As you probably know the introit for the second Sunday of Lent, Reminiscere, though retained as an option, was seemingly superseded in the ordinary form calendar by Tibi dixit. When I asked Richard Chonak if he knew why, he alerted me to a chain reaction of moves in the revised calendar. With the abolition of Sexagesima Sunday, the introit Exsurge was moved to Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent; the Introit for that day, namely Tibi dixit, was moved to the Second Sunday of Lent. The Ordo Cantus Missae specifies the change without explanation and without any specification of years A/B/C. However, Tibi dixit (Ps 27) agrees with the responsorial psalm in Year C for the Second Sunday, so the modern lectionary probably figured into it. There is also a question as to whether there was an intent to downplay the Advent theme contained in the verse of Reminiscere ("Ad te levavi...").

In addition to the above speculation, does anyone have any specific information to add regarding the rationale behind the change?

As to the chant itself, I particularly enjoy singing Tibi dixit so do not regret its Second Sunday of Lent placement. The degree of expressiveness evoked by the introit’s repercussions I find very unusual. You almost feel a kinship with a muezzin high in a minaret intoning the call to prayer and have to be on guard not to overdo it.

For those of you ordinary form musicians who enjoy a freedom to sing Latin introits, what reaction do you have to the chant Tibi dixit and the calendar change?