Roman Liturgy and Chant (Chapter 3)

I. The Roman Liturgy

A. Purpose of the Liturgy
1. precepts of Roman church doctrine
a. immortality of the soul
b. Trinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
c. Jesus’ crucifixion, resurrection, ascension into heaven
d. salvation and eternal heavenly life
e. damnation in hell for the unworthy
2. religious services reinforce lessons
a. purpose served through liturgy
i. texts spoken or sung
ii. music carried words, accompanied rituals, inspired the faithful
3. dual aim of services: unceasing praises to God, reinforce faith
B. Church calendar
1. story of Christ celebrated in yearly cycle
2. feast days, commemoration of events or saints
3. aspects of liturgy change with day or season
C. Mass
1. most important service in Roman Church
2. central act is symbolic reenactment of Last Supper
a. other ritual actions: prayers, Bible readings, psalm-singing
b. performed daily, more than once on important feast days
3. Proper of the Mass
a. variable portions
b. called by their function
4. Ordinary of the Mass
a. invariable portions
b. called by their initial words
c. sung portions performed by congregation, later taken over by male choir
5. early form of ceremony in two parts
a. prayers, Bible readings, psalms, sermon, Catechumens dismissed
b. offering of gifts, communion, final prayer; dismal of the faithful
c. late additions: musical items of the Ordinary
i. Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Agnus Dei
D. Proper for Christmas Mass
1. addresses nativity of Jesus, places it in broader theological context
2. juxtapositon of psalms, Hebrew Scripture, New Testament passages
3. Epistle and Gospel: two main readings in Mass
4. style examples, elaborate and florid chants:
a. Introit (NAWM 3a) announces birth
b. Gradual (NAWM 3d) revelation of salvation
c. Alleluia (NAWM 3e) hails sanctified day
d. Offertory (NAWM 3g) acknowledges God’s dominion
e. Communion (NAWM 3j)
E. The Office
1. series of 8 services celebrated daily
a. important in monasteries and convents
b. all members sang in services
2. liturgy codified in Rule of St. Benedict (ca. 530)

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 a. Office observances differ outside monasteries
3. Offices include:
a. psalms with an antiphon
i. all 150 psalms sung each week
b. Bible reading lessons with music responsories
c. hymns
d. canticles: poetic passages from Bible
4. Matins, Lauds, and Vespers most important liturgically and musically
F. Liturgical books
1. Mass
a. Missal contains texts for the Mass
b. Gradual contains chants
2. Office
a. Breviary contains texts
b. Antiphoner contains music
3. Liber Usualis (Book of Common Use)
a. most frequently used texts and chants for Mass and Office
b. prepared by monks of Benedictine Abbey of Solesmes
c. adopted as official book
II. Characteristics of Chant
A. Diverse styles
1. styles reflect functions and histories
B. Manners of performance
1. responsorial: soloist alternates with choir or congregation
2. antiphonal: two choirs alternate
3. direct: without alternation
C. Styles of setting texts
1. syllabic: almost every syllable has a single note
2. neumatic: one to six notes per syllable
3. melismatic: long melodic passages on a single syllable
D. Recitation formulas
1. simple melodic outlines
2. can be used with many texts
E. Melody and declamation
1. melodies vehicle for declaiming words
a. melodies reflect shape of text
b. no attempt to express emotions or depict images
2. phrases and periods correspond with text
a. most phrases resemble arch, parallels spoken Latin
b. accented syllables set to higher notes
c. emphasis through melismas or syllabic settings
3. example: Viderunt omnes
a. “Dominus” (Lord): longest melisma and highest note in chant
b. “jubilate” (sing joyfully): almost syllabically
III. Genres and Forms of Chant
A. Recitation formulas
1. simplest chants, intoning prayers and Bible readings
a. Collect, Epistle, Gospel
b. project words without embellishment
c. chanted on reciting tone, usually A or C
d. brief motives mark ends of phrases

