A quick guide to Matins Part 2

 In the first part of this brief overview of Matins, I provided something of an overview of the hour.  

In this part, I want to point you particularly to the opening section of the hour and the psalmody, and where to find it in your Office book.

Where to find Matins in your book

If you are using a breviary, the core texts for Matins can be found starting immediately after Prime for Monday to Saturday.  For each day of the week, the breviary starts with Matins and then provides Lauds of the day before moving to Matins of the next day.

In breviaries and the Le Barroux Nocturnale, the psalter section is towards the middle of the book

 Page numbers for the basic texts for each day of the week for the most commonly used books are set out in the table below.

Matins page numbers
OFFICE BOOK	Gower (For Sundays, ferias…)	Brignoles Nocturnale vol 1 (Psalter)	Breviary (1963)	Le Barroux Nocturnale Monasticum
Dominica (Sunday)	Pg 4	Pg 9	Pg (22)	Pg 652
Monday (Feria II)	Pg 28	Pg 48	Pg (58)	Pg 668
Tuesday (Feria III)	Pg 49	Pg 70	Pg (85)	Pg 678
Wednesday (Feria IV)	Pg 64	Pg 86	Pg (105)	Pg 690
Thursday (Feria V)	Pg 82	Pg 104	Pg (126)	Pg 703
Friday (Feria VI)	Pg 101	Pg 123	Pg (149)	Pg 714
Sabbato (Saturday)	Pg 118	Pg 141	Pg (172)	Pg 715

 Where to find the "ordinary' of Matins

 The first challenge you will encounter though, is that each of these books takes a different approach on where it places the various texts of the opening section of the hour.

In essence, as the table below illustrates, the opening section of the hour has a fixed structure used for ordinary (ferial) days, Sundays and feasts alike.  But the invitatory antiphon and hymn are of the day of the week.

Note that the links in the table go to more detailed notes on each of these Office components.

OPENING SECTION	VARIABLE COMPONENTS
Opening prayer - Domine labia mea aperies
Psalm 3 - 'in directum'
Invitatory antiphon (integrated with Psalm 94)	Of the day, feast or season
Psalm 94
Hymn	Of the day, feast or season

Note that Psalm 94 is said responsorially rather than antiphonally: the invitatory antiphon is repeated twice in full at the beginning, then inserted after each couple of verses either in full or in part, so if you aren't familiar with how to do this, do look carefully at the more detailed notes on how to say (or preferably) sing it!

The various books differ on whether to put all of the repeated components in a separate section or under the Sunday, and then whether to repeat some or all of the material each day.

The Gower book, for example, provides the Ordinary of the hour upfront, including the invitatory antiphons, and then just starts from the section for each day of the week with the ferial hymn.  In general, they don't bother repeating Psalm 94 each day, leaving you to refer back to either the Ordinary Le Barroux), Sunday and/or Monday, or the section with Psalm 94 in each chant tone. 

The table below summarises the situation for each of these books: 

Matins page numbers
OFFICE BOOK	Gower (For Sundays, ferias…)	Brignoles Nocturnale vol 1	Breviary (1963)	Le Barroux Nocturnale Monasticum
‘Ordinary’	Pg 1 -3	Pg 9	Pg (58) – (59)	Pg 7 -12
Daily section	Starts at ferial hymn	On Sundays all; weekdays, invitatory antiphon and hymn only for each day	On Sunday and Monday all; on weekdays, opening prayer, Ps 3, invitatory antiphon and hymn of the day.	On Sundays, all; weekdays, includes ferial invitatory antiphon and hymn

The opening section of the hour on feasts and Saturdays of Our Lady

It is also worth noting that on feasts, the invitatory antiphon and hymn are either specific to the feast, or (particularly in the case of Class III feasts) taken from the relevant Common.  Le Barroux's Nocturnale includes all the commonly used ones in its Ordinary section, while Gower includes the relevant texts at the end of its psalter book.

The invitatory and hymn for Saturdays of Our Lady can either be found in the Ordinary, psalter section or after the Common of Our Lady (in the breviary). 

The psalmody

The other key component of the hour is the psalms, which are set out under each day of the week.

