Learn the Office 2.7 - The psalms Pt 3 - singing the psalms and antiphons

O Antiphons

Let those who have been ordered, intone the psalms or the antiphons in their turn after the Abbot. No one, however, should presume to sing or read unless he is able so to perform this office that the hearers may be edified; and let it be done with humility, gravity, and reverence by him whom the Abbot hath ordered.

Rule of St Benedict, ch 47

SINGING THE PSALMS

This post looks at how the to sing the psalms, and in particular, how to decipher the cues given in the Antiphonale Monasticum.

OVERVIEW

The antiphon determines which tone is used to chant the psalm.

There are eight main chant tones, plus a few others that are regularly used.

The Antiphonale Monasticum provides the number of the chant tone as well as the ending (differentiae), and includes a summary for the ending.

The antiphons

Each of the antiphons have their own chant setting, which you can find in the Antiphonale Monasticum,  either in the psalter section of the book, or the sections for the seasons, saints or commons of feasts.

The antiphon normally used for the first psalm of Sunday Vespers, for example, can be seen on page 125 of the Antiphonale, depicted in the image below.



Note that the Antiphonale only provides a short cue for the antiphons before the psalms for Sunday Vespers - but under the 1962 rubrics, the antiphon is sung on full both before and after the psalm.

The psalms themselves are sung to one of a series of fixed tones, numbered 1 to 8, with a couple of extras thrown in.

The 'mode' of the antiphon determines which chant tone should be used for the following psalm.

The chant tones

Normally the key to which psalm tone to use  is the letter and number combination usually written underneath the 'Ant' in the book (as on page 125 for the second psalm of Sunday Vespers, pictured above, which uses Tone 4 g).

But in the case of the first psalm of Sunday Vespers, for example, the book tells you that the psalm tone is 7 c2.

The first number (VII) for Dixit Dominus tells you to use tone 7. 

Once you know the correct psalm tone to use, you can consult pages 1210-1219 of the Antiphonale Monasticum to find the details of that particular chant set out in generic form.

The second letter/number combination tells you which 'differentiae' or ending, to use.  The image below shows the corresponding entry in the Antiphonale.

The four notes used in the word 'Septimus' (seven) are only used for the intonation of the first verse of the psalm (though they are used for every verse of a canticle) - all subsequent verses start on the note used for 'modus...' (re).

The note change marked 'flectitur' is only used when you see the dagger figure in the text of a psalm.

The note changes for 'sic mediatur', however, are always used in the syllables leading up to the * in the middle of each psalm verse.

The pattern of note changes for the second half of the verse varies depending on the 'differentiae', each of which is indicated by a letter (or letter number combination), such as a, c, c2 or d in the case of tone 7.

Most chant books also include some cues on the page with the antiphon for the ending of the verse, so that if you know the start of tone 7 off by heart (and if you sing them regularly over time you will learn them), you don't have to go check the end of the book.  Instead you just look at the arrangement notes that go with 'Euouae', which stands for  'Et in saecula saeculorum Amen' (ie the end of the doxology).

Audio resources and learning the psalm tones

You can find audiofiles of all of the standard chant tones (as well as many other useful audio resources) on the Chantblog. or sung individually on youtube.

Or you can try the video below.

If you are starting from scratch though, I recommend starting with the simplest tones such as Psalm 8.  Sing the psalms using that tone in the Antiphonale, and once you are comfortable with it, add in the next one (2 then 5, then 6, 4 and 7).




Note that there are some minor differences between the psalm tones as set out in the Antiphonale Monasticum and those used in the Roman form of the Office (mainly affecting tones 3 and 6 and the labelling of some of the differentiae).

 Matching the verses to the psalm tones

In theory you could work out which places to change note on for yourself.

In practice, especially at first, it is simplest to use a book with the psalms 'pointed' for you.

There are several books that have been produced at various times for Vespers and Compline, and some of these can be downloaded from CC Watershed (Tomus 9 Psalmiis in notis).  In addition, the Liber Usualis contains a fair number of psalms pointed to tones used in the Benedictine Office.

The simplest solution these days, though, is to use a psalm tone generator to generate your own set of pointed psalms as needed for the particular season, hour or feast.

The image below gives you a feel for the kind of product you can generate.

Another psalm tone generator, offering a range of different formats, can be found on The Academy of Gregorian Chant website (which contains a lot of other very useful resources as well).


How the antiphons and psalms are sung - rubrics

Finally, a note on the rubrics for singing the psalms.

When the Office is sung in choir or in common, the cantor intones the first part of the antiphon, then everyone joins in the rest of it.

The cantor then sings the first half of the first verse of the psalm or canticle, and his or her side of the choir join in with the second half of the verse.

