Responsorial Psalms from Invitatories
  • GerardH
    Posts: 411
    I had a rather particular set of instructions for a wedding which I directed over the weekend. The Mass was OF, but entirely in Latin, except for the readings, vows and prayers of the the faithful.

    Most strange was the request for a Responsorial Psalm in Latin. I attempted to suggest the Gradual in place, but in the end got too confused over what to do in Eastertide. (It should be two Alleluias, yes? But the 1974 GR only has one.) The psalm was to be cantored by a relative of the groom, who was reportedly an active liturgical singer, but who I had never met, and so I also had to be wary of selecting anything too complex.

    There was discussion on this forum in January about responsorial psalms, and how the verses should perhaps be more melismatic to reflect their soloistic character. Now the idea of responsorial psalmody is generally regarded as an innovation from the 20th century, and certainly it seems to be foreign to the Mass by any reliable recorded history (although I'm happy to be proven wrong). If I'm not mistaken, though, it does have precedent in the Office, where the Invitatory antiphon is sung responsorially between verses of the Venite sung by cantor(s).

    Basically, and because I was short of time, I composed a basic response for the congregation, and adapted the Psalmus invitatorius Tonus VI* [Edit: from the Liber Hymnarius 1983] for the verses. It was very effective, the congregation and choir joined in, the soloist was showcased - all the boxes ticked. Perhaps the invitatory tones could be a good general source of responsorial psalm verses. Thoughts?
    Responsorial-Psalm--Ecce-sic.pdf
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    Thanked by 8Salieri CHGiffen M. Jackson Osborn Richard Mix Paul F. Ford rich_enough Andrew_Malton jchthys
  • SalieriSalieri
    Posts: 3,177
    This is quite nice. And, yes, the invitatory tones, I think, should be the way forward for RPs.

    One quibble: It's not that responsorial psalmody is an innovation, but that the Responsorial Psalms contained in the Lectionary are themselves innovations--they are nothing like the other responsories of the Mass (the Gradual and Alleluias), and have no historical equivalent in the corpus of Latin Mass chants, in either choice of text or form.
    Thanked by 2GerardH Andrew_Malton
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,368
    Gerard -

    I like very much what you have done and believe strongly that others should take a cue and follow suit. Your work illustrates what the responsorial psalm should resemble. I have composed some RP verses that are almost as elaborate as a gradual and they were very well received. None of my verses followed a formula such as yours, but were distinctive melodies for each verse.

    If more people would follow your example the RP would be on its way to being the worshipful complement to the mass that it ought to be.
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen GerardH
  • Palestrina
    Posts: 364
    Very impressed, Gerard - a sensible solution to a long-term problem, with a sound historical precedent. Responds well to the Council’s requirement that new liturgical for a should grow organically out it the old. Added benefit of adaptability - this could easily be fashioned for any number of antiphons. Thanks for sharing this!
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen GerardH
  • smvanroodesmvanroode
    Posts: 967
    In The Netherlands, this style of more elaborate responsorial psalms has been used since the 1970s by Benedictine composers. These are beautiful and really add to the reflective character of the responsorial psalm. I attached two well-known psalms as an example.
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    Thanked by 8Paul F. Ford CHGiffen M. Jackson Osborn Richard Mix Salieri GerardH MNadalin Andrew_Malton
  • a_f_hawkins
    Posts: 3,372
    The Graduale Simplex has responsorial psalms which are set with responses, not looking 'antiphonal'. So there is a structural model for precedent, albeit not of long pedigree. In Eastertide there is a Psalmus Alleluiaticus* 1, then a choice of Psalmus Alleluiaticus 2 or an Alleluia, if only one reading then any one of these. The actual Eastertide texts in GS are all from Ps. 107(106V), and the tunes are rather plain; which is what you get if you are only looking in the Gregorian corpus.
    OTOH some would argue that neoGregorian compositions in Latin are undesireable as they weaken the tradition.
    * i.e. a psalm with response Alleluia, alleluia
    Thanked by 2Paul F. Ford Andrew_Malton
  • GerardH
    Posts: 411
    @a_f_hawkins Yes, I had a glance at the GS for inspiration too, but ended up going the way above. Given the unfamiliarity of the congregation with so many elements (like the uncanny valley of Latin OF), I decided against the GS format. They seem to be more styled after the responsorium breve of the office, yet another format alongside the gradual and lectionary forms! How much more confusion do we need?

    Looking at it again, I note too that Missa pro sponsis from the GS also doesn't have an Eastertide Psalmus Alleluiaticus* 1. It's almost as if only one reading was assumed at a Nuptial Mass.
  • MichaelDickson
    Posts: 419
    Very nice. Thank you.
    Thanked by 1GerardH
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