Canticum novumGregorian Chant for Today’s Choirs

Anthony Ruff, OSB

GIA Publications, Inc.

G-7559

Copyright © 2012 by GIA Publications, Inc.

7404 South Mason Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60638

www.giamusic.com

English Psalm verses are The Revised Grail Psalms, © 2010, Conception Abbey and The Grail,

admin. by GIA Publications, Inc.

English Canticle verses are © 2008, Conception Abbey, admin. by GIA Publications, Inc.

Philippians 2:6–11 (page 33), Luke 1:46–49 (page 65), stanzas 1 and 2 of Daniel 3 (page 111),

Luke 2:29–32 (page 113), and Romans 8 (page 141) are from New American Bible, © 1970,

Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C.

Wisdom 3 (page 171) is from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989,

Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United

States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

ISBN 978-1-57999-928-5

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Foreword

Gregorian chant is uniquely the Church’s own music. Chant is a living connection

with our forebears in the faith, the traditional music of the Roman rite, a sign of

communion with the universal Church, a bond of unity across cultures, . . . and a

summons to contemplative participation in the Liturgy. (Sing to the Lord: Music

in Divine Worship, no. 72)

The Contents of This Collection

This collection provides easier chants for a schola or choir to sing at Mass (for example,

as a prelude, as an entrance chant, at the preparation of the offerings, or as a communion

chant) and at other liturgical celebrations. One is free to choose any “liturgical chant that is

suited to the sacred action, the day, or the time of year” at these points in the liturgy, as the

General Instruction of the Roman Missal no. 48 states. This collection is intended for those

many situations in which it is not yet possible to sing the proper chants in the Graduale

Romanum. It is hoped that this collection will assist singers who are beginning to learn

Gregorian chant, and help lead them to the rich resources in the official chant books.

Antiphons: Most of the selections are Latin antiphons with psalm verses. The psalm verses

are provided for singing in either Latin or English. The antiphons are drawn for the most

part from the Graduale Simplex, the Antiphonale Monasticum, and the easier propers of

the Graduale Romanum.

Psalm Tones: Psalm tones are given for singing the psalm verse text either in Latin or in

English. Latin psalmody has one psalm tone for each mode, but there are variant endings

in the case of some modes. The mode indication given to the left of the antiphon indicates

both the mode and the psalm tone ending. VIIIg, for example, indicates Mode VIII with the

psalm tone variant that ends on G (sol). In the English psalm tones from Saint Meinrad’s

Archabbey there is just one psalm tone, without variation, in each mode, but some measures

of the tone are omitted as indicated if the text calls for it. Reference for the proper doxology

is given after the psalm verses in each language.

Hymns: There are nine strophic hymns for seasons and occasions, in Latin and English

on facing pages. The hymns included here are not those already found in congregational

hymnals (such as “Veni, Creator Spiritus”) but rather a repertoire of liturgically appropriate

hymns otherwise not as readily available. Following the singing practice at Solesmes

Abbey, there is no amen at the end of the hymns. The English texts were selected on the

basis of accuracy to the Latin, which will help singers understand the text when sung in

Latin. There are other translations that rhyme and some might find more poetic. But Latin

hymn texts generally do not rhyme, so in that regard these English translations follow the

Latin model.

Indexes: The Index of Titles at the end of this book lists the chants in alphabetical order

both by the Latin texts and the English translations. The Modal Index lists the chants by

mode, which is helpful for those wish to study the modality of all the chants in a given

mode. Also provided are a Scriptural Index, Liturgical Index, and Topical Index.

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Chant Scholarship: This book is intended primarily to be a collection of practical pieces

for liturgical use. It can serve also as an introduction to the main developments in recent

chant scholarship, such as the newly introduced modes, melodic reconstruction, revised

four-line notation with additional neume forms, and text-based rhythmic interpretation.

Layout

Latin and English Antiphon Text: The entire text of each antiphon is given at the top of the

page, in Latin on the left and in English translation (not intended for singing) on the right.

All accents in the Latin text are indicated, including accents for two-syllable words not

marked in the official chant books. This layout is intended to help the singer pronounce and

understand the Latin text, which is the basis for a successful interpretation. Below the Latin

text of the antiphon is a literal translation of each word. This word-for-word translation

follows the Latin in giving the singular (e.g., “he”), but the idiomatic English translation

at the top of the page is occasionally made inclusive by use of the plural (e.g., “they”).

This approach is intended both to help the singer understand the Latin text and to provide

a useful translation for liturgical use (e.g., in a worship leaflet).