Benedictine Matins (unlike the Roman version) always includes twelve psalms, divided into two sets (Nocturns) of six.

The number of antiphons used varies between the seasons, but the normal pattern is that on weekdays (including Class III feasts) Nocturn I has three antiphons (ie one antiphon for two psalms), while Nocturn II has one (consisting of alleluias).

The psalms are said in exactly the same way as for other hours, with a doxology (Glory be) at the end of each psalm, or part of a psalm. 

On higher level feasts (Class I&II), however, sets of festal psalms, typically with one antiphon for each psalm are used, generally as set out in the Commons for various types of saints.

The canticles

On Sundays and major feasts, a third Nocturn is added on to the hour, but rather than adding additional psalms, it consists of three canticles, said exactly the same way as psalms are, said under one antiphon.

The table below summarises which types of days have special sets of antiphons, psalms and canticles.

	Psalms and antiphons	Nocturn III canticles
Sundays	Of the Sunday/ferial antiphons or of the season	Of the season
Class I&II feasts	Of the Common or feast	Of the Common or feast
Class III feasts, Vigils	Of the day of the week	none
Class IV days	Of the day of the week	none

The versicle

The psalter section for each day of the week also generally provides you with the versicle of the day or season said at the end of Nocturn I (and Nocturns II&III on Sundays).  Note that these do not change on Class III feast days.

In the next part of this series, I will look at the readings and other variable parts of the hour.

A quick guide to Matins part 3

 In the last part of this mini-series on Matins, I suggested starting focusing first on what you will find in the psalter section/ book you are using, rather than worrying about feasts and readings, and gave some starting points on the opening section of the hour and the daily psalmody.

In this post though, I want to focus primarily on the parts of Matins that differ in structure from the other hours, most particularly the readings.

Our Father, absolution, blessing(s) 

The first significant difference is that immediately after the versicle of the day or season in each Nocturn of Sunday, and Nocturn I on weekdays, the Our Father is said followed by an absolution formula, which is set out in the psalter section for each day of the week (and usually summarised elsewhere in the book as well ). 

There are also three absolution formulas (and an additional one for Saturdays of Our Lady) said immediately after the Pater Noster in each Nocturn on Sundays, and then rotated through during the week at Nocturn I.

The blessings for the readings

Each nocturn on Sundays, and Nocturn I on weekdays then has one or more readings, each of which repeats exactly the same structure, used whether in choir or said alone, exactly as written:

• a request for a blessing (Jube, domne, benedicere/Pray Lord give a blessing);
• the blessing;
• the reading, concluding with the formula Tu autem Domine, miserere nobis. Deo gratias;
• a responsory.

There are different sets of blessing formulas (used on different days of the week) for the one reading of summer, the three Scriptural readings said in 'winter'.  There are also separate sets for Sundays, major feasts, Class III feasts, and days with patristic readings.

Most of these can generally be found in the psalter section of your Office book, but note that the Gower book places the absolutions and blessings used for days with three or twelve readings towards the end of the book on pages 191 (for Sundays and Class I&II feasts) and pages 192-3 for days with three readings. 

The readings and responsories

The key 'new' element of Matins though, compared to the other hours is the readings and responsories.

On weekdays in Eastertide these are just one fixed short reading and short responsory; from Pentecost the short readings and short responsories are for the day of the week (or for Saturday of Our Lady).

On Sundays and 'winter' weekdays however, Matins basically follows a Scriptural reading cycle that can be found in the 'temporale' section of the breviary (or the separate books for different parts of the year in the case of the Gower books).  

The reading cycle is is arranged (loosely) around salvation history, starting with Genesis (from Septuagesima Sunday), and ending with the Pauline letters in Epiphanytide.

Each book of the Bible (or group of books) also has one (or more sets in the case of Lent when Genesis is read, and Advent, for the Prophets) of responsories that are used in conjunction with the readings of the day.

Finding the readings and responsories...

On Sundays:

• the first Nocturn readings are typically from Scripture; 
• Nocturn II are patristic commentaries related to the Nocturn I readings; and 
• Nocturn III are homilies related to the Gospel of that Sunday (ie the Gospel said at the Extraordinary Form Mass).  