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 e. sung by priest, occasional responses from choir or congregation
i. untrained singers: simple melodies, limited range
2. some formulas predate system of modes
B. Psalm tones
1. used for singing psalms in the Office
2. can adapt to fit any psalm
3. one psalm tone for each of 8 modes
4. reciting tone: pitch for reciting most of text
5. style example: Dixit Dominus (NAWM 4a) first psalm for Christmas Day Vespers
a. intonation: rising motive used for first verse
b. recitation on reciting tone
c. mediant: cadence for middle of each verse
d. termination: final cadence for each psalm verse
e. last psalm verse followed by Lesser Doxology
i. formal praise to the Trinity
ii. places Hebrew Scripture into Christian framework
6. canticles and psalm verse in Introit use more elaborate variants
C. Office antiphons
1. precede and follow Office psalm
2. antiphon text refers to event or person commemorated
3. style example: Tecum principum (NAWM 4a) paired with first psalm at Vespers
a. text: 4th verse of the psalm, herald birth of Christ
b. antiphon determines mode for the psalm tone (mode 1)
c. termination used with antiphon shown at end; vowels for last 6 syllables of Doxology
d. psalm does not close on final; antiphon does
4. performance style varied
a. direct performance by soloists
b. responsorial alternation: soloist and choir or congregation
c. antiphonal alternation: 2 singers or groups
d. antiphonal performance suggested by division of psalm verse
i. encouraged by layout of medieval churches
e. monastic practice: monks or nuns divided into 2 choirs
i. sang psalm antiphonally: alternating verses or half verses
ii. antiphon sung by soloists reading Antiphoner, or all singing from memory
5. modern performance
a. cantor sets pitch with opening words, full choir completes antiphon
b. cantor sings first half of first psalm verse, half the choir completes it
c. 2 half-choirs alternate verses or half-verse
d. full choir joins for reprise of the antiphon
6. office antiphons are simple, mostly syllabic
a. reflect historical association with group singing
b. over 30 are sung each day
c. fully independent melodies
D. Office hymns
1. most familiar song type
2. sung by choir in every Office service
3. strophic; 4 to 7 line stanzas
4. style example: Christe Redemptor omnium (NAWM 4b), Christmas Day Vespers
a. syllabic and neumatic
b. mode 1; each phrase rises and falls
c. contour moves by 2nds and 3rds to a peak, descends to a cadence

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E. Antiphonal psalmody in the Mass
1. psalmody (singing of psalms): Introit, Communion
a. early Masses, psalms sung antiphonally
b. eventually both chants were abbreviated
2. greater solemnity of Mass: greater musical splendor
a. Mass antiphons more elaborate than Office antiphons
b. neumatic with occasional melismas
3. style example: Viderunt omnes (NAWM 3j), Communion from Mass for Christmas Day
a. higher notes and longer note groups
b. emphasize important accents and words
F. Responsorial psalmody in Office and Mass
1. responsorial psalms stem from early Christian practice
a. soloist sang psalm verse
b. congregation or choir responded with brief refrain
2. chants assigned to soloists: more melismatic
a. musical peaks of the service
b. words secondary to expansive melody
3. text shortened to a single psalm verse, choral respond preceding
4. Office responsories
a. all include respond, verse, full or partial repetition of respond
b. Matins
i. 9 Bible readings, each followed by a Great Responsory
ii. neumatic to melismatic
c. other Office services
i. brief Bible reading, Short Responsory
ii. neumatic
5. Graduals
a. more melismatic than responsories
b. style example: Viderunt omnes (NAWM 3a)
i. 52-note melisma on “Dominus”
ii. 3 other 10-20 note melismas
iii. cantor begins respond, choir completes it
iv. soloists sing verse, choir joins on last phrase
6. Alleluias
a. respond on word “alleluia”, psalm verse and repetition of the respond
b. jubilus: long melisma on final syllable of “alleluia”
c. St. Augustine: long melismas expression of joy beyond words
d. example Alleluia Dies sanctificatus (NAWM 3e), from Mass for Christmas Day
i.. soloist and choir
ii. articulated phrases, primarily steps and 3rds, arching contour
iii. prominent pitches reinforce mode 2, plagal mode on D
7. Offertories
a. melismatic as Graduals
b. Middle Ages, performed during offering of bread and wine
c. choral respond, 2 or 3 ornate verses sung by a soloist
d. each followed by second half of respond
e. verses dropped later; respond only
8. Tracts
a. longest chants in the liturgy
b. originally direct solo psalmody, no responses, no repond
c. verses combine recitation with florid melismas

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 d. oral composition based on formulas
e. today performed like Graduals
f. several psalm verses set in florid style
9. chants derived from responsorial or direct psalmody
a. long, virtuosic melismas show off voice
b. passages resemble improvised embellishment of simple melodic outline
c. all but Offertory attached to Bible readings
d. musical parallel to illuminations of medieval Bible manuscripts
G. Chants of the Mass Ordinary
1. originally sung by congregation; simple syllabic melodies
2. by 9th century, choir took over
a. trained singers: new more ornate melodies
b. later style: clearer pitch centers, more melodic repetition
3. Credo (NAWM 3f) and Gloria (NAWM 3c)
a. recurring motives, no set form
b. Credo: longest text, syllabic style
c. Gloria: neumatic
d. priest intones opening words, choir completes chant
4. Sanctus (NAWM 3h) and Agnus Dei (NAWM 3i)
a. repetition of text, musical repetition
b. neumatic
c. Sanctus ABB or A BC DC
1

d. Agnus Dei AAA, ABA, or AB CB DB

5. Kyrie (NAWM 3b)
a. usually performed antiphonally; half-choirs alternate statements
b. brief text, florid setting
c. melismas on last syllables of “Kyrie” and “Christe”
d. AAA, BBB, AAA ; AAA BBB CCC or ABA CDD EFE
1 1 1

