Antiphonale Romanum for the EF: Does anyone still publish it?
  • Jamie
    Posts: 40
    Hi!

    I've been looking for an Anitphonale Romanum for a group of people, so they can sing the office when they are together easily. (Lauds, Vespers, Compline normally)

    However, when I look around the web, all I see is electronic copies of the 1912 Antiphonale Romanum. I can't see any publications or reprints of the book. Why is this? Is there another book for singing the Office in the EF? What do groups like the FSSP use to sing the office?

    They currently sing it in English according to the Novus Ordo LOTH, but it would be better to start doing it in the EF and in latin. Also, we've used the Antiphonale for the Office electronically, but naturally, we would like to have real books!

    Thanks!
  • Ben_WhitworthBen_Whitworth
    Posts: 90
    For Vespers and Compline, all you need can be found in the "Liber Usualis", which is still in print (the monks of Le Barroux, for example, publish it). It provides Lauds antiphons only for a few major feasts; however, Prime is included, if you want some form of morning office to sing while we wait for the Antiphonale to be reprinted!
    Thanked by 1Jamie
  • Jamie
    Posts: 40
    Thank you! I was unsure to what extent we could use the Liber. Between us all, we have 1 Liber Usualis (which is mine), though we all have a Liber Brevior.

    Tell me, how does one sing Daily Compline with the Liber Usualis? I only see it laid out for Sunday at Compline, but at no other time. Is it the same for the whole week? Sorry, I'm still trying to get a hang of the EF hours!

    Also, after lots of searching; I found this; Is this a Reprint of the Antiphonale?!
    http://www.lulu.com/shop/holy-mother-church/1911-antiphonale-romanum-tomus-prior/paperback/product-3054162.html

    Thanks again!
  • rich_enough
    Posts: 1,032
    A reprint of the 1934 Antiphonale Monasticum is available from GIA here. Don't know if this will help since you said you are looking for the Antiphonale Romanum. Perhaps someone could say whether you could use this in place of the AR, or whether the difference between the two books is too great.

    The Liber does include the psalms for Compline on weekdays (pp. 280ff; the rest of Compline is sung as on Sunday). My understanding is that it is permissible to sing Sunday Compline all week, though this may apply only to those who are not obliged to do the office. You might find this discussion on the Forum helpful.
    Thanked by 1Jamie
  • Jamie
    Posts: 40
    Thanks for the help!

    I saw the Anitphonale Monasticum before... but I thought that could only be used by those in Monastic Orders. Is the text in the Monasticum the same as in the Romanum; is it just the Chants that differ? For example, could a Roman Rite Cleric use the Monasticum to fulfil his obligation to recite the Office?

    Ah! I understand about the Liber now, I guess we could start using this at the moment. We will need to all get a Liber Usualis for Mass anyway. I'll have a look at this more, thank you!
  • igneusigneus
    Posts: 353
    The order of the monastic office is different.

    A non-monastic cleric fulfills his obligation when he participates in a liturgy of a monastery, but he doesn't have a free choice between secular and monastic office for his "private" prayer or public celebration he presides: there he is bound to use the Roman books.
  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,704
    The Antiphonale Romanum is not as useful as you would think ( I do have a copy from 1949 and access to the 1912 ed. ), as others have pointed out most of the Divine Office that is currently sung is found in the Liber Usualis, most of the other Hours are read / chanted from a breviary by the orders using the Roman Office.

    The way the Antiphonal is arranged does not make it very easy to sing from, the Psalms are not pointed in most editions. I can't see how a company could break even selling one.

    It should also be noted the the Antiphonale does not include Matins... that is to be found in the even rarer Nocturnale, although a version of this has been republished, but I believe it is no longer in print.

    Most groups I have come across that sing compline use a booklet, the discussion linked by rich_enough above has a link to the FSSP german edition.

    Laymen have no obligation to say the Office, and as I understand it can use any version of the Divine Office. Most of our choir members sing the pre-1955 version calendar and rubrics, I occasionally use the 1912 version ( calendar and rubrics ). I also know quite a few lay people who follow the Benedictine Office using their reprinted diurnal.

    There are quite a few differences in both Calendar / text / rubrics between the Monastic (Benedictine) and Roman use(s). This link will give some of the differences between different calendars /uses.

    http://divinumofficium.com/cgi-bin/horas/officium.pl

    If you do end up using a version that is not 1962 comparable it would be wise to warn any clerics bound to say the Office, that may sing with you before hand. I have not found it a problem to use older versions but it is good to check first.
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