From Advent until Pentecost, the readings for all three Nocturns are associated with the relevant Sunday of  the year, and so can be found in one place in the 'temporale' section of your book (or separate book for the time of the year).

Between  August and November, however, the Nocturn I&II readings are of the calendar month, so are in a separate section of the temporale.

The responsories for all three Nocturns, though, relate to the Nocturn I Scriptural book being read, so the same set may be reused over several Sundays.

Accordingly, some books don't repeat all of the responsories each time they are used.  Instead, they either place them:

• with the Ordinary of the season; and/or
• from August to November (when the readings are of the calendar month rather than fixed to the Sunday after Pentecost), immediately after the readings and responsories for Nocturn II (in the case of the breviary and Le Barroux Nocturnale); or
• in a separate section to the readings (in the Gower books).

Note also that the responsories follow a different pattern to the short responsories of the day hours, so make sure you can decrypt them from the abbreviated form used in most Office books.

The conclusion of the hour

At the other end of the hour, immediately after the last antiphon on weekdays, a chapter and verse is said, usually of the season.  The concluding prayers are said in exactly the same way as the other hours, with the collect for the week or day inserted (both the Gower book and Brignoles Psalter include all of the Sunday collects to save you having to look in another book for them).

In most books, the various chapters for seasons and saints' feasts are placed under each day of the week before the concluding prayers.  In the Gower books, only that for time Throughout the year is placed there; those for seasons and feasts can be found from page 141 (for feasts of types of saints) and seasons (from page 149).

On Sundays however, the concluding structure is completely different, with the Te Deum, Gospel (of the Sunday), Te decet laus and collect, so worth studying carefully.

And you can find more detailed notes on all of these topics here. 

Books for Matins

 

Benedictine Matins, or the Night Office, is not something to be embarked on lightly.

With fourteen psalms on weekdays, as well as readings, and a much longer structure for Sundays and major feasts, it is by far the longest of the hours even on ordinary days.  Indeed, it can sometimes as take as long to say or sing as all of the other hours added together.

That said, it is important in the monastic context: almost half of the psalms of the psalter are said at this hour, and its readings provide selections from most of the books of the Bible, thus serving to frame the practice of monastic lectio divina.

It also has one of the most extensive, spiritually rich and beautiful of all the types of chant repertoire, in the form of the responsories which follow each reading, and provide a meditation on them.

Books for Matins

A few years ago, it was almost impossible to find books for Matins according to the 1960 rubrics and calendar, and those that were available were either extremely expensive or highly unsatisfactory in one respect or another.

Fortunately, that situation has now completely turned around: these days we are almost spoiled for choices!

Latin-English

1. For those who need an English translation to help with the Latin, take a look at the Gower nuns' set of Latin-English Matin's books.

They have everything you need at a very reasonable price, and it is easily the best choice if you need help understanding the Latin.  

But be warned: you need to learn the structure of the how first, as the books are not always particularly user friendly!

Other useful books with English translations I've previously referred people to include the Clear Creek Matins psalter and the Liturgical Readings text, but if you have the Gower books, you won't really need these.

The Breviary/Nocturnale

For all of the texts of Matins, your basic choices are:

2.  The Monastic Breviary (Latin only).

Has everything you need for the hour (and all of the others), in reasonably compact form, comes in two volumes.   Aside from the original 1963 versions, there are two reprints available, from the monasteries of Brignoles (which includes a supplement with most older feasts included) and Farnborough.

3. Le Barroux's Nocturnale Monasticum (available in Latin only or French-Latin versions).

The alternative, if you want something for Matins only, are the Nocturnales from Le Barroux.  Nicely laid out and well-organized in a nice large print that is excellent for putting on a choir stand, but quite large and heavy, so not particularly portable or something you want to hold in your hands for a long period of time.

The chants

It is also worth mentioning that chants for the hour are also becoming more readily available.

The Monastery of Brignoles has already published Volume 1 of a full (Latin only) Nocturnale with chants, that essentially provides you with the core hymns and prayers contained in the psalter section of the hour. 

