Chants of the Vatican Graduale - MusicaSacra

254 Third Sunday after Pentecost
To judge from the pauses indicated, alleluia with its jubilus has
five parts. A rising motive is repeated thrice almost in the same style,
but each time takes a different development and a different thesis. The
half pause between the third and fourth members produces a disturbing
effect, hampering the musical development of a melody which beyond
doubt belongs to the finest to be found in the Graduale. Care must be
taken not to rush too precipitately to the higher notes. Not without
reason does Codex 121 of Einsiedeln assign a broad construction to the
rising notes. Nevertheless, the rendition must not drag; the exultation
which pervades this chant must be clearly indicated. The two first members
of alleluia are characterized by the ascending fourth and fifth and
the descending fourth and by a strong emphasis on g, the tonic of the
mode. In the second part of the jubilus c predominates. A similar relation
exists between the two parts of the following verse. In the first part
the two first members of alleluia are twice repeated over Deus judex
Justus and fortis et. In the latter case, the descending fourth is replaced
by a full note. But after the rising fifth, the development is different
each time, and the climax is reached over pdtiens. The fact that this word,
speaking of God's longanimity, receives prominence, tempers to some
extent the text of an Alleluia-verse which is unusually serious, and introduces
us to the consoling Gospel in which the Good Shepherd, full of
tenderness and long-suffering, pursues the erring lamb and does not rest
until He has placed it upon His loving shoulders. If then the verse, continuing
in two closely corresponding parts, voices the question "Is he
angry everyday?" we must recall the beginning of the Epistle of the
Sunday: "Be you humbled, therefore, under the mighty hand of God;
that He may exalt you in the time of visitation." But the whole again
ends with alleluia.
While plainsong in general is very adept in joining individual
phrases and parts of phrases, we here find, less happily all the beginnings
of the melody on the tonic.
OFFERTORY (Ps. 9, 11-12, 13)
1. Sperent in te omnes, qui no- 1. Let them trust in thee who
verunt nomen tuum, Domine: 2. know thy name, 0 Lord: 2. for thou
quoniam non derelinquis quaerentes hast not forsaken them that seek
te: 3. psallite Domino qui habitat in thee: 3. sing ye to the Lord, who
Sion: 4. quoniam non est oblitus dwelleth in Sion: 4. for he hath not
orationem pauperum. forgotten the cry of the poor.
A fifth marks the range for the first three phrases: the first going
from g-d, the second and third from f-c. Hence, the song produces no