6. 13th century: Ordinary chants grouped into cycles

a. one setting of each text, except Credo
b. cycles appear in Liber usualis
i. Ite, missa est set to Kyrie melody
H. Style, use, and history
1. type of chant reflects its role and history
a. antiphons and hymns add melodic interest
b. neumatic chants of choir adorn Mass
c. melismatic chants decorative beauty, musical jewels
i. soloist and choir, no ritual actions
ii. embellish readings from Scripture
2. as function changed, style and form changed
3. recitation formulas: project words, easy to memorize, apply to many texts
4. chants share common history with ancient roots
a. drew on psalm texts: Jewish practice
b. modes and melodic formulas: Jewish, Near Eastern and Byzantine traditions
c. phrasing and declamation of text: classical Latin rhetoric
IV. Additions to the Authorized Chants
A. Musicians added to and embellished liturgy
1. creative outlet for musicians
2. most for observances in honor of local saints
B. Trope
1. expanded existing chant, three types:

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 a. new words and music before the chant and between phrases
b. melody only, extending or adding melismas
c. text only, called prosula
2. first type most common; Introits and Glorias
3. increased solemnity of chant
4. interpret text; link to specific occasion
a. Introit antiphon (NAWM 3a) and (NAWM 6)
5. sung by soloists, set neumatically
6. trope composition flourished in monasteries, 10th and 11th centuries
7. banned by Council of Trent (1545-63)
C. Sequence
1. popular late 9th through 12th centuries
2. sung after Alleluia, set syllabically in couplets
3. derived from melismas added at end of an Alleluia
4. most melodies newly composed
5. with text and as extended melismas on “Alleluia”; new texts written for existing sequence
6. form: A BB CC….N
a. initial single sentence
b. series of paired sentences or phrases
i. within pairs: 2 sentences or phrases, same number of syllables set to same music
ii. syllable count and music change for each new pair
c. final unpaired sentence
d. tonal focus clear, most phrases end on modal final
7. Council of Trent banned all but 4 sequences including Victimae paschali laudes (NAWM 5), and
Dies irae
D. Liturgical drama
1. tropes in dialogues added to the liturgy
2. performed in church; processions, dramatic action
3. Easter and Christmas plays most common, performed all over Europe
4. all parts sung by male clergy
5. style example: Quem queritis in presepe (NAWM 6) Introit for Mass on Christmas Day, late 10th
century
6. 12th and early 13th century:
a. some staged separately
b. chants strung together, sometimes joined by secular style songs
V. Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179)
A. Renowned visionary, best-known composer of sacred monophony
1. born to noble family, Bermersheim, Germany
2. consecrated to the church; vows at Benedictine monastery
3. 1150 founded convent, Rupertsberg near Bingen
4. famous for prophecies
a. corresponded with emperors, kings, popes, and bishops
b. preached throughout Germany
c. prose works in the Scivias (Know the Ways, 1141-51)
i. account of 26 visions, books on science and healing
5. religious poems set to music: preserved in 2 manuscripts in liturgical cycle
6. major works: Ordo virtutum, 43 antiphons, 18 responsories, 7 sequences, 4 hymns, 5 other chants
B. Women excluded from priesthood
1. choir took over singing; women silenced in church
2. convents: celibate religious women
a. hold positions of leadership

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 b. participate in singing and composing
c. learn to read Latin and music
3. Hildegard achieved great success
a. most songs praise Virgin Mary, Trinity, local saints
b. works vary, syllabic hymns to highly melismatic responsories
c. most composed for Office services
4. Hildegard’s style:
a. melodies exceed range of octave by a 4th or 5th
b. repeats melodic figures in constant variation
c. some patterns drive from chant
i. rising 5th, stepwise descent
ii. circling around cadential note
d. extraordinary patterns: successive leaps, patterns that quickly span octave or more
e. music prolongs words encouraging contemplation
5. style example: Ordo virtutum (The Virtues, ca. 1151) (NAWM 7), final chorus
a. sacred music drama in verse with 82 songs
b. morality play with allegorical characters
i. Prophets, Virtues, Happy Soul, Unhappy Soul, Penitent Soul
c. all sing in plainchant; Devil speaks, separation from God
VI. The Continuing Presence of Chant
A. Chant deeply influenced later music
1. Christian services throughout central and western Europe until Reformation
2. principal activity of professional singers until end of 16th century
3. chant reformed in late 16th and early 17th centuries
4. Second Vatican Council (1962-65)
a. service held in vernacular
b. chant no longer prescribed
5. late 20th century: chant known through recordings
a. practiced mostly in monasteries and convents
b. performed in concerts, recordings

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