Verses are then alternated between the two sides of the choir.

Everyone stands for the doxology.

When the antiphon is repeated again after the doxology, it is sung by everyone.

And for the next part in this series, continue on to learn about the hymns of the Office.

Learn the Office 2.6 - The psalms Pt 2 - Psalms and canticles with antiphons.

Antiphons are said at each of the hours, following their institution by Holy Ambrose; this as done because…Blessed Ignatius, the third bishop of Antioch after Blessed Peter, was on a certain mountain and heard choirs of angels singing antiphons.

William Durand, Rationale V

In the last post we looked at psalms said without antiphons; in this one psalms with antiphons; in the next post I will look at singing the psalms and antiphons.

OVERVIEW

Antiphons are short chants used with psalms and canticles.

Under the 1962 rubrics they are always sung in full both before and after a psalm, canticle, or group of psalms.

The ‘default’ antiphons can be found in the psalter section of the Diurnal and Antiphonale, but these can be displaced by those for special seasons or feasts. 

What is an antiphon?

Most of the psalms and canticles in the Office are said with an antiphon, a short set of words that is said or sung before and after a psalm or group of psalms.

Antiphons often serve to focus on a key theme or meaning of either the psalm about to be said, or tell us something important about the season, feast or saint being celebrated.

Antiphons are provided in the psalter section of the Diurnal for each day of the week for use in the period 'throughout the year' (the 'default option').  

The psalter section also provides some - but not all - of the seasonal antiphons.  Antiphons to mark the seasons, feasts and special days though the year can be found in the proper of seasons and proper of saints sections (and sometimes the Common of Saints)..

How antiphons are used

At some hours - basically Prime to None - and during some seasons, such as Eastertide, only one antiphon is used.  In this case it is said before the start of the psalms, and then again after the psalms, that is:

Antiphon

Psalm+doxology

Psalm+doxology

Psalm+doxology

Antiphon

At Vespers for most of the year, however, there is normally one antiphon for each psalm.  In this case the antiphon for the psalm is repeated in full before and after each psalm:

Antiphon 1 +Psalm+Doxology+Antiphon 1

Antiphon 2 +Psalm+Doxology+Antiphon 2

Antiphon 3 +Psalm+Doxology+Antiphon 3

Antiphon 4 +Psalm+Doxology+Antiphon 4

Note: In older versions of the Office, the antiphon was not always said in full before the psalm, so the Antiphonale Monasticum, for example, doesn't always write it out.  In the 1962 rubrics however the antiphon is always said in full before the psalm(s), so you may need to look for it at the end of the psalm.

Lauds uses a mix of both antiphons for a group of psalms, antiphons for individual psalms (and the Old Testament canticle, which is treated exactly like a psalm). 

On normal Sundays, for example, the first three psalms are said under one antiphon, the canticle has its own antiphon, and the three Laudate psalms (Ps 148-150) are said under one antiphon (and with only one doxology, at the end).  On weekdays for most of the year and feasts, however, the first three psalms each have their own antiphon, making five in total.

 

 

In addition, at Lauds and Vespers, the New Testament canticle also has its own antiphon.

Where to find the antiphons

The antiphons used on most days of the week throughout the year can be found in the psalter section of the Diurnal and Antiphonale.

If you look at Tuesday Prime, for example, the antiphon normally said throughout the year is 'Deus iudex iustus'.

Accordingly, the middle section of Tuesday Prime (ie after the hymn) goes:

Antiphon: Deus iudex iustus, fortis et longanimis: numquid irascetur per singulos dies?
Psalm: Domine Deus meus...Gloria patri
Psalm: Domine, Dominus noster...Gloria Patri...
Psalm: Confitebor tibi, Domine...Gloria Patri
Antiphon: Deus iudex iustus, fortis et longanimis: numquid irascetur per singulos dies?

Antiphons can change according to seasons, feasts and special days, though, and the easiest way to find the correct set for the season or day is to use an Ordo.

On feasts, there can be as many as three sets of antiphons for the day hours.  The most normal pattern, though is to provide one set of antiphons for Lauds, which are also used at the other hours.  In this case the antiphons are used as follows:

Antiphon 1 of Lauds= Prime, Antiphon 1 of Vespers

Antiphon 2 of Lauds= Terce, Antiphon 2 of Vespers

Antiphon 3 of Lauds= Sext, Antiphon 3 of Vespers

Antiphon 4 of Lauds

Antiphon 5 of Lauds= None, Antiphon 4 of Vespers

And you can find the next part of this series, on singing the psalms, here.

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.

