Fr. Weber Simple Psalm Tones
  • Nathan_the_Organist
    Posts: 440
    I have a question on the psalm tones Fr. Weber uses in his Propers. If you look at his Glory Be verses at the back, he has both the simple and the solemn tone. I know the solemn tones are from the traditional Latin Propers. What is the origin of the simple tones? Do they also come from the Latin Propers, the Divine Office, some other source, or did he write them himself?
    Thanked by 1Salieri
  • SalieriSalieri
    Posts: 3,177
    They are the Psalm Tones of the Divine Office. The second "simple tone" for Mode 2 is the tone for Compline of the Octave of Easter, when the psalmody is recited "In Directum" without an Antiphon.
    Thanked by 1Nathan_the_Organist
  • a_f_hawkins
    Posts: 3,467
    The Liber Usualis gives 31 tone endings for the Office, plus the peregrinus. Fr Weber uses 21 of them, the Graduale Simplex 22.
    Thanked by 2Nathan_the_Organist Paul F. Ford
  • Nathan_the_Organist
    Posts: 440
    Thanks for the help. I found a pdf online that has all of them. What exactly is the peregrinus?
  • Paul F. Ford
    Posts: 864
    Nathan, can you give us the address of this PDF, so we can be sure we have it? Thanks, Paul
  • SalieriSalieri
    Posts: 3,177
    It is a tone that wanders: it has two reciting pitches (tenors), unlike the other tones which recite on the "dominant" of the modes that they are connected with: Modes I, V, VII on the fifth degree; II, (IV), VI on the third, III on the sixth, IV, VIII on the fourth (it's really a little more complicated than this, but this is the gist): the psalm tone is chosen to match the mode of the Antiphon with which it is used. There are some Antiphons which do not fit within the eight Modes of the "octoechos", and with which the various Irregular Tones are assigned: most of the Irregular Tones have a constant tenor like the other tones: the Tonus Peregrinus is unique because the tenor changes, thus it is a "wandering tone", and the Antiphons that use this tone also wander through the modes: cf. Sunday Vespers (Old rite), antiphon for Psalm 113 (In exitu Israel).
    Thanked by 2Chris Garton-Zavesky Nathan_the_Organist
  • ServiamScores
    Posts: 2,888
    There is a pdf of the office psalm tones in the cmaa resources tab. “Psalm tone sheet”

    https://media.musicasacra.com/pdf/tones.pdf
  • Nathan_the_Organist
    Posts: 440
    Thanks Salieri!

    The one Serviam has linked is the same one I found.
  • a_f_hawkins
    Posts: 3,467
    The tonus peregrinus is shown as the last one on that sheet, labelled "per.".
    A bit more detail here.
  • ServiamScores
    Posts: 2,888
    As a quick aside, here’s a little plug for my ‘Alleluia Peregrinus” which is a great alleluia for advent and for funerals, in particular. https://youtu.be/H9xmEdped40
    Thanked by 4lmassery hilluminar Nathan_the_Organist GregoryWeber
  • lmassery
    Posts: 422
    That’s cool Serviam. Having heard that I would love to hear it set to a Lenten gospel acclamation .
    Thanked by 3ServiamScores hilluminar Nathan_the_Organist
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