Chants of the Vatican Graduale - MusicaSacra

Fourth Sunday in Lent 141
the thought of singing and playing for God that occupied the mind of
the author, but rather this thought: "God is good." In a similar manner
does he emphasize, with almost the same melodic turn, the thought:
"sweet is His name" after the motive over psdllite in the Introit of the
first Christmas Mass. It is this thought that gives the chant its sweet
and restful character. It governs also the third sentence, which treats
of the omnipotence of God. A modulation to the full step below the tonic
closes the second sentence. Then dmnia rises up solemply, and we expect
a development, but the repetitions over voluit, fecit, and over caelo
et in terra, which are enlivened only by fourths, preserve the quiet character.
No boisterous song which might arouse the listeners should be
allowed here. It is a quiet song, a joyful prayer of thanksgiving for the
goodness of God manifested in the miracle of the multiplication of the
loaves (Gospel) and in the miracle of the Eucharist which is continually
being performed.
The Offertory is the only chant of today's Mass that does not contain
an allusion to Jerusalem. Formerly, however, it contained more
verses, the last of which runs thus: "Ye that fear the Lord, praise the
Lord. Praised be the Lord of Sion, who dwelleth in Jerusalem." It was
this concluding word that carried an unusually rich melody.
COMMUNION (Ps. 21: 3, 4)
1. Jerusalem, quae aedificatur ut 1. Jerusalem which is built as a
civitas, cujus participate ejus in city, which is compact together: 2.
idipsum: 2. illuc enim ascenderunt for thither did the tribes go up, the
tribus, tribus Domini, ad confi- tribes of the Lord, to praise thy
tendum nomini tuo, Domine. name, 0 Lord.
The word Jerusalem is treated with evident affection. Hence, whenever
any certain tone is prolonged and the melody lingers about it, it
conveys the picture of a well-grounded city, or at least suggests such an
image. The brilliantly aspiring melody which follows, however, stresses
the point that more important than these external advantages are the
spiritual benefits which this city of peace imparts to its inhabitants. The
climax of the entire piece comes at the words illic enim ascenderunt
tribus with a melody full of sweet harmony, and an excellent expansion
of the motives of ejus in idipsum. In the Rome of the Middle Ages, as
Grisar (Das Missale, p. 46J says, "even the ascent to today's station
church 'in Jerusalem' was a reality, since it went from the Lateran down
into a valley, then higher up again. Even today, despite the filling in
of the lower parts of this valley, this is still discernible from the course
of the old city walls which are found at that place." The purpose of the