Volume 1 gives you the daily hymns, ferial antiphons, psalms, canticles and the key seasonal texts.  Volumes 2 (the temporale) and 3 (sanctorale) are still to come, but there is enough in this one to get you started.

And for the next part on this series on Matins, go here for ten things you need to know about Matins.

Matins resources - Invitatory book

 Just to note that in terms of resources for the Matins chants, an excellent source for the Invitatory antiphons (to go with Psalm 94) of the Office can be found on CC Watershed.

The link is to a collection of invitatories published by Solesmes in 1928, and contains a good number not available in either the Liber Responsorialis, Nocturnale Romanum or Peter Standhofe Monastic Psalter.

Solesmes interim Nocturnale

A reader recently alerted me to the existence of the Solesmes Nocturnale (aka Liber Antiphonarius pro vigiliis cura scriptorii Paeographici solesmensis praeparatus Nocturnale ad interim, Solesmes, 2017), and asked if it was worth buying in terms of putting together Matins.

The short answer, particularly from a 1962 Office point of view, is no.

The slightly longer answer follow by way of an addition to my collection on Resources for Matins.

Why not to buy...

Despite the title, the book is not actually a full Nocturnale.

It does not provide the ferial texts or chants for Matins and provides only a limited selection of chants for thirteen feasts, all of which are readily available in other sources.

And the few 'new' responsories (for Tenebrae) are not used in the 1962 (and earlier) version of the Office.

It does include the texts of the psalms, but in the Neo-Vulgate.

And the selection of responsories and other texts often does not reflect the 1962 breviary, instead it rearranges them and in some cases replaces them with alternatives.

The changes

The book provides the texts for Tenebrae of Good Friday and Holy Saturday for example.  But it rearranges the order of some from that of the older breviaries, and adds alternative responsories in.

It is not really obvious to me why they have made these changes: while some of the 'new' responsories do seem to have been reasonably common in the manuscripts, a quick look at the Cantus Database suggests no more so than those that have been used in the Roman and Benedictine Breviaries since Trent.

Similarly, why has the last responsory of All Saints (Vidi angelum ascendentem) been dumped in favour of a responsory ascribed in the manuscripts to the Feast of the Holy Innocents?

Updated chants?

As far as I can see the book largely brings together updated versions of the chants that have already been published in other places, such as the Liber Hymnarius and assorted other Solesmes publications, rather than providing anything new.

Whether you like the updated versions will depend on your attitude to Solesmes methodology of building composite chants from the manuscripts, rather than simply selecting the best version from one.

We do need a true Benedictine Nocturnale - the best source for the ferial Office remains, as far as I know, an informal draft by Peter Sandhofe, and there remain at least fifty responsories included in the breviary for which I have been unable to find published versions of the chants for example.

Unfortunately, this is not it!

Learn the Office 2.5 - How the psalms are said in the Office Pt 1 - Including psalms without antiphons

King David composing the psalms

Let Compline be limited to the saying of three psalms, said straightforward and without an antiphon.  Rule of St Benedict, ch 17

At Compline let the same psalms be repeated every day: that is, the fourth, the ninetieth, and the hundred and thirty-third.  Rule of St Benedict, ch 18

The Psalms in the Benedictine Office

This post covers some general rubrics around the psalms in the Office, as well as taking a look at psalms said without antiphons at Compline, Lauds and Matins.

The psalms are the core of the Benedictine Office, so it is worth taking a little time to look at how they are properly said. 

OVERVIEW

The layout of the psalms in the psalter differs from that in most Bibles in several ways, including the division of the verses.

In the Office, the doxology (Gloria Patri…) is added to all psalms and canticles unless otherwise noted.

The psalms of Compline, as for Psalm 66 at Lauds, are said without antiphon.

A tone for the psalms without antiphon can be found in the Antiphonale Monasticum on page 1219, however alternate tones are often used at some times of the year.

Reading the psalms in the psalter section of your book(s)

If you look at the psalter section of the Diurnal (or Antiphonale) you will see that the psalms are laid out slightly differently to the way they appear in most Bibles.

Layout of the psalms for liturgical use

The psalter section of the Diurnal is organised so that the psalms appear more or less in their numerical order (a few psalms needed for particular hours excepted).  In the case of Compline though, the psalms span the psalter, so are placed last.

