Feast of St. John the Baptist

Program: #07-16   Air Date: Apr 09, 2007

NOTE--As we have done in the past, we spend some weeks looking at a key topic in early music. The programs in this series look at what Gregorian Chant actually is--almost everything we assume we know about it is in fact incorrect (or at least incomplete), and we will spend some weeks getting to the actual truth. This is (amazingly) only possible because of a series of studies and recordings made in the last few years.   Our guide will be long-time Millennium guest and chant expert, Fr. Jerome Weber, early music critic of Fanfare magazine. In each case, the comments are from Fr. Weber. 

V  I. Sundays in Ordinary Time

 

(Monastic Choir of the Abbey of S. Pierre de Solesmes/Br. Yves-Marie Lelievre, cond.). Paraclete Press CD SN-18.

The choir of the abbey of Solesmes, where chant research into the original sources of Latin chant has continued for 150 years, was directed by Dom André Mocquereau from 1889, by Dom Joseph Gajard from 1914, and by Dom Jean Claire from 1971. After a seven-year guest director from Québec beginning in 1996, frère Yves-Marie Lelièvre became the current director in 2003. His first recording is a brilliant example of his ability to achieve a chant interpretation of incredible lightness and forward motion. His first recording gives us the chant Propers for the first three Sundays of the Year, formerly classified as the first three Sundays after Epiphany, coincidentally the three Sundays that we have just finished celebrating as we speak.

 

            FIRST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

            --Introit (Daniel 7): In excelso throno ("Upon a high throne I saw a man").

            --Gradual (Ps. 71): Benedictus Domino ("Blessed be the Lord").

            --Alleluia&Offertory (Ps. 99): Iubilate Deo ("Let the entire earth be jubilant before the Lord").

            --Communion (Ps. 15): Notas mihi ("You have shown me the way of life").

 

            SECONDSUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

            --Introit (Ps. 65): Omnis terra ("Let the entire earth adore and praise You").

            --Gradual (Ps. 106): Misit Dominus ("The Lord has sent forth His word").

            --Alleluia (Ps.148): Laudate Deum ("Praise God, you His angels").

            --Offertory (Ps. 65): Iubilate Deo ("Let the entire earth be jubilant before the Lord").

            --Communion (John 2): Dicit Dominus: Implete hydrias ("The Lord said, Fill the jars with water").

 

            THIRDSUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

            --Introit (Ps. 96): Adorate Deum ("Adore God, you, all His angels").

            --Gradual (Ps. 101): Timebunt gentes ("The nations will fear your name").

            --Alleluia (Ps. 96): Dominus regnavit ("The Lord is king").

            --Offertory (Ps. 117): Dextera Domini ("The right hand of the Lord has shown its strength").

            --Communion (2 Esdras 8): Comedite pinguia ("Eat tasty morsels of meat").

 

            VII. Chant Gregorien: Messe de l'Ascension, Messe de l'Assomption

 

            (Monastic Choir of the Abbey of S. Pierre de Solesmes/Dom Jean Claire OSB, cond.). Accord CD 201532.

For comparison, we will hear some earlier recordings of Mass Propers by the Solesmes monks. One of Dom Jean Claire’s first recordings included the Mass Propers for the feasts of the Ascension and of the Assumption.

 

MASS OF THE ASCENSION

--Introit: Viri Galilaei ("Men of Galilee, why stand you looking up to heaven?").

--Alleluia: Ascendit Deus ("God ascends with rejoicing").

--Alleluia: Dominus in Sina ("The Lord is among them in Sinai, in the holy place").

--Offertory: Viri Galilaei.

--Communion: Psallite ("Sing to the Lord who ascends above the highest heaven").

--Hymn: Iesu nostra redemptio ("Jesus our Redeemer").

--Hymn: Optatis votis omnium ("The sustaining force of all things").

 

MASS OF THE ASSUMPTION

--Introit: Signum magnum ("A great sign appeared in the heavens").

--Gradual: Audi filia ("Harken, o daughter, and see, and incline thy ear").

--Alleluia: Assumpta est Maria ("Mary has been taken up into heaven").

--Offertory: Assumpta est Maria.

--Communiom: Beatam me dicent ("For behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed").

--Responsory: Vidi speciosam (I have seen her, as beautiful as a dove").

 

VIII. Sanctoral 1: St. Joseph, St. Jean-Baptiste, St. Pierre

 

            (Monastic Choir of the Abbey of S. Pierre de Solesmes/Dom Joseph Gajard OSB, cond.). Accord CD 476 1452.

Two of Dom Joseph Gajard’s later recordings included the Mass Propers for the feasts of St. Joseph and of St. Peter.

