Singing lauds everyday
  • IdeK
    Posts: 87
    Good evening,

    I'm currently thinking of ditching my Prière du temps présent, aka the French adaptation of the diurnal. I say or sing Lauds every morning, and I'm tired of the bad hymns with no music in here - basically it's just bad poetry. During privileged times it's not that bad, but we're back to ordinary time.

    My main problem is the hymns, but I'd like to be able to sing the full Lauds office sometimes too. Ah, and I'm not Cresus.

    There are the Heures grégoriennes, but they are awfully expensive.
    There is the new Antiphonale romanum, but it's only for sundays and feasts, so what about the dreadful weekday hymns ?
    There is the Liber hymnarius and the Hymnaire, which I understand is the Liber hymnarius with French translations (could anyone confirm that ?), but then I would only have the hymns.

    What would you recommand ? Do you use any of these books ? Is Les Heures grégoriennes worth sparing money for several months ?
  • FKulash
    Posts: 82
    Hi,

    You're right; the Hymnaire is the Liber Hymnarius (in Latin) with French translations. Some of the hymn translations are not in verse and can't be sung (at least not to any regular tunes). Most of the daily Ordinary Time hymns are in verse. I don't know French well enough to say how good the translations are. For everything except hymns there is just a prose translation. For example, there are 43 pages of multiple settings of the Invitatory Psalm 95 in Latin, followed by the French text on one page.

    Les Heures Grégoriennes has the same Latin hymns as the Hymnaire when it has the same hymns. (Occasionally it doesn't. For example, for Week 1 Saturday Lauds, the Hymnaire has a Marian hymn, and the hymn "Aurora iam spargit polum" which is in the Hymnaire doesn't appear at all.)

    If your main interest is getting hymns you can sing, then I recommend the Hymnaire rather than Les Heures Grégoriennes.
    Thanked by 1IdeK
  • joerg
    Posts: 137
    There is an inexpensive edition of the hymns of the Liturgia Horarum by the diocese of Eichstätt: Hymni ad usum in Liturgia Horarum
    It has all the texts (187) but just a limited number of melodies (20).
    Thanked by 3chonak FKulash igneus
  • FKulash
    Posts: 82
    … It has all the texts (187) ...

    Actually, the Hymnaire has about 353 distinct texts, including 62 in monastic use.
  • igneusigneus
    Posts: 390
    Isn't there in any religious community which uses the "Prière du temps présent", chants the Divine Office and has the texts set to music? I would think the francophone Catholic world is too large for this not to exist.

    Will any of the (few) French resources listed in my bibliography of LOTH musical settings be helpful for you?
    Thanked by 1IdeK
  • IdeK
    Posts: 87
    Thank you all for your advice !

    The people I know that use the Prière du temps présent are diocesan priests and lay people. The communities I know mostly have their own tools.

    I do use the Prière du temps présent for the antiphons and psalms and such, but the hymns are not a translation of the latin ones, they are generally hymns from the time when the book was made. There even is a translation of the Lord of the dance, even though it doesn't go to the English music and I don't know what music it is supposed to be sung to.

    I think I'm going to buy the Hymnaire. I could go to the Liber hymnarius but the french translations will give me extra confort. I understand they are only there for understanding, not for singing.
  • FKulash
    Posts: 82
    … I think I'm going to buy the Hymnaire. I could go to the Liber hymnarius but the french translations will give me extra confort. I understand they are only there for understanding, not for singing.

    It looks to me like most of the translations are designed for singing. For example, the first stanza of “Ætérne rerum cónditor” for Sunday, Week 1 Lauds:

    Éternel Créateur du monde
    qui régis la nuit et le jour
    et qui rythmes le cours du temps
    afin d’en alléger le poids,

    But I don't know French well enough to say whether this is really singable or not. I'd be interested in hearing from someone who is fluent in French (e.g., you) if the translations in the Hymnaire are good for singing.
  • IdeK
    Posts: 87
    Well, this one seems quite singable. Never heard that though, but it fits to the music of the latin hymn, and it does respect the complicated French accent system.

    I've ordered it today, it should be there in a few days. I'll tell you about the other hymns.
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,216
    I could use some "alléger le poids" after the past few weeks.
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