Chants of the Vatican Graduale - MusicaSacra

228 Monday in Whitsun Week
FIRST ALLELUIA VERSE (Acts 2: 4)
1. Loquebantur variis linguis 1. The apostles spoke in divers
Apostoli 2. magnolia Dei. tongues 2. the wonderful works of
God.
Again and again the Church marvels, this week, at the astounding
miracles of tongues. Repeatedly she reminds us of God's almighty rule
in the history of mankind in general and of each individual soul in particular.
The alleluia has two parts, the first of which confines itself to the
tetrachord c-f, while the second reaches up to high c. We met a similar
melody on the Sunday after the Ascension. The first member of the jubilus
shows a fine manipulation of the motive: f g ab\? a g and efgdgf;
the second member also has two related tone-sequences. Loquebantur is
a further development of alle- while -luia and the greater part of the
jubilus are repeated as far as linguis. Before this word a short pause is
indicated, while in the corresponding passage in the jubilus we have a
half pause, which is well justified by the pressus with the modulation to
c. Here, however, the related words variis linguis are to be joined together
as closely as possible. Apostoli may also be regarded as the continuation
of -Mia, but here the threefold c far outweighs the / which begins
the group. For this reason we do not sing 6 b here, but a strongly
accented b. It is interesting to note the display of power resulting from
the / with its subsequent 6 b, and the c with its subsequent b.
OFFERTORY (Ps. 17: 14, 16)
ijjl. Intonuit de caelo Dominus, 2. 1. The Lord thundered from
et Altissimus dedit vocem suam: 3. heaven, 2. and the Most High gave
et -apparuerunt fontes aquarum, his voice: 3. and the fountains of
alleluia.\ waters appeared, alleluia.
The Offertory is borrowed from Tuesday in Easter Week. Throughout
the octaves of Easter and of Pentecost we hear the rushing fountains
of water, reminding us that we were reborn out of water and the
Holy Ghost. Hence it is that the melody reaches its highest point in the
third phrase of our present chant. A grateful and joyous spirit pervades
the entire piece.
The close of alleluia corresponds with Dominus in the first phrase.
This and the second phrase have the same range, but a different melodic
development. In its second half the second phrase closely follows the
tone-sequenees of the first mode. A light secondary accent on the last
note of vo-(cem) will help to clarify the rhythm. The preceding notes