VESPERS
383
VESPERS
- he direction of the "Ordo". The Second Plenary
Council of Baltimore (1868) decreed (no. 379) that complete vespers be sung on Sundays and feasts in ill churches, as far as possible, after the Roman ashion, and that vespers be never replaced by other exercises of piety; "for the solemn worship approved jy bishops of tlie Church and flourishing through so nany centuries must be deemed pleasing to Almighty jod". To facilitate the introduction of Vespers,
- he council further legislated (no. 380) that the rudi-
Tients of Gregorian chant be taught in parish schools, 'so that gr.adually the greater part of the congrega- ion might be enabled to join with the sacred ministers md the choir" in singing. A Rescript of the Con-
- regation of Sacred Rites (11 Mar., 1882, Monte-
■eyen. et Angelor. n. 3.539, 3) declared that the custom \'hich had obtained in certain churches, of singing
- ome verses of all or of some psalms in Vespers and
)f omitting the others, should be wholly eliminated; md two years later the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore (1884) decreed (no. 118): "Moreover we vill and command . . . that, where the office of k'espers is performed, complete Vespers, that is, with ntegral psalms, be sung."
The difficulty of preparing different antiphons, jsalms, etc., for the various Sundays and feasts ivertaxed the powers of ordinary choirs; and happily I decree of the S.R.C. (29 Dec, 1884, Lucionen. n. 5624, 12) met the difficulty by declaring that in mere jarish churches, where there is no obhgation of public ecitation of the Divine Office, but where Vespers are lung for the devotion of the people, the Vespers may )e taken from any Office, such as that of the Most Blessed Sacrament or of the Blessed Virgin, provided hat the sacred ministers privately recite the Vespers jroper to the day. It is therefore clear that in practi- ■ally all churches in English-speaking countries the
- hoir may repeat the same Vespers, selected from any
ippropriate feast, for every Sunday or feast. Com- josers and publishers of church music have further limpUfied the task of the choir by issuing brochures vhich contain all the ceremonial or rubrical directions n Enghsh, in their appropriate place, and which
- ive easy musical settings to the antiphons, psalms,
- tc., or furnish easy accompaniments to the plainsong
nelodies. Must the Vespers thus selected at the pleasure of the priest or the choirmaster be complete n every part, e. g., the antiphons? Johner (p. 14) leclares that "such Vespers must accord in every •espect with the Vespers of the Office selected". rhe Provincial Council of Milwaukee follows the Fourth Provincial Council of Cincinnati in the desire
- hat "in vespers on Sundays the antiphons, the entire
3ve psalms, and the hymn proper to the occurring east should never be omitted, unless the bishop leems it impossible to observe this rule on account of ocal circumstances". In this connexion, the dis- cussion in the "Ecclesiastical Review" (Dec, 1911) should be consulted.
The texts must be either sung or "recited" in a
- lear and intelligible manner. The portions that
must be sung are: the first verse of the "Magnificat",
- he first and last verse of the hymn, the verses where
genuflection is prescribed (e. g. "Veni Creator", "O Znix Ave" on the Feasts of the Holy Cross, "Ave Maris Stella") or where all bow the head (e. g. the '(iloria Patri"). The "Ceremonial of Bishops" permits alternate verses of the "Magnificat" to be iuppUed by the organ, provided the choir meanwhile recites the text in an intelligible voice or — a better irrangement — a .single chanter sings the text to iccompaniment of the organ. The S.R.C. (Seno- jallien., 4 Mar., 1901, V) permits a similar arrange- ment for the psalms, but adds the condition that there be a povertj' of voices (e. g. one or two voices on each side of the choir, aa the Ephemerid. liturg., XV, J53, interprets). The "Ceremonial of Bishops"
forbids the playing of the organ on Sundays of Lent
and Advent, except Gaudete and Lajtare Sundays
(the third of Advent and the fourth of Lent); but, a
Rescript of the S.R.C. (11 May, 1911) permits the
organ to be played when it is necessary for sustaining
the voices, provided it ceases when the voices cease.
