the musical and lyrical connections found in the Gregorian Propers. The more one studies the chants, the more one comes to realize why these pieces form the official music of the Church. People who grew up with these melodies would have been all too familiar with the popular Puer Natus and, upon hearing the verse from the Signum magnum, would have been immediately transported to the Mass of Christmas Day. Whether the connection in their minds be conscious or subconscious, it would have been made nonetheless. Examples of these types of parallels are bountiful in the Gregorian repertoire. The reality is that the liturgy and Gregorian chant developed in tandem; as the liturgy, guided by the Holy Spirit, was finding its voice, that voice became expressed in the Gregorian melodies that grew up along side of it. For this reason, the two are inseparable. This is why, while other forms of music, such as Sacred Polyphony, may be appropriate to express the grandeur of the Sacred Liturgy, they will always be subordinate to the Gregorian compositions.* This is also why a period of history that has marginalized, or even eliminated, the Gregorian Chant that is proper to the liturgy is a period that will necessarily lose sight of the essence of the sacramental mysteries that constitute life in the Church.

* It should be pointed out, however, that the structure of Sacred Polyphony is based of the ancient Gregorian melodies, which is why they contain within themselves a continuity that suits them for use during the Sacred Mysteries.

Posted on by Jeffrey Tucker

Praise for Trio Motets by Kevin Allen

Last night, at schola practice, we read through a Kevin Allen trio for post-communion from his Motecta Trium Vocum book of motets. We chose O Sanctissima, linked below. In twenty minutes, we had a gorgeous motet worked up. These pieces are absolutely beautiful and very intuitive, modern but traditional. Very fresh and satisfying. I would say that it ranks among the best contemporary music you could ever use with your schola.

We played with various voicing ideas, but we ended up doubling the octaves on each part so: 1st soprano plus 1st tenor | 2nd soprano plus 2nd tenor | alto plus bass. It is probably not the way the composer imagined this happening but it worked with the group we had at rehearsal, and the results were extremely satisfying. And isn’t that what it comes down to for the choir? You can stare at pages all day, and even listen to MP3s, but until you actually try it in real time, it is hard to know for sure. Well, we found out for sure. This is why we made a bulk purchase of the book for our group. I strongly recommend this.

O Sanctissima by Kevin Allen, sung by Matthew J Curtis:Sample from Corpus Christi Watershed on Vimeo.