Advent Hymn Tune Introits in Long Meter, Creative Commons
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,513
    Advent 1

    To you, O Lord, I lift my soul
    I trust in You, save me from shame.
    Let not my foes boast over me.
    Save those who trust in you from shame. -or- Protect the ones who trust your name.
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,513
    Advent 2

    Let Zion's people see the Lord
    Who comes to set the nations free.
    The Lord will sound His glorious voice.
    Your heart will hear Him joyfully.

    -Note that something of the interiority of the second half of the introit is lost, in my last two lines. The introit itself has the hearing, and something of the speaking, occuring in the joy of the heart. The interiority of the spoken word echoes the interiority of the spoken Word in God. It also indicates that the salvation of the nations happens on the level of conversion. It is something to be stressed, and if I can find a better way, I will post it here.
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,513
    Advent 3

    Rejoice at all times in the Lord.
    Be glad, rejoice, I say again.
    Let your unselfishness be seen.
    Indeed, the Lord is near at hand.
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,513
    Advent 4

    Let dew fall down from heav'n above.
    O clouds, rain down the Righteous One.
    And let the earth be opened up,
    And let the Savior forward come.
  • Charles in CenCA
    Posts: 2,416
    I'll make time!
    In fact I was thinking of folding in an Advent/Christmas/Epiphany Kyriale ala the old Missa Emmanuel along with those!
  • Charles in CenCA
    Posts: 2,416
    Oops, that was supposed to be a whisper. Cat's outta da bag!
    K, yuppers on the familiar, fall off the Yule Log idiom, makes sense. But to make Jam and other Charles' happy, I'll harmonize any strophic stuff like Arvo and Taverner! (Kidding.)
    This should jump start my muse, I hope. I had a moment of clarity after Mass yesterday. Our beloved organist was ill the entire weekend, so I had to shuffle coverage for four parishes on the fly. So after the last mid-day Mass, I jumped on the Harley to rattle me bones and vibrate my muscles into submission.
    So, I'm thinking of a Cantus Firmus Mass based upon "Born to be Wild." Dontcha think it would be the 21st C. version of "L'homme arme?"
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,513
    Lol. Personally I was thinking of Creator Alme Siderum, but go to town. Creative Commons. Let's get our synergy on.
  • JDE
    Posts: 588
    Well, "Born to be Wild" is at least a modal melody (in the Rock-n-Roll mode).
  • JDE
    Posts: 588
    By "Rock-n-Roll mode," I mean VII/VIII, even though "Carry on, my wayward son" appears to be in Mode I/II. Or at least the guitar solo is in Mode II.
  • Charles in CenCA
    Posts: 2,416
    Jonathan, great minds! I actually processed the I-VII-I melody and thought, how'd we miss doing that. We coulda masqued that up quite neatly!
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,513
    Dang. Give a man a Harley....

    Anyways, if anyone would like to quibble about nuances of these texts, infelicities of expression, etc., please feel free. I've rather dashed these off and they may well need refinement.
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,513
    Advent 4 revised:

    Let dew fall down from heav'n above.
    O clouds, rain down the Righteous One.
    And let the earth be opened up,
    And let the longed-for Savior come.
  • Aristotle EsguerraAristotle Esguerra
    Posts: 1,186
    These are great. Coupled with verses from A New Metrical Psalter and the Long-Meter doxology from Ryde Abbey (found in The Mundelein Psalter) they'd make a fantastic solution for many situations.

    Thank you!
  • Aristotle EsguerraAristotle Esguerra
    Posts: 1,186
    Verse, Advent 3

    cf Ps 85:2-3

    Lord, long ago you blessed your land,
    and brought back Jacob's exiled sons;
    You freed your people from their guilt,
    Forgave your sinful chosen ones.

    Option for second half of above verse: cf Ps 85:5 (if only one psalm-paraphrase verse is used)

    Unbind us also from our guilt,
    Forgive your sinful chosen ones.

    Optional second verse: cf Ps 85:5, 7, 8

    O God, our savior, bring us back!
    Will you not grant us life anew?
    Unbind us from our countless sins
    So that we may rejoice in you.

    (© 2011 Aristotle A. Esguerra. CC BY-NC-ND 3.0. Any resemblance to other extant copyrighted texts is purely coincidental.)
  • Charles in CenCA
    Posts: 2,416
    A short long meter (oxymoron alert) survey.
    Vote for your faves, cite which fit for which Advent Sunday. Add tunes at will.

