Septuagesima Sunday, excerpts from The Chants of the Vatican Gradual by Dom Dominic Johner, and mp3 recordings of today's Offertory and Communion

No Dom Guéranger this week: when catholichaven.org had up selections of his commentary, the site omitted Septuagesima Sunday. I've decided to excerpt the commentary on the Introit, Gradual, Collect (Tract), Offertory and Communion, by Dom Dominic Johner, from The Chants of the Vatican Gradual. A previous post here, giving some background on the works and its purpose, is at The Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost, excerpts from The Chants of the Vatican Gradual by Dom Dominic Johner.

The Introit, Gradual, Alleluia-verse, Tract, Sequence, Offertory, and Communion 'are studied in their historical and liturgical setting, and their sentiments of joy and sorrow, hope and fear, gratitude and penance, are pointed out and developed. In this sense also the intimate relationship existing between these various texts is indicated; all are integrated into a unified whole and referred to the life of Christ and His Church. Following this short meditation, the author analyses the musical score accompanying the text, and attempts to show how Gregorian Chant interprets these various sentiments and gives adequate expression to them— in short, how Gregorian Chant is the perfect yet simple medium of translating religious emotion into the language of music.' (Quoting the translators.)

Today's Offertory and Communion in mp3 format, chanted, can be downloaded or listened to at Dominica in Septuagesima.

INTROIT (Ps. 17: 5, 7)

The first phrase describes spiritual distress; the second, a raising of mind and heart to God. The third phrase already speaks of a favorable hearing, and leads directly to the fervent and thankful, "I love Thee."

Who is speaking these words? The early Christians of Rome on this day marched in solemn procession to the church of St. Lawrence outside the Walls. That was the stational church; there the divine services were held. The opening words of this Mass are, therefore, the words of St. Lawrence, describing his martyrdom on the gridiron, when the flames encompassed him like the torments of hell. In this distress he called upon the Lord, and the Lord heard him, strengthened him, and filled his heart with festal joy (cf. his feast, August 10). Greater than the heat of the fire was the flame of divine love in his heart. St. Lawrence is, moreover, the patron of the catechumens. Those who formerly were accepted on this day, were instructed during Lent, and received Baptism on the Vigil of Easter.

In the large cemetery near S. Lorenzo a sigh, as of death, seems to vibrate in the air. Just so do the first words of this Introit awaken in us that seriousness and penitential spirit which grows steadily from this Sunday till we come to those bitter days when the sighs and groanings of death, veritable sorrows of hell, are to come upon our Lord and Saviour on Calvary and on Golgotha. The Scripture lessons for the coming week deal with the creation of the world, the fall of our first parents, and the fratricide. True groans of death encompassed Adam and Eve when they had to view that first corpse, their own beloved child.

Perhaps there still is in these Sundays (Septuagesima, Sexagesima, and Quinquagesima) a reminder of the final period of the Migration of Nations (the end of the sixth century), when strange hordes brought ruin and tears upon Rome and the surrounding territory. It seems that it was precisely at this time that the pre-Lenten season was incorporated into the liturgical year at Rome (cf. Grisar, Missale, 56).

The range of the three phrases is limited. The d reaching above the dominant is merely an embellishing note, and is not emphasized. The melody never descends below the tonic. Of the twice-sung circumdederunt me, one is at the beginning of the first phrase, and the other at its end. The second one, with its wide sweep of notes, is not so much tone-painting of circum as an indication of the great torment which burdens the soul. The last three notes of this phrase are like the ending found in many Graduals. Here, however, they have not that charming effect so prominent in the Graduals, because they are introduced differently. The second phrase begins almost exactly like the first one. In its second part it becomes quite restless: thrice it leaps up, and thrice it sinks back again, with intervals of a second, a fifth, and a fourth. But this ending does not satisfy; it urges onward. And the expected continuity comes in such a manner that one is reminded of the Psalmist's words that before we call upon God He is already present to us. The third phrase swings up immediately to the dominant in a bright and cheerful manner. Exaudivit is admittedly much like dolores, and sancto suo resembles -dederunt of the first phrase. Nevertheless, the text demands a different rendition in each case. As in the first phrase, two drops of a fourth occur here also, and then the whole flows calmly on to the conclusion.

Revue, 8, 89 ff.

GRADUAL (Ps. 9: 10, 11; 19, 20)

In the vicinity of S. Lorenzo, Constantine the Great erected a hospital. Perhaps this Gradual was meant to console the inmates of that institution, to encourage them to trust in God, to beg grace for them to the end that man, the evil in man, the spirit of darkness, might not prevail.

We, as God's own family, should also lovingly remember those who are being visited by physical or spiritual ills, by temptations or by trials.

