What is this rare flex symbol?
  • Geremia
    Posts: 269
    Usually, flexes are indicated by a dagger †, but this uses a different symbol:
    image
    This symbol indicates the flex in the first part of the verse of psalms and canticles, but the asterisk serves for the meter or pause in the middle of the verse [sung] in choir and in common.
  • FSSPmusic
    Posts: 292
    I think it's a variant used in the Dominican books, but I don't know what the symbol itself is called.
  • igneusigneus
    Posts: 394
    What book is that? The short lines suggest a two-column breviary, but Roman breviaries don't use the flex (before the advent of LOTH) and chant books aren't usually typeset in two columns.
  • FSSPmusic
    Posts: 292
    Examples from the Dominican Gradual. I suspect it's a stylized Tironian note.
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  • MatthewRoth
    Posts: 2,370
    The Roman antiphonal has two generously-sized columns, although the page is larger than the breviary’s. You can see that the spacing is not as tight as French typography of the time (and even now…) wound ordinarily require; anyway, between the number of pages needed and the size, you can’t insert pointing (italics take up more space) but the LU format allows this.
  • igneusigneus
    Posts: 394
    The Roman antiphonal has two generously-sized columns


    But it uses two-column layout selectively, mainly (if not exclusively) for psalms and canticles. The example in the initial post seems to be from some sort of general rubrics.
  • a_f_hawkins
    Posts: 3,478
    Here, down the left hand side, under Other Useful Links, there is a font file which includes it. Described as 'traditional Dominican flex mark'.
    http://dominican-liturgy.blogspot.com/search?q=flex
    [EDIT, ERROR]I think that blog is by our forum contributor Fr Innocent O.P. https://forum.musicasacra.com/forum/profile/1170/innocentop
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  • Geremia
    Posts: 269
    @FSSPmusic Yes, it is a Dominican breviary.
    Thanked by 1igneus
  • MatthewRoth
    Posts: 2,370
    It clearly says: Fr. Augustine Thompson, O.P., General Editor.
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  • smcatharine
    Posts: 50
    This is the flex used by Dominicans and Cistercians. Stupid me did this font file for this flex years ago not realizing it was right there in the Meinrad font package. It is actually a reading mark like for a comma, used in the early middle ages. We used to turn around a 2 and paste it in the word file.
    Many a postulant goes through her breviaries writing in this flex sign. If the new breviaries have the flex written in a part of our tradition will be weakened.
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