Books reviews: Psalters (the Psautier Monastique & Psalterium Monasticum)

Today I want to provide you with some notes on possible books to acquire.  As I noted in the last post in this series, there are basically three categories of books you can use for the psalms of Matins:

• breviaries, which contain all of the texts for the Office (but not the chants);
• Matins only books; and 
• psalters which include the psalms and some of the other key texts.

Why consider buying a psalter?

Today I want to look at two books in the last category.

Both the books discussed below are current officially approved books, complete with imprimateur, so a useful reference point if you want to pray to Office liturgically, 

The big reason for choosing a psalter over a breviary, the other 'officially' approved bok, though, really comes down to price.  A 1963 breviary in particular is hard to find and pretty expensive.  The various psalters by contrast are readily available at a reasonable price, and can be used for all of the hours, not just Matins.

But they have a few other advantages too.

The options

(1) Psalterium cum canticis novi et veteris testamenti iuxta regulam S P N Benedicti & alia schemata liturgiae horarum monastiae cum cantu gregoriano cura et studio monachorum solesmensium, Solesmes, 2012 (reprint of 1980).

This is one I'm including largely for the sake of completeness, as it uses the neo-Vulgate psalms of 1979 which, as I noted yesterday, I don't recommend.  

That said, this psalter is used in most monasteries who use the Novus Ordo Mass and if you are an oblate of such a monastery, you should probably consider using it, alongside the new Antiphonales put out by Solesmes aligned to the new calendar.

What it contains

This is a Latin only book.

It includes the psalms laid out for each hour, including Matins, with standard daily prayers, and the antiphons with chant tones.  The type face is reasonably sized (though not as large as the Psautier Monastique which I will discuss below).

It also contains pretty much all the texts for the seasons and feasts of saints (ie invitatory, hymns, antiphons and listings of where to find the psalms, and collects).

Another nice feature are the short Scriptural or Patristic quotes that point to the meaning of the psalms.

Pros and cons

This is actually a very nicely laid out book, containing pretty much everything you need for Matins except the readings and responsories.

It is not really usable for the 1963 Office though - the antiphons have been updated to conform with the neo-Vulgate so are not always the same as in the older books, and it contains a number of other quirks, such as an antiphon for Psalm 3 at Matins!

(2) Psautier Latin-Francais du Breviare Monastique En Supplement: L'Ordinaire de l'office au temps de l'Advent du Careme, de la Passio et de Paques...Desclee &Cie, 1938, 2012 reprint  Editions Sainte-Madeleine (at time of writing, 35 Euros + shipping from Abbaye Le Barroux)

This is a book I recommend seriously considering acquiring, particularly if you are a french-speaker.

It is the book used on a day to day basis in most of the traditional monasteries for Matins as far as I can work out.  

What it contains

As for the Psalterium, it contains the psalms and prayers for all of he hours including Matins, together with a french translation.

It also contains a short commentary in french on the psalms.

Most of the texts necessary for the seasons (including Office of Our Lady on Saturday) are also included, but not those for the feasts of saints (presumably because these are largely included in the Liber Responsorialis).

Pros and cons

Like the Psalterium, this book contains most of the texts you will need on a daily basis for Matins except for the readings and responsories.  Though heavy, the book is not too large to hold and the type size is nice and large, a big bonus as far as I am concerned.

It doesn't number the psalms of Matins (ie 1 to 6) though, so it is easy to lose track of where in the Nocturn you are up to.  It also omits the commons and texts for saints and that's kind of annoying.

The really major disadvantage of it though, from my point of view, is that it does not contain any of the chants at all.

And while it is nice to have a commentary on the psalms in theory, it very much reflects its early twentieth century date of composition - though perfectly orthodox, it focuses unduly, in my opinion, on the literal rather than spiritual meanings of the psalms so for me at any rate, is not actually that helpful.

Psalter vs Matins only books

The big downside of these two books is that neither is Latin-English, so if you are an English speaker and your Latin isn't great, or you are planning to pray Matins in English, you probably need to look at one of the Matins only resources, which I will cover in the next post.

The Nocturns/1 - Why are the psalms so important?

Bibliothèque municipale de Rouen

Let the hymn follow next, and then six psalms with antiphons… let there follow the remaining six psalms which shall be chanted with Alleluia.

Rule of St Benedict, chapter 9

Now that we have looked at the opening and closing sections of Matins, I want to move to the main sections of the hour, the Nocturns, and today, start looking at the psalms.

The psalms - the core of Matins

The table below is reminder of the structure of the hour.  The table shows that every day, the first two Nocturns include six psalms with antiphons, with a third Nocturn of canticles added for Sundays and major feasts.