Five-Line Notation: The page on the right gives the same antiphon melody in five-line

notation as is on the left in four-line notation. Singers not yet comfortable with four-line

notation can sing from the five-line version. Singers learning four-line notation can use

the five-line version to double-check their note-reading accuracy. A style of five-line

notation has been developed that conveys as much as possible of the four-line notation. For

example, there is a slight tail on augmented liquescent neumes, and a smaller note head for

diminished liquescents and note groups with a weak first note.

Pitch Level: The five-line version is transposed to a pitch level judged appropriate for

choral singing. This means that the pitch C in four-line notation is not necessarily given

as C in five-line notation. Pitches in four-line notation are relative, not absolute. The same

can be said of the five-line notation, and in all cases one is free to select a pitch level most

appropriate for the singers.

Psalm Verse Texts: The text of the psalm verses is given on facing pages in Latin and

English. Each language is pointed for singing to its respective psalm tone. The verses may

be chanted in English when the Latin seems too difficult for the singers; otherwise, the

English text is helpful for understanding the sung Latin text.

Psalm Tones: The Latin psalm tones are drawn entirely from the simple tones of the

Graduale Simplex and Antiphonale Monasticum, even for antiphons from the Graduale

Romanum. This follows the precedent of the Graduale Simplex, which uses simple psalm

tones for chants taken from the Graduale Romanum such as “Visionem quam vidistis.”

The English psalm tones are from Saint Meinrad’s Archabbey. These tones work well

with the Latin antiphon melodies because they are composed in the Gregorian modes.

These English tones can be a useful way for beginning singers to become familiar with

the characteristics of each Gregorian mode, since they make use of the primary structural

notes of each mode.

Early Lineless Neumes: Above the antiphon in both the four-line and five-line notations

are lineless neumes of the St. Gall school (from St. Gall and Einsiedeln) copied from

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manuscripts of the ninth to eleventh centuries. The Graduale Triplex provides notation

of two schools, above and below the four-line notation, but in this book it was thought

more advisable to provide just the St. Gall neumes as an introduction to early notation.

The lineless neumes of the St. Gall school, which are above the staff here, are those found

below the staff in red in the Graduale Triplex. It was technologically possible in this book

to reprint a standardized form for each early neume. This gives the advantage of ease of

recognition for the beginner, but of course in the original manuscript the neumes vary in

appearance from place to place since they were written individually by hand.

Reference Citations: On the bottom left of the left-hand page, scriptural references are

given for the antiphon and the psalm verses. On the bottom right of the page, the melodic

sources are given, both the early manuscripts and the modern chant books. The Table of

Abbreviations following this foreword explains the abbreviations used. On the bottom

right of the right-hand page, recommendations are given for use according to seasons,

feasts, and rites.

Singing Latin Psalmody

The layout of the Latin psalmody in this collection is designed for maximal convenience

for the singer. It is similar to the layout commonly used for English-language psalmody

since the Second Vatican Council.

There are two measures in Latin psalm tones for use with two lines of text. If four lines of

text are sung, the psalm tone is simply repeated as described below.

In most cases, the first two syllables of the verse text are italicized because the psalm tone

has an intonation formula with neumes for these two syllables before the reciting note. The

reciting note (an empty white note head) is used for all the text that follows, as in English

psalmody, up to the underlined syllable indicating where one moves off the reciting note.

The second measure of the psalm tone is used for the second line of text, with a reciting

note for all the text up to the underlined syllable indicating the move from the reciting tone.

In cases where the psalm tone does not have an intonation formula, nothing is italicized,

and one begins singing on the reciting note.

Each measure of a Latin psalm tone has a formula that takes into account either one accent

or two accents at the end of the measure. In the case of a one-accent formula, the proper

syllable is underlined for the singer so that last accent of the text will fall on the accent

in the musical formula. For reference, this single accent is given above the psalm tone.

In the case of a two-accent formula, two syllables are underlined, and these two syllables

fall on the two accent marks given above the psalm tone. In all cases, single notes in

brackets are given to indicate that the bracketed note is sometimes needed, sometimes not,

depending on whether an additional syllable of text calls for it. In a two-accent formula,

for example, the note in brackets will not be needed if there is only one syllable between

the two underlined syllables, but it will be needed if there are two syllables between the

two underlined syllables.

The + sign indicates a flex; it is used in cases where there are three lines of text. The + in

the text indicates that one uses the flex notation (in brackets) at the + sign of the psalm

tone. The underlined syllable(s) are sung to the first, lower pitch within brackets, a black

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note. Then the reciting note in brackets is used for the second line of text, and the rest of

the psalm tone is sung as always, using the second measure of the psalm tone for the third

line of text.