The verses are taken from Psalm 9, as on the third Sunday of Lent (whose Gradual begins with the last sentence of today's) and on the Saturday of the fourth week in Lent. With this latter our present Gradual has perfect similarity of word and music in (opportu)-nitatibus and in tribulatione. The first non of the verse is like (Do)-mine in the verse of the other Gradual. Though none of the Graduals in the third mode are easily understood, the one for today presents special difficulties. It lacks a calm and ordered development. The third word goes up to e¹, which is never again reached in the corpus. Many fourths occur, but not a single fifth.

Both halves of the first phrase close with the cadence which we meet again in the Introit of the first Sunday in Lent. Endings on d, as in the second phrase, are favored by the third mode. The former dominant b still occurs, and helps in the formation of the triton, as over Domine.

The beginning of the verse resembles the beginning of the third phrase in the corpus. Of more than ordinary difficulty is the execution of the second half of the melisma over non. The rich melody at this point is in accord with the general rules for Gradual-verses. In the second phrase the motive is broadened out and repeated over aeternum.

The last phrase, with its intense exsurge and its impelling fourths, is most forceful and expressive. The conclusion corresponds to that of the corpus.

TRACT (Ps. 129: 1, 4)

The Tract leads us from the hospital to the churchyard of S. Lorenzo, and prays De profundis both for and with those who are resting there. It is a call coming from the depths of a soul which feels itself immeasurably separated from God; it is a cry to the Lord. For the soul of the departed can no longer help itself, and the help of others is also limited since they also must pray De profundis. This plea therefore voices our human impotence and our great need of help. The repetition of the "Lord, Lord" is stylistic peculiarity of all petitions, and indicates the deep-felt need of divine assistance. Do Thou not observe my iniquities, O Lord! Mark them not for the Day of Wrath; pronounce not a judgement, signed and sealed, upon my sins. Behold how sin is common to all mortal flesh, that no one is clean, and no one can redeem himself! Be Thou my Redeemer! For with Thee is propitiation, and the law which Thou hast made is the promise of a Redeemer: the sacrifices ordained by the Law foretell the Lamb that taketh away the sins of the world. And by Thy own word I know that Thou willest not the death of the sinner. In this way de we pray with the poor souls.¹

¹ M. Faulhaber, Die Vesperpsalmen der Sonn-und Feiertage, p. 120 f.

OFFERTORY (Ps. 91:2)

Mother Church is fond of calling the Mass a sacrifice of praise. If we sing this text today at the Offertory procession, our sacrifice should be made glorious through our joyous surrender of self. For this very reason did St. Lawrence rejoice, that he could be sacrificed for Christ. This joy in giving must never be wanting, not even now when the alleluia is silenced.

The parallel between the two sentences is evident enough. Psallere corresponds to confiteri, and Altissime to Domino. But in the second phrase there is an obvious intensifying, for psallere means not only "to praise," but connotes also a playing upon the harp, and Altissime is an elucidation of the preceding Domino. More clearly than the words does the music tell us this.

Bonum is a short but charming prelude to the whole selection. Confiteri succeeds not only in stressing the accent, but also in bringing the leading idea of the Offertory well to the fore—evidence again of the manner in which the musical structure of the chants is guided by the word-accent and the content of the text. A slight accent should be given the third c. The second phrase is considerably brighter. It no longer rests on the lower a and g, but on c. In fact, it thrice extends above this, with psallere even to e¹, for both the song and the harp should sing out loud and clear. The psallere nomini tuo is taken as one single thought. The melody rises from g to c each time. In tuo, c b a b a of the preceding word seems to be re-echoed, unless one should wish to consider them an amplification of Domino and (confite)-ri. The first part of Altissime is bracketed between the ascending and the descending major chord f a c. To this the second part must be joined directly, with a slight pause after the first pressus and after a. The third part should be sung crescendo to the third pressus. A sense of abiding joy fills the first phrase, holy enthusiasm is the mark of the second, while the final strains try to bring out the full flavor of the word Altissime.

Analyses, 7, 20 f.

COMMUNION (Ps. 30: 17, 18)

By Holy Communion the true Sun arose in our hearts, the Sun of grace, our Redeemer, to transfigure, vivify, and glorify us.

The melody of the first phrase is, so to say, monopolized by the accented syllables, but in such a way that the logical emphasis is well brought out in faciem. In the second phrase the pleading changes to an expression of joyous confidence. God's mercy—how it differs from the pity shown us by men! "Your mercy," so runs the Lord's accusation (Osee 6:5), "is as a morning cloud, and as the dew that goeth away in the morning." But His own mercy is lasting, unstinted, inexhaustible. Our present melody praises this divine mercy in a manner which might almost be called exultant. The third phrase is no longer a plea; it is confiding faith become vocal, calling out, as did Job: "I know that my Redeemer liveth." I shall not be put to shame. Domine, non repeats the melody of misericordia. The second half makes use of the melodies of the first half.

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