Chanting the Little Office of the BVM
  • CradleRevert
    Posts: 23
    I'm looking for some music resources for the chanting of the Little Offices of the BVM. I own the fantastic Baronius Press edition of the Little Office, which includes some of the music notations in the index of the book, but from what I can tell, it isn't totally complete if one wished to chant the entire Office.

    I did find a website in which a gentleman has posted some great booklets that he created containing the full chants for all of the minor hours of the Little Office, but unfortunately he hasn't posted the booklets for the major hours (Matins, Lauds, Vespers and Compline).

    I'd like to endeavor to compile this myself (unless someone else can point me to a resource which already has this completed). I have a few questions though:

    1. I understand that psalm tone modes are determined by matching the mode of the antiphon. However, most of the modes as listed in the Liber contain a variety of termination options for each mode. Is there a science to choosing the appropriate termination for a given psalm tone mode, or do you just pick whichever one tickles your fancy?

    2. How is the psalm tone mode determined for the hours which don't contain an antiphon?

    3. Finally, what software can you all recommend for creating chant music? I've tried the Caeciliae fonts on my computer, but there seem to be some issues with them when trying to create certain neumes.
  • davido
    Posts: 943
    1. The antiphons usually list a number for the mode and a letter which corresponds to the ending. See this document: http://media.musicasacra.com/pdf/tones.pdf
    The letter on the Antiphon refers you to the psalm tone ending that will best return you to the repetition of the Antiphon at the end of the psalm.

    2. When there is no Antiphon, the psalms are sing to the 'tonus in directum.'

    3. Gregorio is the most stable way of engraving chant. However, Caecilae should be able to set any neume you need for the little office.

    I have vespers engraved. If I remember I will post when I get home.
    Thanked by 1JonathanKK
  • JonathanKKJonathanKK
    Posts: 542
    Hello,
    It sounds like you're talking about my blog, The Ictus.

    The reason I haven't been posting more resources for the Little Office is that somewhere along the way I realized that what was actually wanted was a whole book, and since then, I have been working on putting it together.

    After I finished with all the hours of the Little Office, I realized that there were many other things which might profitably be included in such a book, and I have completed these appendices.

    At present, I am needing to work out the front matter and the indices, after which I will want to go over everything to make sure that the formatting is consistent.

    Then the plan is to see what kind of official approval it needs, and after that, publish it.

    Anyhow, it will in all probability be a while until I am done.

    Meanwhile...

    Thanked by 2StimsonInRehab janetgorbitz
  • bhcordovabhcordova
    Posts: 1,164
    The Little Office of the BVM is taken from the Breviary. If you look at the days in the Breviary matching the Little Office, you can check the Liber for the correct chants.
  • JonathanKKJonathanKK
    Posts: 542
    For the little hours of Prime, Terce, Sext, and None, you ought to be able to turn up all of the necessary chants in the Liber Usualis (1961).

    However, for Lauds, Vespers, and Compline, there are a few chants for which recourse must be had to the Antiphonale Romanum (1912).

    ***

    Long side note:

    No one ever tells you this, but there exists a 1949 version of this Antiphonale which is equipped with rhythmic signs.

    I myself am blessed to have easy access to one, which my college's library has in circulation; it really does exist.

    However, as it seems to be a rather rare book, it has not yet made it online for us all to use.

    (We need to do something about this, but I don't know what, yet. You can find a listing for it and even a more recent version on Google books, but they seem to regard it as under copyright. I would bet that if Mr. Ostrowski ever got hold of one, he would disagree; I would think it could go online just like any of the other pre-Vatican II Solesmes books.)

    ***

    Anyhow, either way, the Antiphonale Romanum only covers the day hours; thus, what to do?

    For Matins, the common tones, hymn, and Te Deum(s) would definitely come from the Antiphonale, as above.

    Some of the responsories can be found in various Solesmes editions, but not all; and even so, that still leaves the antiphons and the invitatory lacking.

