Modes for Thanksgiving Antiphons from the Roman Missal
  • JMJones
    Posts: 68
    If you were going to set the Entrance and Communion Antiphons for Thanksgiving Day from the Roman Missal to chant music, which mode would you use to match the moods of the antiphons?

    For reference, this is the Entrance Antiphon:
    "Sing and make music to the Lord in your hearts,
    always thanking God the Father for all things
    in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Eph. 5:19-20)


    And here are the 2 options for the Communion Antiphon:
    "I thank you, Lord, with all my heart,
    for you have heard the words of my mouth." (Ps 138:1)

    "How can I repay the Lord for all his goodness to me? The chalice of salvation I will raise, and I will call on the name of the Lord." (Ps 116: 12-13)


    Also, if you were going to add Psalm verses, it seems easy enough to add Psalm verses from the same Psalms used in the Communion antiphons, but if you were going to choose a Psalm verse to add to the Entrance Antiphon to match the format of the Introits in the Graduale Romanum, which Psalm would you choose?


    English translation of the Roman Missal, Copyright International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved.
  • Andrew_Malton
    Posts: 1,187
    Psalm 96

    Mode viii. Or maybe iii for the introit: sounds good today because of Dignus est agnus, mode iii.
  • ServiamScores
    Posts: 2,887
    Have you tried googling the incipits to see if these texts exist as latin chants? If they do, I would try to retain the savor (and mode) of the original. I'm sometimes surprised at the sound of certain ancient chants; some are more solemn than we might otherwise choose for ourselves today.
  • CGM
    Posts: 699
    Fr. Weber has done the work for you, in Vol. 3 of his collections of propers.
    Weber_Thanksgiving.pdf
    248K
    Thanked by 2ServiamScores PaxTecum
  • JMJones
    Posts: 68
    Andrew, the other Psalms in my brainstorm for the Introit are 92, 105, 106, or 107.
  • JMJones
    Posts: 68
    ServiamScores, yes. I've spent hours on gregobase.

    Introit:
    Cantate et psallite in cordibus vestris Domino, gratias agentes semper pro omnibus in nomine Domini nostri Iesu Christi Deo et Patri. Eph. 5:19-20


    There are numerous "Cantate" antiphons or derivatives, but none of them really come even close to that. The closest I can find are as follows, including the modes used (*=used most frequently) and the reasons for singing to the Lord in each of these verses.
    Exodus 15:1-2 - Mode V or *VIII* - gloriously magnified
    Psalm 98(97):1-2 - Mode I, *VI* or VII - marvelous deeds
    Psalm 96(95):2 - Mode *II*, V, or VII - bless his name
    Isaiah 42:10 - Mode *VII* - ends of the earth
    Psalm 21(20):14 - Mode *VIII* - sing and praise your power
    Psalm 13(12):6 - Mode I or *II* - dealt bountifully with me
    St. Cecelia - Mode *I* or VIII

    So the clear picture I'm getting here is avoid the pyrygian modes and probably use either a dorian or mixolydian mode.

    Communios:
    Confitebor tibi, Domine, in toto corde meo, quoniam audisti verba oris mei. Ps 138:1


    I see a bunch of "Confitebor" antiphons, but they're all the wrong Psalm.
    Psalm 119(118):7, 10, 17, 25. - Mode I
    Psalm 118(117):21. - Mode VIII
    Psalm 118(117):28? - Mode II
    Psalm 86(85):12 - Mode I
    Psalm 86(85):12-13 - Mode IV, but maybe not the same mood, as it has more of an emphasis on mercy and being saved from hell.

    https://gregobase.selapa.net/chant.php?id=11006 - This one is the first half of it, at least, but also used in many of the others above. I'm not clear on which Psalm it's referring to because there are multiple that contain that exact phrase. - Mode VIII

    So probably I, II, or VIII.


    Quid retribuam Domino pro omnibus quae retribuit mihi? Calicem salutaris accipiam, et nomen Domini invocabo. Ps 116: 12-13


    https://gregobase.selapa.net/chant.php?id=2608 - This one is at least the first half of the antiphon, used as an antiphon for 1st Vespers for the Sacred Heart along with Psalm 116(115):10-19 used as verses. It uses Mode VIII, so probably a solid choice.
  • JMJones
    Posts: 68
    CGM, thanks for that vote. I'm seeing that Fr. Weber used Modes VIII and I for the Introit with Psalm 111(110), Modes V or I for the first Communio option and Mode V for the second Communio option.

    For reference, I also have Ben Yanke's Ferial English Propers based on Simple English Propers that uses Mode I for both the Introit and the Communio option 2. (He does not set option 1.) He uses Psalm 92(91) with the Introit.
  • matthewjmatthewj
    Posts: 2,700
    Bartlett used VII for the entrance and VI for Communion.
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