Learn the Office 2.13: The Marian antiphons

The Marian antiphons 

Compline concludes each night with a Marian 'Antiphon' (in reality a host hymn or anthem), versicle and a short prayer.

The Marian antiphons are so named because they were originally used as antiphons to the psalms or canticles - but they have been sung as standalone anthems since at least 1239, when Pope Gregory IX ordered that the antiphon proper to the season be sung at the end of the Divine Office.

There are four different antiphon/versicle/prayer sets that are used in the current Office, depending on the time of year:

• Alma Redemptoris Mater (Advent up until to the Feast of the Purification);
• Ave Regina Caelorum (Purification to Maundy Thursday);
• Regina Caeli laetare (Easter Sunday until the end of the Octave of Pentecost); and
• Salve Regina (the rest of the year).

Singing the Marian antiphons

If you are singing the Office, each of the Marian antiphons have both a 'simple' and a 'solemn' tones, the chants for which can be found in the Antiphonale Monasticum (as well as many other places) under Compline.

The 'Solemn tone' is used on Saturday and Sunday night, and major feasts.

The concluding section of Compline

The rubrics for the closing section of Compline are summarised in the table below.

The final section of Compline	WORDS	GESTURES
ANTIPHON OF OUR LADY	Varies by time of year – Salve Regina, Alma Redemptoris Mater, Ave regina caelorum, Regina caeli laetare	Said kneeling except Saturdays, Sundays and Eastertide.
VERSICLE	Varies to fit with antiphon
COLLECT	Varies to fit with antiphon
VERSICLE	V. Divínum auxílium máneat semper nobíscum. R. Et cum frátribus nostris abséntibus. Amen.	In some places, sign of the cross is m

And for the next part in this series, on responsories, continue on here.