Ash Wednesday : Introit
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    As I am preparing the chants for lent, I had two sources on my desk. In reviewing them today I liked the text in one and the notation in the other and couldn't make up my mind which one I was going to use. So I utilized the translation found in the American Gradual by Bruce Ford, and adapted the text to the simpler tone of the Anglican Use Gradual. Let me know what you think, or if anyone would find this edition useful.

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  • Bruce E. Ford
    Posts: 429
    In Francis Burgess's ENGLISH GRADUAL, on which THE ANGLICAN USE GRADUAL is based, the elaborate form of the seventh psalm tone (used in the Graduale Romanum for the introit VERSES) is used to set the introit antiphons, and the simple (office) form of the seventh psalm tone is used to set the introit verses.

    You have conflated the two forms of the seventh psalm tone.

    Here is the text of this introit set as Burgess might have set it. (He may have used a different ending for the simple psalm tone.)
  • Bruce E. Ford
    Posts: 429
    I forgot to attach it. Here it is.
    Ash Wednesday Introit set in the manner of The English Gradual.pdf
    47K
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    Thanks Bruce. Now there is another source I will have to acquire. Do you know if it is available in digital form?
  • Bruce E. Ford
    Posts: 429
    The Anglican Use Gradual is the English Gradual, re-ordered to conform to the post-Conciliar calendar and transcribed into conventional chant notation. I don't think the original work, which was set in modern notation, is available in digital form. You might find an old copy through www.bookfinder.com. The Anglican Use Gradual will, however, serve you just as well or better.
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    But the text is in old english in the AUG but the piece you sent me is in modern English? Cant be the same.
  • Bruce E. Ford
    Posts: 429
    THE ENGLISH GRADUAL texts are in Tudor English. I did not say that what I gave you was from THE ENGLISH GRADUAL.

    You took the text of the introit from THE AMERICAN GRADUAL, where it was set to an adaptation of its proper melody, and endeavored to set THAT text to a psalm tone, in the manner of the ENGLISH GRADUAL and the ANGLICAN USE GRADUAL.

    Since you wrote "Let me know what you think," I pointed out that some details of the "manner" of the ENGLISH GRADUAL (and the derivative AMERICAN USE GRADUAL) appeared to have escaped your notice. To illustrate my point, I re-did what you had done. In other words, I set the text of the introit from THE AMERICAN GRADUAL in the "manner" of THE ENGLISH GRADUAL. The actual setting in THE ENGLISH GRADUAL is, in all probability, identical to the setting in the ANGLICAN USE GRADUAL.

    I did what you had done. I merely did it somewhat differently.
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    Is the file you posted above your own setting? If so, what is the source of the translation?
  • Bruce E. Ford
    Posts: 429
    The texts in my AMERICAN GRADUAL are based on the 1979 Book of Common Prayer psalter and (for non-psalm texts) the Revised Standard Version of the Bible.

    This text is a cento, composed of fragments from Wisdom 11. RSV uses thee/thou, and the BCP psalter uses you. I always alter RSV texts to make them conform to the psalter in this respect. The verses from which the introit text is extracted (more or less) read thus in the RSV: "But thou art merciful to all, for thou canst do all things, and thou dost overlook men's sins, that they may repent. For thou lovest all things that exist, and hast loathing for none of the things which thou has made... Thou sparest all things, for they are thine, O Lord who lovest the living." With this RSV text and the Latin text in front of me, I produced this translation for use in the AMERICAN GRADUAL. I changed "men's sins" to "sins of men" to accommodate the music. I was attempting to offer constructive help. I know you will feel free to ignore my suggestions for change if you don't like them.

    You had set this translation to a psalm tone, purportedly in the manner of the ANGLICAN USE GRADUAL. I thought that some details of the manner in which introit texts are set in the ANGLICAN USE GRADUAL (and the ENGLISH GRADUAL, from which AUG is derived) had escaped your attention. So I re-set the text for you.
  • Bruce E. Ford
    Posts: 429
    Error in cutting and pasting:

    In my previous posting the sentence "I know you will feel free..." belongs at the end of the final paragraph--not where it is.
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    Bruce:

    This is all very interesting. So then, would I be correct in saying you are composing your own translation from various texts?

    I don't think there is an official translation of the Propers of Mass. Is there?
  • Bruce E. Ford
    Posts: 429
    In many cases I use the text of the BCP psalter unchanged. In other cases I must make my own translation. This was one such case. The last clause "quia tu es Dominus Deus noster" is not even part of the biblical text.

    Sometimes English translations based upon the Hebrew text do not mean what the Latin text does. In the introit, Rorate caeli, "et pluant nubes Justum" does not mean "let the skies pour down righteousness." It means, "Let the clouds rain down the Just One"--which certainly has more relevant on the Fourth Sunday of Advent

    For the introit, "Ad te levavi" I followed the BCP psalter except in the second clause, where I changed "My God, I put my trust in you" to "In you, my God, I put my trust" because of the music. (A break after "put" would have been unacceptable.)

    In summary, I use the BCP and RSV texts unless I have some cogent reason to change them.

    The Latin propers do not follow either the Vulgate or the Vetus Itala verbatim.

    There is, to my knowledge, no official translation of the propers. I would never wish to be compelled to work with one.
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    lol.

    Thank you, Bruce. I did not follow anyone's manner when composing the Introit above. I was just following my own intuition. Are you OK if I utilize your version of English for my setting of the Proper? Your adaptation is quite beautiful.
  • Bruce E. Ford
    Posts: 429
    Feel free to use my translations as you please.
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