Today I want to continue this series by providing an overview of the other key book relating to the day hours of the Benedictine Office, the Antiphonale Monasticum, which provides the chants.
If you an absolute beginner with the Office, and don't know anything abut Gregorian chant, this one to leave until later, until you are more familiar with the basic texts.
Sing the Office - start now, and build gradually
But it is important to know that the Office is meant to be sung rather than said if at all possible - St Benedict quotes the psalm that says 'Sing wisely', not one that says 'Say it wisely'!
One way you can do this right from the beginning is to sing it ‘recto tono’, or one note. Most monasteries use this approach for at least some of the hours each day, and doing the Office this way is a good way to start.
Singing it isn't always possible of course, and saying it is better than not saying it all, but it is good to try and sing at least some of the Office, and over time, try and gradually add more and more of the appropriate Gregorian chants.
Learning to read and sing Gregorian chant
Some of these can be learnt by ear from recordings and podcasts.
For many of the hours, however, there are too many chants to learn easily, and recordings are not available.
The solution is to use or all of those set out in books like the Antiphonale Monasticum.
For this reason, I will provide page references to the Antiphonale Monasticum (AM) in these notes that you can either use as we go along, or come back to at your leisure.
If you are not familiar with how to read the ‘square notation’ used in chant books, there are a number of excellent sites which provide lessons on this, such as those on the FSSP's Our Lady of Guadelupe Seminary website.
The key book for the chants is the Antiphonale Monasticum 1934 (reprint with supplements 2010). It is available for purchase (but make sure you are buying the 1934 version – the 2005 onwards books are not aligned with the Monastic Diurnal), or can be downloaded from CC Watershed.
About the Antiphonale Monasticum (1934)
The Antiphonale is in Latin only, and is organized slightly differently to the Diurnal, so this post provides some notes to help navigate it.
In addition, the Antiphonale contains some material that has been trimmed out of the 1962 version of the Benedictine Office, or is used slightly differently, so you will need to use it in conjunction with your Diurnal.
The Antiphonale has eleven sections. I have marked the most important ones with one or more asterixes.
I. ***Incipit Ordinarium Officii de Tempore (AM 1-180) = Psalter section
In the Diurnal, the psalter section is in the middle of the book. In the Antiphonale it is the very first section – the Latin means the start of the Ordinary of the Office of Time.
As in the Diurnal, it starts with Monday Prime (Feria Secunda ad Primam), and starts by providing four alternative chant tones for the hymn Iam lucis orto sidere, to be used on different levels of days.
II. **Proprium de Tempore (AM 181-618) = proper of time
Provides the chants for the seasons and moveable feasts.
3. **Commune sanctorum (AM 619-720) = Common of saints
Provides the chants for feasts of saints without ‘proper’ texts.
Note especially the Office of Our Lady on Saturday, from page 712-719).
4. Psalmi festivi (AM 721- 752) = psalms for feasts
Sets out the ‘festal psalms’, versicles for various types of feasts, and antiphons and verses for use to commemorate categories of saints. All of this material can be found elsewhere, it is brought together here for convenience.
5. **Proprium Sanctorum (page 753- 1149) = Propers for feasts of saints
As in the Diurnal, this is arranged by date.
6. Officium Defunctorum (AM 1150-1169) = Office of the Dead
7. Responsoria brevia…responsoria prolixa (AM 1170-1204)
Provides the brief responsories used at Vespers for various categories of feasts, and optional more elaborate responsories for use at I Vespers of selected feasts.
8. **Toni communes = chant tones used in the ordinary (commons) of the Office (AM 1208-1249).
This is an important section as it provides the chants for the repeated/fixed parts of the Office. It contains a number of sub-sections, and generally several alternatives to reflect the level of the day:
I In principio Horarum = opening prayers of the hours**
II De Cantu Psalmorum = tones used for chanting the psalms and canticles**
III Alleluia = tones for the alleluia when added to antiphons and responsories during Eastertide
IV Gloria Patri =tones for the doxology for the prolix responsories
V De Cantu Hymnorum = Notes on the singing of hymns, including tones for the Amen at the end of them
VI Toni Versiculorum – Tones for the versicles
VII Tonus Capituli =tones for the chapter verses
VIII Tonus Lectionis brevis = tone for brief reading at Compline
IX Tonus Orationis = tones for the collects (prayers). This section also includes the chants for the concluding section of the hours (Kyrie, Pater Noster)
X In fine Horarum = Endings of the hours
XI Benedicamus Domino = Tones for the Benedicamus used at Lauds and Vespers.**
9. Appendix = assorted chants and prayers for various occasions.
10. Index (AM 1264 – 1292)
11. Supplements for various congregations - (AM 1* - 58*)
And you can find the next part in this series here.