The Latin verses are numbered in a manner that indicates the option of singing twice as

much psalm text between antiphons. In this case, one would not sing the antiphon after

verses 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, and so forth. Rather, one would group 1a and 1b into one verse, 2a

and 2b into another verse, and so forth. When one combines a and b verses (portions) into

one verse, the psalm tone intonation that corresponds to the italicized text should be used

only once, at the beginning of the a verse (portion); the text of the b verse (portion) should

be sung beginning immediately on the reciting tone, without the intonation.

Fuller directions for singing Latin psalm verses, with notated examples, are given at the

companion website: www.csbsju.edu/Ruff-CanticumNovum

New Modes

Archaic Modes: Recent chant books have introduced the so-called archaic modes or “ur-

modes” C, D, and E. These were created based on melodic and modal analysis of easier

Office antiphons that do not seem to fit the characteristics of the eight church modes

because they do not emphasize (or perhaps do not even contain) the dominant note of the

mode. Unlike the eight modes, the archaic modes have the same pitch for the dominant and

final. This pitch is either C (do), D (re), or E (mi), which can appear in the chant transposed

to any pitch level as long as the characteristic intervallic relationships are retained.

Other Modes: Other modes and psalm tones have been developed—for example, IV* for

melodies in Mode IV, which seem to be dominated by G (sol) rather than A (la). Examples of

all the recently introduced modes are included in this collection; (see the Modal Index).

Alternate Mode V Termination: An alternate termination for the psalm tone of Mode V,

psalm tone Va2, is given for two chants in this collection, “Christus factus est” and “In

conspectu angelorum.” This psalm tone termination, first introduced in the Antiphonale

Monasticum (2005–2008), has B-flat to match the antiphon melody better. If singers are

accustomed to the conventional B-natural, one may freely use this traditional termination.

Some may prefer the variety which that results from the alternation between B-flat of the

antiphon and B-natural of the psalm verses.

Revised Melodies

The melodies in this collection are revised, based on the latest paleographical research and

the melodic versions found in the most recent chant editions. For the Mass propers of the

Graduale Romanum, the melodic corrections are taken from the German-language working

group as published in the volumes of Beiträge zur Gregorianik. Many of the changes involve

a restoration of the original E (re) or B (ti) that had become F (fa) or C (do) in the course of

history. Other changes involve the addition or subtraction of a pitch for liquescents, to the

extent that this can be determined. Sometimes the restoration of the original melody requires

the use of a sharp or flat to indicate a pitch not found in the mode according to traditional

modal theory. Scholars have determined that these “forbidden” accidentals were sometimes

part of the original melody up until the eighth century, before they were eliminated in most

places with the standardization of modal theory beginning in the ninth century.

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The work of melodic restitution is based upon many early manuscripts. But the neumes

above the staff in this collection come from only one manuscript. This is why the early

neumes occasionally do not match the melody in cases where the restitution follows the

early neumes in another manuscript.

Note that the more original melodic version as recently restored is often quite striking in its

aesthetic superiority, and the emotional impact of the text comes to better expression.

Revised Notation

A fuller explanation of chant notation, especially for singers who are less familiar with

neumes, can be found on the companion website, www.csbsju.edu/Ruff-CanticumNovum.

The four-line notation has been revised in recent decades in the official chant books,

foreshadowed in the Psalterium Monasticum (1981) and given full exposition in the Liber

Hymnarius (1983). The primary goal of the revision is that the four-line neumes convey

more of the rhythmic subtlety of the early lineless neumes. The field of semiology (based

on the “signs” of the early lineless neumes) has been taught at the Pontifical Institute of

Sacred Music in Rome since the early 1960s. Semiology suggests a text-based rhythmic

interpretation based on the natural rhythm of the language and the rhythmic indications of

the early neumes. There is no indivisible equal beat such as an eighth note. There is no ictus

marking the two-note groups or three-note groups of an independent melodic line. The

revised notation is used (with the exception of the episema, see below) in the most recent

official chant edition from Solesmes, the Antiphonale Monasticum (2005–2007).

The diminished liquescent, which already existed as a notational sign in the 1908 Graduale

Romanum, now indicates a rhythmic reduction. The augmented liquescent, first introduced

in the Antiphonale Monasticum of 1934, now indicates a rhythmic lengthening. Diminished

and augmented liquescent forms exist for most all basic neume forms. Note groups

sometimes begin with a weak note of reduced rhythmic value, either a quilisma or an initio

debilis (“weak beginning”). These weak notes are found, for example, in the quilisma pes

(a pes that begins with a quilisma) or the pes initio debilis or torculus initio debilis (a pes

or torculus with a weak beginning note).