The psalm titles are omitted, as these are not sung.  

In addition, no verse numbers are normally provided.  

It is also worth noting that the division of the verses sometimes differs from the standard divisions in modern Bibles (which date from the seventeenth century).

The asterix marks in the psalter

If you look at the psalms as laid out in the psalter section of the Diurnal or other books you will also see an asterix * in the middle of each verse.

The norm for the Benedictine Office is for it to be sung in choir.  When the Office is sung in choir or in common, the normal practice is to alternate verses between the two sides of the choir or church. 

Rather than pausing between verses, though, it is usual to pause in the middle of the verse, but not have much of a gap between verses.  The asterix marks the place for the pause.  The asterix also helps you know when to change notes if using a chant tone.  

The doxology at the end of the psalms

If you look underneath Psalm 1 at the beginning of the psalter section of the Diurnal, you will see it writes out the Gloria Patri in full at the end of the psalm, and says this is always said at the end of each psalm, part of a psalm (for example the individual stanzas of Psalm 118 said on Sunday and Monday, and psalms that are divided, the second half of which are usually marked with the word 'divisio' ), or canticle unless otherwise indicated.

The key exceptions to the use of the doxology are:

• after Psalms 148 and 149 at Lauds (the three Laudate psalms are said under one Gloria);
• after Psalm 115 at Monday Vespers (Psalm 115 is joined to Psalm 116); 
• the Benedicite Canticle on Sundays; and
• at certain times of the year, most notably during the Triduum. 

In choir, everyone stands and bows for the words 'Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto'.

The psalms without an antiphon - Lauds and Compline.

There are three different ways of saying the psalms in the Office: 

• without an antiphon ('in directum'); 
• responsorially (Psalm 94 at Matins); and 
• antiphonally (most of the hours). 

I will look at the psalms said antiphonally in the next post, but for now the psalms said without antiphon.

There are three sets of psalms said without antiphon in the Office: Psalm 3 at Matins; Psalm 66 at Lauds; and the psalms of Compline.

Originally psalms said 'in directum' were probably said in full by everyone present.  In most monasteries, though, the verses are alternated between the two sides of the choir and/or church as for the rest of the psalmody.

When sung, the key difference is in the first verse of the psalm, as there is no initial 'intonation' - the singing starts on the note it continues on.

The Antiphonale Monasticum provides only one chant tone for psalms sung without antiphon, on page 1219.  You can hear it used for Psalm 66 at Lauds by following the link here (Lauds, around 3.45).

Many monasteries do use alternate chant tones at Compline for some feasts and times of the year however, and the one on the video of Compline I've previously posted can be found in the Liber Usualis (tone for the Nunc Dimittis on Easter Day in the Roman Office), or in the 2005 Antiphonale Monasticum on page 517 (where the rubrics state that it is used for Christmas and Easter).

Pronouncing the Latin

If you are using the Diurnal, you have the English in front of you to help understand the Latin.  It is the Latin, however, that is approved for liturgical use in the 1962 Office.

If you aren't familiar with Latin pronunciation, the best approach is probably to start by listening to recordings such as the Compline video I've previously posted, and the podcasts of Le Barroux for example.

There are a number of great resources available online to help you thou, including:

• pronunciation guides for Ecclesiastical Latin; 
• notes on the psalms in the context of the Office (including breadking down the Latin, and including recordings of them being sung, said or chanted) over at my Psallam Domino Blog; and
• numerous youtube videos of the psalms being read in Latin.

And you can find the next part in this series, on psalms with antiphons, here.

Learn the Office 2.3: Versicles - Compline step-by-step 3

Coronation of the Virgin, The Met
ca. 1455–60

Continuing this step-by-step progress through Compline (Pt 3), today a little about versicles.  This post also covers their use in the other hours.

OVERVIEW

Versicles are short verses with a response.

At Compline a sign of the cross is made at the ‘Adjutorium nostrum’ verse, and over the heart with the thumb at the ‘Converte nos Deus’.

Alleluias are added to the versicles (where marked) in Eastertide.

More elaborate chant tones are used for Lauds and Vespers, and for feasts at those hours.

