Dominican Rite (traditional) music help
  • Chris Garton-Zavesky
    Posts: 6,902
    Hi all,

    Does anyone here have experience singing chant for the Dominican rite? How does it differ from the Roman rite?
  • StimsonInRehabStimsonInRehab
    Posts: 1,916
    Don't know how helpful my observations would be, Chris - I have a little experience. It's marked similar to the Vatican Graduale, so no lines or dots as found in Solesmes. The arrangement of the Kyriale is different - for example, the mass ordinary of Minor Sundays consists of Kyrie XII with Gloria XI and Sanctus & Agnus XV. Their method of intonation for the Gloria is different - the priest intones, followed by a sort of second intonation by the cantors, before the whole choir joins in. (Perhaps a sort of liturgical safety net for when Father is unclear about his intonation? :D)

    Overall, their chant is less elaborate than what you're familiar with in the Roman school. Our college schola was learning the votive mass of St. Dominic. So there's a lot of proper feasts not included in the Graduale Romanum (no surprise) but there are definitely a lot more Sequences as well. The only other choir I heard sing for a Dominican Rite mass (at our rival school) unfortunately sang Roman rite chant instead of Dominican. I don't know if you need an indult for that or not. Anyhow, our 'rival' choir should know better, seeing as how their school prides itself for its musical skill. Oh well, pride goeth etc. Boiler up!
  • IanWIanW
    Posts: 756
    The Dominicans I've occasionaly sung it with suggest singing it with them (or their fellows), as it's a living tradition.

    Hand in hand with that, Fr. Augustine Thompson has put in a lot of work to explain its distinctive features and to make editions available online. Try his How to Sing Dominican Chant - Part One: Notation for starters.
    Thanked by 2StimsonInRehab CHGiffen
  • Chris Garton-Zavesky
    Posts: 6,902
    Ian,

    We're having a visiting priest, a Dominican, in two weeks. Singing it with him will be a first-time event.

    On the other hand, Fr. Thompson's work could be very helpful. Thank you.
  • WGS
    Posts: 297
    I have sung as an occasional volunteer for a couple of Dominican Masses. Of course, follow the director, but my recollection is that all I needed to do was consider each 1/4 incise mark as an indication that the preceding note should be dotted and that there should be a break in the sound between that dotted note and the note following the incise mark.
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