    A la venue de Noël: seems a bit too medieval and jongleur for American use?
    Bromley : O blest Creator; O Trinity of blessed light: very Anglican (tho' Haydn), too triumphal?
    Conditor alme siderum: natural, but which week?
    Deus tuorum militum-O Vision blest of holy light: a strong, solid possibility
    Dunedin : Most Holy God; O Love of God, how strong and true: another solid tune
    Erhalt uns, Herr : When Christ's appearing; perhaps a bit too Lutheran, but solid:
    Old 100th: uh, well...it's ubiquitous
    Puer nobis : What star is this: another natural
    Truro: ditto (Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates)
    Vom Himmel hoch
    Winchester New: On Jordan's bank, so natural.
  • Aristotle EsguerraAristotle Esguerra
    Posts: 1,186
    Verse, Advent 2

    cf. Ps 80:2-3
    Shepherd of Israel, hear us now,
    who Joseph, like a flock, you lead:
    Rouse up your power from on high,
    and come to save us in our need.

    (© 2011 Aristotle A. Esguerra. CC BY-NC-ND 3.0. Any resemblance to other extant copyrighted texts is purely coincidental.)
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,513
    Of course anyone can do what s/he wants with these.

    What I have in mind, though, is a metrical, hymn-tune antiphon, alternating with Psalm-tone verses. I don't think Psalms need to be rhymed or metered.
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,513
    I should be clear that I'm not dismissing others' versification of Psalms. I'm just following up on a thread of Adam's. In that thread, I was proposing a project:

    Here is an introit-like thingie. Looking ahead to this Sunday, what if a congregation that is used to singing a hymn sang at the entrance something like this to I dunno, St. Thomas (Williams):

    Let every heart rejoice
    That searches for the Lord.
    O seek the Lord, O seek His strength,
    O seek the face of God.

    And then the congregation watches the procession, making Dr. Mahrt happy, whilst the ladies of the choir sing the first verse of the Psalm, to a Psalmtone that (here's the tricky part) somehow matches St. Thomas (Williams).

    The antiphon-ish thingie repeats. Same verse, of course. There's only one verse because, although it's a hymn tune, it's secretly an antiphon.

    The men of the choir sing a verse of the Psalm.

    The antiphon-ish thingie.

    Etc., until the incense stops swinging and the procession has run its course.
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,199
    Advent 4: No qualms with the first two lines, but "let" in the third line seems out of place, as it seems that it is a consequence of the action evoked in the first two lines is the opening up of the earth to bring for a Savior - not a further "let it happen" sort of thing (of course the "let" in the fourth line is meant as "cause to happen").

    Let dew drop down from heav'n above,
    And clouds rain down the Righteous One.
    The earth shall open up itself
    And let the long-sought Savior come.

    Just a thought and possible suggestion.
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,513
    Very helpful, Ari and Chuck! Please keep these issues coming.

    The main hope I have is that this project will be workable and useful.

    I'm blogging about this fwiw. Comments very welcome.
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,482
    I put forth a version of Kathy's suggestion:
    a metrical, hymn-tune antiphon, alternating with Psalm-tone verses. I don't think Psalms need to be rhymed or metered.

    Where the Psalms were set to Anglican Chant.
    Feedback from that was limited, but positive.

    I'm starting to put together an Anglican Chant Propers project. I will Advent done shortly, and then (based on feedback) will either continue through the year to create a complete resource, or abandon the project.

    But here's what will be on each Sunday:

    -Introit, with metrical antiphon and doxology, and Psalm verses set to Anglican chant on the facing page. (With the Antiphon and Doxology also pointed for Chanting, as an option)
    -Optional setting of the Introit with the same metrical antiphon and doxology, but a metrical setting of the Psalm verses as well. Facing page will have just the entire metrical text printed without music.
    -Offertory and Communion set similarly, but without an option included of Metrical psalm verses.
    -Metrical text and pointed psalms available without musical settings as a download

    You could:
    -Sing the entire introit text as a hymn
    -Sing any of the three as a hymned-antiphon with chanted verse
    -Sing any of the three as chant
    -Switch out Anglican psalm tones and/or hymn tunes

    That's my plan.

    And (assuming I have permission) I may steal some of Kathy's versifications in place of my own.
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,513
    Steal away. Sounds good!
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,482
    Sent you an email about this.
    I have an idea...
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,513
    So far, Adam is working on an Anglican-oriented project with Noel and me, and Charles is setting these as well.

    Please feel free, anyone, to make use of these Hymn Tune Propers.

    While metrical settings of the propers are not the goal, many see them as a useful step on the way. They are admittedly not cantillation. However, they easily allow a parish to use the proper format for liturgical processions, and perhaps most importantly, the proper text.
  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    Too bad these couldn't have made it into the VII hymnal...
  • Jeffrey TuckerJeffrey Tucker
    Posts: 3,624
    Umm, this is totally brilliant. I can't believe it. I'm stunned.