SECTION
OPENING SECTION (INVITATORY)	Same elements everyday – opening prayer, Ps 3, Ps 94 (with verse), hymn
NOCTURN I	Six psalms with antiphon(s) Versicle, Our Father, absolution Blessing, reading and responsory (1,3 or 4 sets)
NOCTURN II	Six psalms with antiphon(s) Sundays and major feasts only: Versicle, Our Father, absolution Blessing, reading and responsory *4
NOCTURN III	Sundays and major feasts only: Three OT canticles under one antiphon Versicle, Our Father, absolution Blessing, reading and responsory *4
CONCLUDING SECTION	Weekdays and minor feasts: Chapter and versicle Sundays: Te Deum, Gospel, Te Decet Laus
CLOSING PRAYERS	Collect only or concluding prayers

In the Roman Office (particularly the modern Liturgy of the Hours), Matins has a strong focus on Patristic and Scriptural readings.  But this isn't true of the Benedictine monastic Office.   In fact through much of the year weekday Matins has only a short chapter verse.

Moreover, even where there are reading, St Benedict instructed his monks to cut the readings and responsories short if necessary, in order to start Lauds at first light: St Benedict makes it very clear that the psalms are the core of his Office.

Why are the psalms so important?

There are, I suspect, several different reasons why St Benedict put such a premium on the psalms, but the key ones, I think go to the importance of the psalms in general, particularly in spiritual formation; their thematic role in the design of the Office; the intercessory role of the Office more generally; and the function of the hour.

First, St Benedict gives a privileged status to the psalms as a source of spiritual formation.  He frequently quotes from them in the Rule, or alludes to them.  And in the Rule he talks about lectio (on the rest of Scripture) or meditation/learning of the psalms.  Monks and nuns of his time were expected to learn all of the psalter off by heart.

Secondly, and related to this, my own view is that the ordering of the psalms in the Benedictine Office is not random, but very carefully programmed.  The natural starting point for Sunday Matins, the first our of the liturgical week, would be, as in the Roman Office, to start at Psalm 1.  Instead St Benedict starts at Psalm 20.  Why?  Because this allows him to use a group of psalms that have a strong focus on the Resurrection on the day of the week most associated with that event.  And similar connections can be found with the other days of the week.

St Benedict also organises his psalter so that certain key themes, words and phrases resonate throughout a particular day, aiding us in reading each psalm in the context of Scripture as a whole, not just an isolated text, as well as suggesting directions for our meditation during the day.

The third reason, I think, has to do with the symbolism embedded in the architecture of the Office that signals, I think, the function of the Office.  Let me just briefly note here, for now, two pieces of symbolism particularly pertinent to this particular hour, viz:

• twelve psalms at Matins and again during the day from Prime to None perhaps symbolises offering praise to God for each hour of the day and night (with the seven psalms of Lauds and Vespers/Compline having its own figural associations); and
• if you add the two psalms of the opening section (Psalm 3 and 94) that adds up to fourteen, a number associated with the coming of Christ (from the generations to Christ in Matthew 1), and in the Night Office we especially wait for his second Coming. 

The daily psalms and the 1963 rubrics

In his Rule, St Benedict sets out the psalms to be said on each day of the week - the table below summarises his listing.  If you look at the wording of the Rule, it isn't necessarily obvious which ones should be divided, but in practice his specification of the longest psalms makes it pretty clear-cut.

Daily invitatory	3, 94
Sunday	20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25; 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31 +three canticles of the season
Monday	32, 33, 34, 36, 36, 37; 38, 39, 40, 41, 43, 44
Tuesday	45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 51; 52, 53, 54, 55, 57, 58
Wednesday	59, 60, 61, 65, 67, 67; 68, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72
Thursday	73, 74, 76, 77, 77, 78; 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84
Friday	85, 86, 88, 88, 92, 93; 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100
Saturday	101, 102, 103, 103, 104, 104; 105, 105, 106, 106, 107, 108

St Benedict does not, however, specify exactly what the dividing point of the psalms should be.  In reality though, the dividing points seem to be the product of fairly long established traditions.  The 1963 breviary, however, actually changes these division point in Psalm 106 (perhaps to highlight the well known hymn based on them?) so that the start of the second section is two verses earlier, at Qui descendant mare (Who go down to the sea).

The festal psalms

The other point to note on the psalms is that although St Benedict doesn't mention the concept (unsurprisingly given his emphasis on saying all of the psalms each and every week), over time the idea of a 'festal Office', including the use of especially selected psalms for major feasts has emerged.

This probably happened quite early - there is a letter associated with the refoundation of Monte Cassino after 717 that notes that they were following certain Roman customs there rather than the strict letter of the Benedictine Office when it came to the major feasts of the year.

Nonetheless, if you are praying the Office devotionally, one option is surely to ignore the 'Commons' and psalms specified for feasts, and stick with some or all of those set for the day of the week...