Episemas: Rhythmic lengthening are indicated in the early lineless neumes from St. Gall

either by an episema, an added letter, or by the grouping of the neumes so that a break in

the pattern (the “neumatic break”) indicates a lengthening before the break on the last note

of the group. Chant books from Solesmes have used an episema, a horizontal line over the

neume to indicate lengthening, since 1908, although in the case of the Graduale Romanum

these indications do not accurately correspond to the most important early manuscripts. In

the 1934 Antiphonale Monasticum the episemas appear on the correct neumes, but they

sometimes cover only the first note of a two-note group such as a clivis, unlike in the

lineless notation. The revised notation of the Liber Hymnarius (1983) includes episemas,

with the intention that this reflect the earliest lineless neumes accurately. The revised

Antiphonale Monasticum (2005–) does not include episemas. As a help to the singers,

this edition gives episemas in both four-line and five-line notation, since the episema is

foreseen in the revised notation of the Liber Hymnarius.

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Recommendations to Singers

A companion demo CD is available from GIA Publications with recordings of several of

the pieces in the collection: Canticum Novum, catalog number CD-821.

Primacy of Text: The field of semiology advocates a text-based rhythmic interpretation in

which the syllables receive the length they would have in good spoken rendition. Melismas

are generally sung more rapidly than single-note neumes, depending on the context and the

indications of the early neumes. As a rehearsal technique, it is recommended to begin by

reciting the Latin text, or singing it on one pitch, and to return to this practice periodically

while learning the antiphon. As much as possible, the rhythm of spoken rendition should

inform the interpretation of the notated antiphon.

Antiphon: In liturgical use, it is recommended that the entire schola or choir begin the

antiphon and sing it in its entirety. It is also possible, especially for shorter antiphons, for one

person to sing the entire antiphon before the choir repeats it. Since it is not recommended to

split up the text of the antiphon in its first rendition by having part of it sung by one person

before all come in, no asterisk is given to indicate how far the soloist sings. Following

medieval practice, however, it is possible to shorten the antiphon after several repetitions,

or especially in its final repetition if the liturgical action calls for conclusion of the singing,

by beginning the antiphon at a midpoint. The director should select a starting midpoint that

makes good sense textually and melodically. Possible starting midpoints should be worked

out in advance of the liturgical celebration. All this must be explained to the singers and

rehearsed beforehand.

Psalm Verses: As many verses can be sung as is desired or called for by the liturgical

action. The verses can be sung by one or more singers; an old custom was to vary the

number of cantors for psalm verses according to the liturgical rank of the celebration.

Nothing prevents using both Latin and English verses with the same antiphon.

Doxology: Below the psalm verses in both Latin and English, the singer is referred to the

page that has the appropriate doxology. In the case of the Latin, all the psalm tone endings

are given (for “sæculorum. Amen.”) so that the ending can be sung that matches the psalm

tone. The rubrics of the reformed liturgy are flexible regarding the doxology, and one may

sing it or not as desired or as time allows, even in the case of a chant used as an introit to

accompany the opening procession. One may wish to have more singers, or even the entire

choir, sing the doxology.

Organum on Hymns: Organum, that primitive harmony first used in the ninth century or

probably even in the eighth century, can be used to good effect to enhance hymns. A second

voice sings the melody at the interval of a fourth or fifth higher or lower than the first voice.

Generally the second voice will sing a fifth higher. A pedal point can be sung by a few

singers, generally a held “ah” (or another syllable taken from the hymn text), which is the

pitch of the final note of the piece. A second pedal point can be added a fifth higher. One

can also combine a pedal point (one pitch or two pitches) with the hymn melody sung at

intervals a fourth or fifth apart. It makes for an interesting rendition to have variety from

one stanza to another—unison and organum, men and women, solo or small group and

entire choir, and so forth.

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Organum on Antiphons: All of the types of organum just described can also be used with

an antiphon, although one might be hesitant to risk obscuring the rhythmic subtlety of

these compositional masterpieces. Or, with proper rehearsal, it is possible to sing an

antiphon in harmony with good text-based rhythmic subtlety. In any case, the director

should plan out the organum ahead of time at the keyboard to make sure the harmonies

work for a given melody.

Phrase Breaks: Following the example of recent chant books, bar lines are used sparingly.