    Something so obvious except that no one has really thought of it - not that I know of. Incredible.
  • RobertRobert
    Posts: 343
    "no one has really thought of it - not that I know of"

    It seems worth mentioning that Christopher Tietze has written an entire book about metrical introits.

    Kathy's versions have the benefit of being both very well-crafted and free of copyright restrictions.
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,513
    Thank you, JT, Robert and all.

    Jeffrey kindly blogs about this project on the Chant Cafe today.

    I agree, Robert, that this is something like Dr. Tietze's project. We all owe him a great deal; he is a visionary. The difference here is that the Psalm is not set, but is meant to be sung by the choir in a Psalm tone. The congregation sings the Introit antiphonally with the choir's psalmody. Then all join in on the doxology, set to the hymn tune. At least, this is what I envision. I believe it is the correct format for a processional chant.

    It is not a substitute for a chanted antiphon but merely an additional resource that might help parishes make a transition to singing the propers.

    Thank you very much for your kind words.
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,482
    Umm, this is totally brilliant. I can't believe it. I'm stunned.

    Something so obvious except that no one has really thought of it - not that I know of. Incredible.


    Really? No one?

    http://musicasacra.com/forum/comments.php?DiscussionID=5704
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,513
    Adam makes a fair point. Although I thought of Hymn Tune Propers independently, in Paris, in August, Adam's thread here really got the ball rolling for all of us.

    Adam is working on a fantastic project--I believe he is working with Noel Jones as well--in which his settings of the introit antiphons and some of mine are set with Anglican chant settings. It is beautiful work, beautifully engraved as well.

    My own contribution is, and foreseeably will be, simply versifications of the Introits, which I will post in a completely separate thread from all of these and maintain as I write them. Anyone is welcome to set them in any way they would like. I am now up to the Baptism of the Lord.
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,482
    Although I thought of Hymn Tune Propers independently, in Paris, in August,

    And, as mentioned, Christopher Tietze not only thought of it, but completed and published it, several years ago.

    The more the merrier, is all I have to say.
  • ghmus7
    Posts: 1,486
    This is all great, but there is a practical problem: How does the congregation know when to come in on the refrain (antiphon). I guess they just watch the text in a bulletin?
    In other word, when the choir finishes the verse to a psalm tone, the cong has to know when to come in on the antiphon. Might be a bit messy?
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,482
    Probably need a cantor up front waving his arms like a maniac.
  • noel jones, aagonoel jones, aago
    Posts: 6,611
    No.

    The Choir (and organ if playing) stops. Takes a breath and sings on.

    The inability of singers playing cantor, choirs and organists to be able to delineate the end of a musical phrase in a clear manner is the biggest roadblock to successful music in the Catholic Church.

    Protestant organists learn this quickly, since they do not have to deal with leading and helping singers playing cantor, instead, they serve as the leader of the music to the choir and congregation when the congregation is singing.

    In those Southern Baptist churches that have music directors waving their hands at the congregation, the people sing when the organ and piano come in, not when the director proves that his (primarily a male role, ladies - this is Southern Baptist territory) antiperspirant has worked or failed).

    Churches that engage kids and adults to play the organ with no musical training kill music making.

    A choir or cantor that maintains the tempo, softens a bit as they end the phrase, and then sing the Antiphon are DOING THEIR JOB. If they slow down at the end of the phrase, they are KILLING THE MUSIC.
    Thanked by 1ryand
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,513
    Psalm tones have a recognizable cadence.
    Thanked by 1ryand
  • Earl_GreyEarl_Grey
    Posts: 904
    Would you envision having the choir or congregation sing the hymns with their typical texts (Lift up your heads, on jordan's bank, etc) as a prelude before the actual entrance rite? I suppose that could work even with chanted propers: a congregational hymn before and after Mass (for those who arrive on time and don't leave early).
  • noel jones, aagonoel jones, aago
    Posts: 6,611
    Only VI and VII have anything that comes close to a recognizable cadence to modern ears in the congregation, hence the need for musical termination.

    VI and VII could even be accompanied with I IV V chords....the others, not.
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,513
    Earl, a lot of congregations begin using propers by "stacking" a typical hymn with an antiphon. It seems like a good segue.

    Noel, I agree that there is an art to leading congregational singing. I doubt we disagree much here at all.
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,482
    Just to be clear, I was joking about the cantor.
    The giveaway was "waving his arms like a maniac."
    Thanked by 1Kathy
  • ghmus7
    Posts: 1,486
    Yes, we have all experienced the 'helicopter cantor effect' where the cantor turns around and waves in a complete circle, and looks as if he/she will be airborne any second (wishes don't make things true). Best observed in a circular 'around the altar' style church.
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