Chant for Our Lady of the Sacred Heart
  • Dear friends and benefactors,
    I'm attempting to track down a the mass setting for Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. From my research it's been held either on May 8th or 31st (depending on the reference) and am having considerable difficulty in locating the Gregorian chant for this feast day.

    I've perused through my '62 and '55 Liber (yes, even the far back!), sought out recommendations from others locally who have considerable more experience in the matter, and come up empty-handed. My best thought was perhaps a church which has Our Lady's feast day as her patron saint would have already sought out these works for its congregation, and I've written a few church choir directors with their patron saint as such.

    Any other recommendations to ordinariates or orders that might have such chant?

    My greatest thanks and appreciation,
    Austin
  • a_f_hawkins
    Posts: 3,471
    This unofficial website gives only one date, May 30th in Mexico. I know it is not exhaustive, as the Isle of Man has just been granted a celebration of Our Lady of Rushen, on September 12th.
    Of course not all titles of Mary have associated feast days. Star of the Sea is a popular church dedication, but there is no associated feast.
  • RevAMG
    Posts: 162
    a_f_hawkins: Mary, Star of the Sea is usually celebrated on September 27 each year. Although if you're in Sliema, Malta it's the first Sunday after August 18. There are Mass formularies as well, which can be used a votive Mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary (attached).
    The-Blessed-Virgin-Mar-Star-of-the-Sea-Liturgy-Guide-Votive-Mass-text-Liturgy-of-the-Hours.pdf
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  • JonathanKKJonathanKK
    Posts: 542
    The 1962 Missale Romanum has a Mass for this feast in the "pro aliquibus locis" section, which may be found on p. [160] HERE. That at least gives the texts needed for Die 8 maii / Beatae Mariae Virginis D. N. a S. Corde Iesu.

    The gradual and alleluia's can all be found amongst the chants of the Common of Feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and thus are readily available in the Liber or Graduale.

    However, I am not finding the Introit, Tract, Offertory, or Communion, the texts of which are:


    Ant. ad Introitum - Ps. 9, 3 et 11
    Laetabor et exsultabo in te: sperent in te qui noverunt nomen tuum, quoniam non derelinquis quaerentes te. (T.P. Alleluia, alleluia.) Ps. ibid., 2 Confitebor tibi, Domine, in toto corde meo: narrabo omnia mirabilia tua. V. Gloria Patri.

    Tractus - Luc. 1, 46-50
    Magnificat anima mea Dominum: et exsultavit spiritus meus in Deo salutari meo. V. Quia respexit humilitatem ancillae suae: ecce enim ex hoc beatam me dicent omnes generationes. V. Quia fecit mihi magna qui potens est: et sanctum nomen eius. V. Et misericordia eius a progenie in progenies timentibus eum.

    Ant. ad Offertorium - Ierem. 18, 20
    Recordare, Virgo Mater Dei, dum steteris in conspectu Domini, ut loquaris pro nobis bona. (T.P. Alleluia.)

    Ant. ad Communionem - Eccli. 24, 25
    In me gratia omnis viae et veritatis, in me omnis spes vitae et virtutis. (T.P. Alleluia.)

    Final note: the psalm for the above introit is according to the Gallican psalter, which is a slightly hopeful sign, as some examples have been found where the introit given in the '62 Missal is such a new composition (textually) that the psalm is in fact according to the Pian psalter.
    Thanked by 1delarosaau
  • rich_enough
    Posts: 1,048
    The offertory text is the same as the first part of the offertory for the feast of the Seven Sorrows of Our Ladỵ.
  • JonathanKKJonathanKK
    Posts: 542
    I noticed that, but they diverge after three words.
    Thanked by 1rich_enough
  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,782
    The Tract missing the last two verses above is in the 1924 Graduale pg 28** Purissimi Cordis B.M.V.

    Has anyone tried the supplements at the back of the Ratisbonne graduale?
  • I've attached the corresponding text that I do have in hand for the feast of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart for reference (seems to match up perfectly with JonathanKK's provided text - thank you!).

    @JonathanKK your first post section "Final note" - forgive my ignorance but to what source are you pointing based upon the origin of the introit?

    Finally assuming that there was never chant written specifically for this particular feast what kind of protocols are there surrounding taking an existing plainchant and adapting it to new words? I may be deft but it certainly seems done again and again, hearkening to other feasts out of respect or to draw our minds of that day, not so much "recycled" as "using the best of what is already given." Thoughts? Suggestions?