 

MASS OF ST. JOSEPH (March 19)

--Introit: Iustus ut palma ("The righteous flourish like the palm tree").

--Kyrie.

--Gloria.

--Gradual: Domine, praevenisti ("Lord, you have showered him with the sweetness of your benedictions").

--Tractus: Beatus vir ("Blessed is the man who fears the Lord").

--Offertory: Veritas mea ("My truth and my mercy are upon him").

--Sanctus.

--Agnus Dei.

--Communion: Ioseph fili David ("Joseph, son of David, do not fear").

 

FEAST OF ST. PETER (June 29th)

--Introit: Nunc scio vere ("Now I know for certain that the Lord sent his Angel").

--Gradual: Constitues eos ("You made them princes over the entire earth").

--Alleluia: Tu es Petrus ("You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my church").

--Offertory: Constitues eos.

--Communion: Tu es Petrus.

--Antiphon: Tu es pastor ("You are the shepherd of my flock").

--Hymn: Aurea luce ("Light of light. you have covered the earth").

--Hymn: Petrus beatus ("Blessed Peter miraculously breaks his chains").

--Antiphon: Hodie Simon Petrus ("Today, Simon Peter was raised up upon the cross, alleluia").

 

 

IX. Ars Gregoriana-Appendix A: Justus ut Palma

 

(Düsseldorf Schola Gregoriana/Karlheinrich Hodes, cond.). Motette CD 50601 

The most systematic series of chant recordings was made in the 1980s by a schola in Düsseldorf. The director was Karlheinrich Hodes and the musical advisor was Willibrord Heckenbach, the choirmaster of the abbey of Maria Laach. Five of the 36 discs consist of the complete Office and Mass of the Assumption recorded live in 1991 by the nuns of Mariendonk abbey. The disc we will hear offers all four Mass Propers (introit, gradual, offertory, communio) taken from Psalm 91, “Justus ut palma.” It was this gradual that Dom Mocquereau selected for a demonstration of his method of research in the series of facimile editions called Paléographie Musicale. He reproduced over 200 medieval sources of this chant to show that they were essentially the same and hence the earliest authentic version of the chant could be recovered, rejecting the corrupted version that had been used for several centuries.

 

JUSTUS UT PALMA

--Introit: Justus ut palma ("The righteous flourish like the palm tree").

--Gradual: Justus ut palma.

--Alleluia: Justus ut palma.

--Offertory: Justus ut palma.

 

KYRIE AD LIBITUM (three settings)

--Conditor Kyrie omnium.

--Kyrie Clemens rector.

--Kyrie altissime.

 

--Hymn: Adoro te devote ("Prostrate I adore Thee").

--Troped Credo: Credo in unum Deum/unum Deum in Trinitate ("I believe in one God/one God in Three").

--Antiphon: Genuit puerpera Regem ("Born now the child King, whose name shall be eternal")..

--Responsory: Qui regni claves ("Who shall have the keys of the kingdom").

--Antiphon: Arte mira, miro consilio.

 

 

X. Officium et Missae In Nativitate Sancti Ioannis Baptistae

 

(Schola Sanctae Sunnivae and Hartkeriana Amsterdam). Kirkelig Kulturverksyed CD FXCD 306.

Along with the recording of the feast of the Assumption by the nuns of Mariendonk, this is one of the most complete feastdays ever recorded.

 

IN I VESPERIS

--Antiphon: Ipse praeibit ("He will go before him in the spirit").

--Antiphon: Ioannis est nomen eius ("John is his name").

--Antiphon: Ex utero senectutis ("John, the herald of the Lord").

--Antiphon: Iste puer magnus ("This boy is great before the Lord").

--Antiphon: Nazareus vocabitur ("This boy will be called a Nazarite").

--Responsorium: Tu, puer, propheta ("You, child, will be called the prophet").

--Hymnus: Ut queant laxis ("O for thy spirit, Holy John").

--Antiphon ad Magnificat: Ingressio Zacharia ("When Zachariah entered the temple of the Lord").

 

AD MISSAM IN VIGILIA

--Introitus: Ne timeas Zacaria ("Do not be afraid, Zachariah").

--Graduale: Fuit homo ("There was a man sent by God").

--Alleluia: Tu, puer, propheta ("You, child, will be called the prophet").

--Offertorium: Gloria et honore ("You have crowned him with glory and honor").

--Communio: Magna est gloria ("Great is his glory in your salvation").

 

AD MATUTINUM

--Antiphon ad Invitatorium: Regem praecursoris Dominum ("The Lord is the king of his herald").