The S.R.C. (Senogallien., 4 Mar., 1901, VII) requires
a pause to be made at the asterisk in each verse of the
psalms, "any custom whatsoever to the contrary not-
withstanding".
The general musical character of Vespers is indi- cated in the "Instruction on Sacred Music" issued by Pius X (22 Nov., 1903), no. IV, 11. Classical poly- phony or modern music may be used, although the Gregorian chant is the typical setting for the texts. While the antiphons should regularly be in the assigned Gregorian melodies, it is permitted occasion- ally to sing them in figured music; but in this case "they must never have either the form of a concert melody or the fullness of a motet or cantata". While the "Gloria Patri" and "Sicut erat" may also be in figured music, the psalms should regularly be in Gregorian chant; but on greater feasts the verses in Gregorian chant may be alternated with verses in falsibordoni or "with verses similarly composed in a proper manner". Single psalms may sometimes be sung wholly in modern music, "provided the form proper to psalmody be preserved in such compositions; that is, provided the singers seem to be psaLmodizing among themselves, either with new motifs, or with those taken from the Gregorian chant or based upon it". The "Instruction" immediately adds that "psalms known as di concerto are, therefore, forever excluded and prohibited". These di concerto psalms are "theatrical compositions . . . with soli, chorus, and orchestra, comprising adagios, allegros, and often dance airs" (Duclos, 106, footnote 2). Pius X alludes to these in his Letter to Card. Respighi (8 Dec, 1903): "For the devout psatoiody of the clergy, in which the people also used to join, there have been substituted interminable musical com- positions on the words of the Psalms, all of them modelled on old theatrical works, and most of them of such meagre artistic value that they would not be tolerated for a moment even in second-rate concerts. Certain it is that Christian piety and devotion are not promoted by them; the curiosity of some of the less intelhgent is fed, but the majority, disgusted and scandalized, wonder how it is that such an abuse can still survive. We, therefore, wish the cause to be completely extirpated, and that the solemnity of vespers should be celebrated according to the liturgi- cal rules indicated by us." As to the hymn, the "Ceremonial of Bishops" permits recitation of alter- nate stanzas with accompaniment of organ.
Johner, New School of Gregorian Clmnl (New York, 1906), 9-14; Benedictines of Stanbrook. GramvuiT of Plainsong (Lon- don, 190.5), C8-9: PoTHlER, Les nUlodies gr^goriennes (Tournai, 1880), 240-68; Terry. Catholic Church Music (rx>ndon, 1907), 21-38 (Church legislation), 12.5-6 (Order of Vespers), 128 (Pon- tifical Vespers), 136 (Vespers of the Dead); Ddclos, Sa saintetS Pie X et la reforme de la musique religieuse (Rome, 1905), 10.5-7; Finn, Wells, and O'Brie.n. Manual of Church Music (Phila- delphia, 1905), 90-4, 134-5; Johner, Die Psalmodie nach der Vaticana (Ratisbon, 1911); Ecclesiastical Rev.. Feb., 1904, 184-8 (Letter of Pius X to Card. Respighi): "There is much to be cor- rected or removed in the chants of the Mass . . . but that which Deeds a thorough renewal is the singing of the Vespers of the feasts celebrated in the different churches and basilicas. Tlie liturgical prescriptions of the ' Cieremoniale episcoporum', and the beautiful musical traditions of the cla.ssical Roman school, are no longer to be found. . . . And do you, Lord Cardinal, neither grant indulgences nor concede delays. The difficulty is not diminished but rather augmented by postponement, and since the thing is to be done, let it be done immediately and reso- lutely. . . . The Vesper ser\-iee will, indeed, be notably short- ened. But if the rectors of the churches desire on a special occa- sion to prolong the function somewhat . . [they may] have a suitable .sermon after the vespers, clo.sed with Solemn Benediction of the Most Holy Sacrament"; Lemaistre, Vatican Chant (New York, 1905), 69-95; Benedictiner of .Solesmes, Rules for Psalmodu (Rome, 1904), no. ,598, English ed.; foEM, Psatmi in notis pro resperis et oflieiis in omnibus dominicis et festis duplicihus (Rome, 1909), no. .590, gives the texts in full under each of tba