Some full bars have become half bars, some half bars have become quarter bars, and

some quarter bars have been reduced to commas or eliminated. All bar lines are editorial,

whether in official chant books or in this collection, and the director should feel free to

employ phrase breaks that seem most appropriate on textual and musical grounds. This

decision will depend in part on the acoustics of the space, the tempo, and the ability of

the singers. Many quarter bars can be ignored if the singers are able to carry through to

the end of the phrase with confidence. For less experienced singers it may be wiser to

breathe together at the quarter bar, making sure that the break is short so that the text is

not unduly interrupted.

Tempo: In general, a lively and dynamic tempo is recommended, somewhat quicker than

was commonly used several decades ago. The more sparing use of bar lines in recent

editions surely reflects the fact that chant is no longer sung as slowly as in the immediate

past. Livelier tempos make it possible to sing more of the chant line in one unit, as is often

suggested by the text.

Accompanying Website

Additional resources to accompany this collection are found at this website:

www.csbsju.edu/Ruff-CanticumNovum

Resources will be added and further developed in response to users’ requests and

questions.

Alternate Psalm Verse Layout: At the website one can find all the Latin psalm verse texts

laid out with the syllables directly below the pitches, rather than with a psalm tone and

pointed text as in this collection. The layout of this book makes clear the primacy of the

text, with the hope that the rendition will be confident and convincing for the singer who

has internalized the psalm tone and is able to apply it to the text, which appears as a line

of poetry. The alternate layout on the website is provided for those who are not entirely

familiar with Latin pointing and want to be sure they are putting the correct pitches with

the correct syllables.

Alternate Solemn Psalm Tones: Some may wish to use the customary solemn psalm tones

for chants taken from the Graduale Romanum. At the website these are provided for some

of the more ornate chants in this collection.

English Psalm Tones Harmonized: Experience has shown that one can alternate between

Latin antiphons in unison and English verses in parts to good effect. The psalm tones from

Saint Meinrad’s Archabbey are presented on the website in vocal harmonizations.

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Commentary: At the website one can find a brief commentary on the individual chants in

this collection. This commentary points out interesting aspects of the chants and answers

questions both theoretical and practical that might arise for the user.

Acknowledgments

I wish to thank two people from GIA Publications: Kelly Dobbs-Mickus for her support

and advice, and Jeff Mickus for his collaboration and his layout of the four-line notation in

Finale and the final layout of the entire book. I thank Dr. Franz Karl Praßl of Graz, Austria,

for his editorial advice and his assistance in determining the most original form of some

of the melodies. I thank graduate students of Saint John’s School of Theology•Seminary

Jeff Regan and Audrey Seah for assistance with proofreading. Research for this book was

made possible in part by a Research Expense Grant administered by the Association of

Theological Schools and funded by the Lilly Foundation.

Canticum novum—A New Song

“Cantate Domino canticum novum”—“Sing to the Lord a new song,” the psalmist repeatedly

exhorts us (cf. Psalms 96, 98, 149). In the last book of the Bible, the Book of Revelation,

we read that the elders before the throne “sang a new hymn,” and every creature in heaven

and earth joined in (cf. Revelation 6: 8–9, 13). “Everything in the universe” is redeemed by

Christ. Everything cries out in worship of him, the Lamb before the throne.

The “new song” of the Scriptures, which gives this collection its title, is the song of the

redeemed. “New” at the time these Scriptures were written did not refer to a musical style

or a contrast between “traditional” and “contemporary” music. What is “new” is all of

creation, because it is redeemed by Christ. We are made new because we are part of the

“new heaven and new earth” and are citizens of the “new Jerusalem” (cf. Revelation 21).

May the ancient chants of this collection help us join in the canticum novum, the new song

of the redeemed.

Father Anthony Ruff, OSB

Saint John’s Abbey

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Abbreviations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi

The Chants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2–201 Doxologies in all modes

Latin Doxologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202English Doxologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208

Appendix: Solemn Tones for Gaudeamus and Pascha nostrum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213

Modal Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214Scriptural Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216Liturgical Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219Topical Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222Index of English Titles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227Index of Latin Titles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229

ABBREVIATIONS

H Hartker, Saint Gall mss. 390-391 (c. 1000 AD)E Einsiedeln, ms. 121 (early 11th century)B Bamberg, ms. lit 6 (3rd quarter of 10th century)C Cantatorium, Saint Gall mss. 359 (late 9th century)GS Graduale Simplex (1967/1975)AM Antiphonale Monasticum (1934)GR Graduale Romanum (1974)GT Graduale Triplex (1979)PsM Psalterium Monasticum (1981)LH Liber Hymnarius (1983)N Nocturnale Romanum (2002)AM-I Antiphonale Monsticum, vol. 1 (2005)AM-II Antiphonale Monsticum, vol. 1 (2006)AM-III Antiphonale Monsticum, vol. 1 (2007)