Chants of the Vatican Graduale - MusicaSacra

Ash Wednesday 113
mus spatium paenitentiae, et in- suddenly prevented by the day of
venire non possimus. * 3. Attende death, we seek time for penance,
Domine, et miserere: quia peccavi- and be not able to find it. * 3. Atmus
tibi. Adjuva nos, Deus salu- tend, O Lord, and have mercy: for
taris noster: 2. et propter honorem we have sinned against thee. t. 1.
nominis tui, Domine, liber a nos. Help us, 0 God, our Saviour: 2.
* Attende Domine. .. Gloria Patri and for the honor of thy name, O
Lord, deliver us. * Attend, 0 Lord
. . . Glory be to the Father. . .
Responsories occurring in the Divine Office and in blessings have
the general arrangment ABA. But generally only a part of A is repeated.
There are even more typical melodies here than in the Gradualresponsories.
The verse with its Gloria Patri is such a typical melody,
and consequently no account is taken of the meaning of the text. The
first half of the verse has the recitation on the dominant together with a
five-syllable middle cadence. The second half recites on the tonic. Without
exception, the final cadence begins at the fifth last syllable: D6-
5 4 3 2 1 5 4 3 2 1
mine liber a nos and Spiritui sancto.
The corpus of the Responsory has many typical turns: peccdvimus =
non possimus and also the second -vimus tibi; and spdtium paenitentiae =
Attende Domine et miser e-(re). The melody greatly resembles the Responsory
Obtulerunt of Feb. 2. But the second phrase of our present
chant has a character peculiar to itself; with its heaped-up fourths it
well represents the excited state of the singer's soul. He is moved by the
words with which the priest placed the ashes on his sinful head: "Remember,
man, that thou art dust, and unto dust thou shalt return."
Here, as well as on Palm Sunday and on the feast of the Purification,
the Responsory rounds out the first ceremony of the day, and leads over
to the Solemn Mass which follows it.
THE MASS
INTROIT (Wisd. 11: 24, 25, 27)
1. Misereris omnium, Domine, et 1. Thou hast mercy upon all, 0
nihil odisti eorum quae fecisti, 2. Lord, and hatest none of the things
dissimulans peccata hominum pro- which thou hast made, 2. and overpter
paenitentiam, 3. et parcens lookest the sins of men for the sake
illis: 4. quia tu es Dominus Deus of repentance, 3. and sparing them:
noster. Ps. Miserere mei Deus, 4. for thou art the Lord our God. Ps.