Seeking some rare Responsories from the Office of the Dead
  • As part of my ongoing project to create singable editions of parts of the Divine Office according to the medieval Use of Nidaros (or Trondheim), I have been looking at the Office of the Dead. I have come up against the besetting difficulty of this project: I have the texts (from the Breviarium Nidrosiense), but not the music. I have found music for most of the texts from parallel sources (Sarum, Worcester Antiphoner, modern Solesmes editions, &c.), but the following elements are eluding me:

    R. Domine qui creasti. V. Si quae illis. [Mode 8]

    R. Absolve Domine . V. Requiem eternam. [Mode 1]

    V. Nichil proficiat. [Verse of the Mode 2 Responsory Ne tradas]

    R. Tuam Deus piissime Pater. V. Miserator et misericors. [Mode 7]

    R. Ego sum resurrectio. V. Et omnis qui vivit. [Mode 8]

    V. Anime eorum. [Verse of the Mode 7 Responsory Requiem eternam]

    The modes cited here are as given in the marvellous Cantus database, which informs me that the Responsories Domine, Absolve, and Tuam Deus are found in the so-called "Antiphoner of Franco" from St Mary's Collegiate Church, Aachen; and Ego sum is in the St Vaast Breviary, so the easiest solution to my problem might be to track down editions or microfilms of these MSS, if such there be. I thought I'd put it out here on the forum, though, in case any of you know where I might find the music for these elusive Responsories.

    Thanks!
  • Dear Ben,

    If you track down all the folio numbers and mss references from the CUA Mocquereau collection (http://libraries.cua.edu/music/DomMocquer.cfm), I might be able to make scans for you of these chants.

    bro. Innocent Smith, op
    Washington, DC
    Thanked by 1Ben_Whitworth
  • That's a very kind offer, brother; I'll send you a message.
    Ben
  • I don't have them either , please share them with me afterwards !