--Hymn: Antra deserti ("Caves in the desert were your home").

--Antiphon: Priusquam te formarem ("Before I formed you in the womb").

--Antiphon: Ad omnia quae mittam te ("To all whom I will send you").

--Antiphon: Ne timias a facie ("Do not be afraid of their faces").

--Responsorium: Fuit homo ("There was a man sent by God").

--Responsorium: Elisabeth Zachariae ("Elizabeth, the wife of Zachariah").

--Responsorium: Priusquam te formarem ("Before I formed you in the womb").

--Antiphon: Misit Dominus ("The Lord put forth His hand").

--Antiphon: Ecce dedi verba ("Behold I have put my words in your mouth").

--Antiphon: Dominus ab utero ("The Lord called me from the womb").

--Responsorium: Descendit angelus (The angel of the Lord came down").

--Responsorium: Hic Praecursor directus ("This mighty herald and shining lamp before the Lord").

--Responsorium: Innuebant patri ("They made signs to his father").

--Antiphon: Posuit os meum ("The Lord made my mouth like a sharp sword").

--Antiphon: Formans me ex utero ("Forming me from the womb").

--Antiphon: Reges videbunt ("Kings shall see and princes shall arise").

--Responsorium: Praecursor Domini venit ("The herald of the Lord has come").

--Responsorium: Gabriel angelus apparuit ("The angel Gabriel appeared to Zachariah").

--Responsorium: Inter natos mulierum ("Among those born of woman").

 

ALLELUIAS ALBI

--Alleluia Erat lucerbna ardens ("John the Baptist was a burning and shining light").

--Alleluia Ne timeas Zacaria ("Do not be afraid, Zachariah").

--Alleluia Ne timeas Zacaria ("Do not be afraid, Zachariah").

 

MISSA IN NOCTE

--Antiphon ad Processionem: Praecursor Christi ("The herald of Christ, great Baptist").

--Introit: Justus ut palma ("The righteous flourish like the palm tree").

--Graduale: Justus ut palma ("The righteous flourish like the palm tree").

--Alleluia: Ipse praeibit ("He will go before him in the spirit").

--Sequentia: Praecursor Christi ("The herald of Christ, great Baptist").

--Offertorium: In virtute tua ("The righteous man will rejoice in your right") .

--Communio: Posuiste Domini ("You have placed on his head a crown").

 

AD LAUDES

--Antiphon: Elisabeth Zachariae ("Elizabeth, the wife of Zachariah").

--Antiphon: Innuebant patri eius ("They made signs to his father").

--Antiphon: Ioannes vocabitur ("John will be his name").

--Antiphon: Inter natos mulierum ("Among those born of woman").

--Antiphon: Tu, puer, propheta ("You, child, will be called the prophet").

--Responsorium: Ecce dedi ("Behold I have put my words in your mouth").

--Hymnus: O nimis felix ("O blessed saint").

--Antiphon: Apertum est ("The mouth of Zachariah was opened").

 

MISSA IN DIE

--Antiphon ad Processionem: Ioannis est nomen eius ("John is his name").

--Introitus: De ventre matris ("The Lord called me by my name").

--Graduale: Priusquam te formarem ("Before I formed you in the womb").

--Alleluia: Beatus vir ("Blessed is the man who fears the Lord").

--Sequentia: Nativitas Praecursoris ("This is the day of the herald's birth").

--Offertorium: Justus ut palma ("The righteous flourish like the palm tree").

--Communio: Tu, puer, propheta ("You, child, will be called the prophet").

 

IN II VESPERIS

--Antiphon: Elisabeth Zachariae ("Elizabeth, the wife of Zachariah").

--Antiphon: Innuebant patri eius ("They made signs to his father").

--Antiphon: Ioannes vocabitur ("John will be his name").

--Antiphon: Inter natos mulierum ("Among those born of woman").

--Antiphon: Tu, puer, propheta ("You, child, will be called the prophet").

--Responsorium prolixum: Iste est de sublimibus ("This is he who is among the mighty").

--Hymnus: Ut queant laxis ("O for thy spirit, Holy John").

--Antiphon ad Magnificat: Puer qui natus est ("The son who is born to us is greater than a prophet").

 

ALLELUIAS ALBI

--Alleluia Ingressus Zacharias ("When Zacharias entered the temple of the Lord").

--Alleluia Inter natos mulierum ("Among those born of woman").

--Alleluia Justus ut palma ("The righteous flourish like the palm tree").

CD Info

Paraclete Press CD SN-18, Accord CD 201532, Accord CD 476 1452, Kulturverksyed CD FXCD 306,