I don't currently have access to a modern Graduale Romanum. I'm hoping someone can help me with a scan of the Communion "Beátus venter qui portávit Christum Dóminum ; quinímmo beáti qui áudiunt verbum Dei, et custódiunt illud" which is for the Votive Mass of Our Lady, Queen of the Apostles. Our schola is to sing this for the diocese's 25th anniversary Mass. This is a big deal in this land. I can be reached at moconnor09 AT comcast DOT net.
I checked my GR and don't find either the Communion you seek or the Votive Mass for BVM Regina Apostolorum. I'll hope Jeffrey can give a good lesson on using these indexes!
No communion with that text in any of my books, old or new. The Cantus database lists it as a Magnificat Antiphon during the Christmas season, but only the most recent edition of Antiphonale Monasticum (2005) includes it (volume 1, page 87) for January 1. I also agree that, if there is such a votive Mass, it is well hidden.
The Mass of Our Lady, Queen of the Apostles, is schema 18 in the Collection of Masses of the BVM, issued in 1986 for the Marian year. I can check the Latin when I go to the seminary later this morning, but the English of the communion antiphon does not have the second clause from Luke 11:28, "Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it."
Just to clarify (because Jeffrey never does), the above is NOT a Communion chant. The only setting of the text I can find is an antiphon for the Magnificat, which appears in many manuscripts (according to the CANTUS database), but in modern books, only in the most recent edition (2005) of the Antiphonale Monasticum. While singing it at communion time is not inappropriate, it does not technically constitute a Communion chant.
That is, as far as I know, unless somebody's research turns up this mysterious votive Mass somewhere...
Might this be another case of a Missale proper with no corresponding Gregorian proper?
The latest edition of the Missale Romanum does indeed give this text as the communion for a votive Mass of Our Lady, Queen of the Apostles. But this Mass only made it into the Missal as of the most recent revision--or at the earliest, 1986, according to Paul F. Ford's comment above. The Ordo Cantus Missae was assembled in '72 so we wouldn't expect to have a chant assigned for this one.
Pre-council the Mass of BVM Regina Apostolorum was a feast observed only locally and by certain religious congregations, on the Saturday after Ascension. The Communion would surely have been "Beata viscera", assigned for Masses of the BVM in Paschaltide. '74 Graduale assigns "Diffusa est Gratia" for votives of the BVM in paschaltide. Surely either of these would be fitting for a modern celebration of this votive Mass.
Jeffrey and Richard, many thanks! Here is the note I received from the diocesan MC. He's a good guy and quite on top of things, but maybe this will help. Why they are using that liturgy for an anniversary Mass is anyone's guess! I'll see what I can find out.
"Okay – I looked up the antiphon in both the current Sacramentary as well as the 1962.
Current Latin antiphon – OLQA (Missae Votiva pps 1083-1084 – Missale Romanum – 2003) « Beátus venter qui portávit Christum Dóminum ; quinímmo beáti qui áudiunt verbum Dei, et custódiunt illud. » (Blessed is the womb that bore Christ the Lord ; how much more blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it)
Current English antiphon – OLQA (Collection of Masses of the BVM – pp 85) “Blessed is the womb of the Virgin Mary which bore the Son of the eternal Father, alleluia”
Latin antiphon – Missale Romanum – 1962 –( Votive Mass – OLQA – pp 171-172) “Beáta Mater et intact Virgo, gloríosa Regína mundi, intercede pro nobis ad Dóminum: tu enim glória Ierúsalm, tu laetítia Israel, tu honorificéntia pópuli nostri (Alleluia)” “Ever Virgin and Blessed Mother, glorious Queen of the wolrd, pray for us to the Lord: for you are the glory of Jerusalem, the joy of Israel, highest honor of our race. (Alleulia)”
The current Latin communion antiphon comes straight from the Gospel for the Day so it seems the most appropriate – not sure if you have musical settings for any of them – let me know."
The closest Communion antiphon in the current Graduale Romanum to what Michael's looking for is Beata viscera Mariae Virginis on page 423:
Beata viscera Mariae Virginis, quae portaverunt aeterni Patris Filium (alleluia). Blessed be the womb of the Virgin Mary, which carried the Son of the eternal Father (alleluia).
The current Latin communion antiphon comes straight from the Gospel for the Day so it seems the most appropriate – not sure if you have musical settings for any of them
Given this directive from the MC, I'd choose the Magnificat antiphon from the Antiphonale that Richard posted and use it as a communion. It's not unlike a communion antiphon in its structure anyway.
There is an article in which Fr. Ruff has suggested drawing from the Antiphonale Monasticum for the Mass since the antiphons match up so well with the lectionary. As far as "other suitable songs" go, this strikes me as not a bad idea.
For Missa Cantata, in either form, we sing the Propers (if they are to be truly Propers) as given in the Graduale Romanum. Full stop. The texts in the Missale are for recitation. If you want to start writing your own Graduale based on the Missal texts, knock yourself out. But they are not what the Church prescribes. If your MC has a problem with that, he is under-informed.
Richard, I'm with you 100% but if there is no mention of the votive Mass in the Graduale, then we must turn to the next best option, which is a perfectly suitable setting of the "recitation text". What would you suggest. My MC is very well informed and would be happy for us to do the Graduale antiphon, but I think using the 1962 antiphon is just as wrong as using the recitation text to a Vespers antiphon.
So, does the current Graduale specify an antiphon for this Mass?
I still cannot find anything about the Queen of the Apostles votive specifically. For votive Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary generally (GR p. 403-423), you have several options per Proper; for the Communion chant (p. 423), you can choose from Beata viscera (as was suggested above), Diffusa est, Gloriosa, or Ecce virgo. All of these, except Diffusa est, are available in Communio and on the CMAA website.
To use the Magnificat antiphon upon the prescribed text is not a bad choice, since a number of communion antiphons in the traditional Gregorian repertory are adaptations from Magnificat antiphons.
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