Hymn doxologies--history
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,513
    Is anyone familiar with the history of concluding office hymns with a doxological verse? Would this be an ancient practice--would Ambrose's and Gregory's texts have concluded this way, for example?

    Thanks!
  • Chris Garton-Zavesky
    Posts: 6,902
    Kathy,

    I'll start with the observation that there are various forms of a doxological last verse. Lucis Creator Optime, which we sang at Vespers, is one example. Verbum supernum prodiens, for Corpus Christi, is not the same, even as it is clearly doxological in its last verse.


    God bless,

    Chris
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,513
    Thank you, yes, I'd noticed that the doxological (last) verse often refers in some way to the subject of the hymn.

    Thank you!!
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,424
    An interesting question which merits some 'looking into'. I suspect that the same logic is applied to office hymns as is applied to psalmody and canticles. All are appropriately closed with an address of praise to the Triune Majesty. It is interesting too, that all classes of hymns do not always necessarily end doxologically, namely, devotional hymns such as Adoro te and Jesu dulcis, et cetera. The doxology seems, though, to be historically required of any psalmody or hymnody that is 'proper' to mass or office.
    Thanked by 1Gavin
  • Liam
    Posts: 5,116
    Yes, I thought it was the practice for *liturgical* hymnody; I suspect the answer derives from the practice of adding a doxology to liturgical psalmody & canticles.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,513
    Yes, this makes sense to me. After the reformation, in some quarters, hymnody was limited to metrical psalmody, and these psalms would have been treated like liturgically chanted psalms, and concluded with a Gloria.
  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,790
    Sadly one of the main books on our ancient Hymns: http://musicasacra.com/wpcproduct/the-hymns-of-the-breviary-and-missal-matthew-britt/
    Does not as far as I can see comment on the doxologies...

    But the other main text "Hymns of the Roman Liturgy, Connelly" does...
    Here is the relevant quote...
    "When Hymns were added to the Office, it was thought fitting that these 'private psalms' should end with a metrical equivalent of the Gloria Patri, and such endings are called doxologies"

    N.B. "Office" is referring to the Divine Office.

    This does not give us a date, and as far as I can see Connelly does not give one... Perhaps the time of St. Ambrose would be a good date.

    N.B. Connelly suggests that the Gloria in excelsis (Greater doxology) and the Gloria patri (lesser doxology) are far older and were added to the Mass and the psalms long before the the earliest hymns were written.

    Of course I could spend the next few days reading though the various books on hymns to find a clearer date. If anyone is interested I could give a list of books worth looking at.
    Thanked by 2Kathy CHGiffen
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,513
    I would love some bibliography!

    This quote is incredibly interesting! Connelly says that the hymns were thought of as "private psalms." I would very much like to see a period testimony of that thought in ancient writings.

    Please do mention any books you think might be helpful.
  • stanmetheny
    Posts: 12
    Have a look at Adrian Fortescue's article, "Doxology," in the Catholic Encyclopedia.
    Thanked by 1Kathy
  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,790
    The starting point with any study of our ancient latin Hymns, is the books mentioned above by Rev. Matthew Britt O.S.B. (republished by musica sacra), and the book by Connelly (republished by the FSSP)

    Below is a selected bibliography (this list is compiled from the above books)

    A dictionary of Hymnology, John Julian, 1907.

    Lateinische Hymnem des Mittelalters, F.J. Mone, 1855 3 vols.

    Analecta Hymnica, Dreves and Blume. 55? vols.

    Early Latin Hymnaries, James Mearns.

    The Hymns of the Dominican Missal and Breviary, Byrnes.

    These all should be found via google.

    The following quote from St. Augustine, (In Ps. 148, 17) is used by Connelly to show a link between the psalms and the Hymns.

    Hymnus omnibus sanctis eius. Hymnus scitis quid est? Cantus est cum laude Dei. Si laudas Deum, et non cantas, non dicis hymnum: si cantas, et non laudas Deum, non dicis hymnum: si laudas aliud quod non pertinet ad laudem Dei, etsi cantando laudes, non dicis hymnum. Hymnus ergo tria ista habet, et cantum, et laudem, et Dei. Laus ergo Dei in cantico, hymnus dicitur.

    Sadly the introduction in Connelly's book is too long to post anything more than a few quotes here.
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