    The solution chosen by Baronius seems to have been to use the Nocturnale Romanum (2002), which was put together by the late Holger Peter Sandhofe (Requiescat in pace). Incidentally, this has no rhythmic signs, which may why Baronius does not have rhythmic signs either.

    My solution, which I would argue is more authentic, is to instead take these Matins chants (invitatory, responsories, and antiphons) from the pre-Vatican Edition Solesmes books from the 1890's. This is in fact what it seems that the Liber Usualis itself does in cases such as the Matins it gives for Pentecost and Corpus Christi where it states that the chants have been "taken from the publications of Solesmes".

    Initially I found the chants I needed in the Liber Responsorialis (1895) and the Processionale Monasticum (1893 et al.). Then a helpful person on the forum gave me the link to the Cantus Varii Romano-Seraphici (1902). Take a look at that last link, for included in that book there is also included a Petit Office de la Tres Sainte Vierge from 1893 which confirmed for me that the chants of this era were indeed used for the Little Office, back in the day.

    Hope this is a helpful summary (regarding the sources for the chant of the Little Office).
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • CradleRevert
    Posts: 23
    JonathanKK,

    It was indeed your blog which I was referring to. Thank you for the explanation. Your book sounds like it will be a wonderful resource. Do let us know once you are able to publish it. I'd be happy to be one of the first buyers.
  • davido
    Posts: 943
    Here is what I have for vespers. It uses the famous tune for the Ave maris stella, rather than the simpler one that is for the Little Office. I apologize if there are any mistakes.
    Vespers with music.pdf
    4M
  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,782
    JonathanKK

    1949 Antiphonale Romanum, is listed here, http://www.gregorianbooks.com/gregorian_books.html
    I am sure it has been mentioned on this forum by me, my Parish has a copy, that is sitting on my bookshelf downstairs. The most interesting part of this book is the appendix of music for Benediction.

    As for the two links to Google books in the record it suggests that they have been digitalised, can scanned versions be downloaded by anyone?

    As for interesting books... It has been scanned by the Vatican but they are not willing to share! https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Liber_nocturnalis_sacrosanctae_patriarch.html?id=iX4ntwAACAAJ&hl=en

    N.B. While scanned version are lovely to have, I do wonder if it would be better to input them to Gregobase.

    Also I vaguely remember that someone found a book with the Little Office of the B.V.M with Chant Notation, but I can't find it now.
  • JonathanKKJonathanKK
    Posts: 542
    Any idea the year for the Little Office book you vaguely remember?

    I've been assuming it was never put together after the "post-Vatican Edition" books started coming out, as I don't remember ever finding anything of the sort.

    However, from experience, it seems that there may always be one more Solesmes book I haven't found, so who knows...
  • bhcordovabhcordova
    Posts: 1,164
    As the OP noted, Baronius Press has a pre-Vatican II version of the Little Office with hymns for the Office in chant notation. I have a copy in my library.
    Thanked by 1Jes
  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,782
    JonathanKK

    I thought someone mentioned the Little Office with chant on this forum, but the usual search does not find it, As far as I remember it was c.1890-1910 ed.

    Anyway while doing a google search I found this,
    https://archive.org/details/manualofsodality00soda
  • igneusigneus
    Posts: 390
    @CradleRevert you might also go to http://stiwolfgangi.xf.cz/serconventus.php and download the book I typeset for one Czech choir. You might even go to github https://github.com/igneus/Editio-Sti-Wolfgangi/tree/master/Conventus/OfficiumParvumBMV , fork the project and replace included Czech translations with vernacular texts of your choice, change the book layout, or do with it whatever you like.
    Thanked by 2JonathanKK Jahaza
  • JesJes
    Posts: 576
    I'm looking for this for kids. Anybody got a really simple way to teach this?
  • JesJes
    Posts: 576
    I just got my books one off a website somewhere. liberreader.wordpress.com
    can recommend really nice clear notation and text.
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