What is a versicle?

The versicle is a short statement and response.

In the Diurnal they are usually just marked V: and R:

All of the hours contain versicles, and in the main they are very straightforward to say.

Still, there are a few rubrics that go with them in particular hours, such as Compline, and variants in the chants used them on feasts that are worth noting.

Where the versicles are placed

At Prime to None and Compline, there are versicles after the short reading and/or chapter verse, acting as the equivalent of a responsory to it. Versicles also have other positions and functions in the hours though.

Compline

The first versicle of Compline is said immediately after the short reading:

V. Adjutórium nostrum in nómine Dómini. + R. Qui fecit cælum et terram.

V. Our help is in the name of the Lord, + R. Who made heaven and earth.

A second closes off the first section of the hour, 'responding' perhaps to our act of contrition:

V. Convérte nos Deus,+ salutáris noster. R. Et avérte iram tuam a nobis.

V. Turn us then, O God,+ our saviour:  R. And let thy anger cease from us.

And there is another one after the chapter verse that comes in the middle section of Compline:

V. Custódi nos, Dómine, ut pupíllam óculi. R. Sub umbra alárum tuárum prótege nos.

V. Keep us, Lord, as the apple of thine eye. R. Protect us under the shadow of thy wings.

Prime to None

At both Prime and Compline (aside from those linked to the Marian antiphon), the versicles are the same each day.

At Terce, Sext and None, however, they vary with seasons and feasts, in order to match the chapter verses they follow.

Matins, Lauds and Vespers

At Matins the versicles come immediately after the psalms are said in each Nocturn, while at Lauds and Vespers they come after the hymn and before the New Testament Canticles, and can vary with the day of the week as well as the season or feast.

Versicles are also used at various other points through the Office.

Rubrics for the versicles

When the Office is said in common or in choir, the person leading the Office chants the verse (labelled V.), everyone then joins the response (R.).

In private recitation, just say both the verse and response.

Normally there are no particular gestures or postures associated with versicles.  

The key exception is at Compline, where a sign of the cross is made at the 'Adjutorium nostrum', and with the thumb over the heart at the 'Converte nos Deus'.

Eastertide

The other point worth being aware of is that during Eastertide, alleluias are added to the versicles in the main part of the hour.

If you look at page 263 in the Diurnal (AM 172), for example, you will see  it says (T.P. Alleluia or, in the English version, P. T...).  This means add an Alleluia to the verse (and response) during Paschaltide (Tempus Paschali, ie Easter).

Chant tones for versicles

The Antiphonale Monasticum provides four alternate tones for the versicles (AM 1232-3):

• a 'simplex tone' (Tonus simplex) for use at Prime to None and Compline, as well as when making a commemoration at Lauds;
• a common tone (tonus communis) for Lauds and Vespers on normal days;
• a solemn tone (tonus solemnis), for use on major feasts and Lauds and Vespers; and 
• a tone for use in the Office of the Dead and during the Triduum (AM 1233).

SUMMARY: Rubrics for the first section of Compline

The versicle 'Converte nos' marks the end of the first section of Compline, and the table below summarises the rubrics for Compline up to this point.

Opening section of Compline

Office component	Page number	Key words	Key points to note	Rubrics
Reading - Short lesson with blessing	MD 256-7 AM 167 [video 1.07]	Jube Domne.. Noctem quietam…	Alternative readings can be used	Stand; in monastery, reader kneels for the blessing
Versicle	MD 257 [video 1.56]	Adjutorium nostrum…		Make sign of cross
Examination of Conscience or Pater Noster Confession, absolution	MD 257 MD 258-9 (Unless in a monastery or with a priest leading) [video 2.17]	Confiteor Deo omnipotenti… Misereatur nostri… Indulgentiam…	The Diurnal provides two versions of this section – use the second in private recitation. Note addition of St Benedict to the Confiteor.	Bow (profound) Strike breast x3 at mea culpa. At absolution (Indulgentium), make sign of the cross
Versicle	MD 259 [video 3.49]	Converte nos Deus…		Sign of cross with thumb over heart

Yu can find the next part in this series, on the opening prayers of the Office (and opening of the middle section of Compline), here.