    And as always, thank you all kindly for your hard work and support. Ad majorem Dei gloriam.
    20180428100655476 (1).pdf
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  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,782
    image
    Magnificat.pdf
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    Thanked by 1JonathanKK
  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,782
    The Dominican Graduale has almost the correct text for the Offertory, which could be modified... pg 364 of the 1950 Suarez edition, this book can be found among the CMAA resources.

    I think I have now run out of books to check...
    Thanked by 1delarosaau
  • JonathanKKJonathanKK
    Posts: 542
    St. Jerome did 3 different translations of the psalter. The one which is commonly used, e.g. for the psalms of the divine office in the Liber Usualis or traditional Roman Breviary, is called the "Gallican" psalter.

    In 1945 however, a new Latin translation of the psalter was put out which came to be known as the "Pian" psalter", due to Pius XII being the pope at the time (or "Bea" psalter, after Augustin Bea, S.J.).

    At the time, everyone thought the Pian psalter was going to be this great new thing, and so it was used in the modern up-to-date liturgical books of the time. It has been observed that there are instances in the Missale Romanum of 1962 where the verse of the introit matches up with the text of this Pian psalter rather than the Gallican, and this is evidence that the text would have been composed after 1945.

    Anyhow, I was thinking of THIS situation, where propers could not be found for St. Maria Goretti, and were thus composed for the occasion.

    The introit verse in this case was: Beati quorum immaculata est via: qui ambulant in lege Domini. (Pian psalter)

    Compare with the more familiar: Beati immaculati in via: qui ambulant in lege Domini (Gallican psalter)

    For a sort of comforting perspective / amusing thought about this, see also THIS little piece of fiction, which I sometimes think of when this comes up.
  • delarosaau
    Posts: 5
    Quick update: while I haven't given up the search, the tentacles are still a-lookin' far and wide, I've relented that for the time being there's got to be something to fill the need. With the guidance of a well-versed Sister I've constructed an Introit with the proper prayers. The others will be set as well but mostly exist - in some form - as parts of other Masses and I'll work through them shortly

    So please, if you'd do me the honor, look at the Introit I've attached and provide any commentary (be blunt, it's not personal!) so I might better the melody, the flow, the overall prayer. My specialty is melodic line and music-making, and I'll be the first to admit the intricacies of chant, specific formulas, reasons of mode in terms of Feast, etc. are well outside my typical workhouse. (although I'm wanting to learn!)


    As always thank you all so kindly for your help! May God bless you.

    Austin
    Introit OLOSH.pdf
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  • delarosaau
    Posts: 5
    So I managed to work in finishing up the propers in time for the feast, to be celebrated this Tuesday, May 8th. As before please look through the texts and provide any textual, melodic, constructive criticism as I know this will need shaping.

    Also I've attached one file with all the propers put together - forgive me but it's been quite some time since I've used any chant font program and I'm relearning how to set appropriate spacings, restart a line, etc.

    As always, my greatest appreciation and thanks,
    Austin
    Introit OLOSH.pdf
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    Paschal Alleluia OLOSH.pdf
    25K
    Second Alleluia OLOSH.pdf
    19K
    Offertory OLOSH.pdf
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    Communion OLOSH.pdf
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    OLOSH Propers Paschal Time.pdf
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  • Richard MixRichard Mix
    Posts: 2,802
    What program are you using? All the text seems to be cropped at the top.
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,216
    Looks OK here.
  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,782
    I suspect a pdf error... Using Safari the top of the text is chopped, because the chant font is sitting above it.
    Thanked by 1Richard Mix
  • a_f_hawkins
    Posts: 3,471
    Looks and prints fine for me in Firefox
  • Richard MixRichard Mix
    Posts: 2,802
    I am indeed using Safari.
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,216
    If you use Adobe Reader to view the file, it will probably display without any problem.
  • aldrich
    Posts: 230
    UPDATE: June 2021 - Added line for Offertory

    The propers our choir has been using since 2016: https://cappellagregoriana.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/in-festo-b.-m.-v.-a-sacro-corde.pdf

    Our Lady of the Sacred Heart is observed on the first Sunday of June in the church where we serve.
  • Wow, fantastic! Thank you for the chant. Who wrote the chant and what program did they use to put this typeset together? Looks brilliant.
  • aldrich
    Posts: 230
    I wrote (more of made contrafacta for) the chant, typeset it in Grégoire (yeah, very old school), and laid out the whole thing in Publisher.
    Thanked by 1delarosaau