Chants of the Vatican Graduale - MusicaSacra

Sixth Sunday after Pentecost 267
us a lodging in His heavenly mansion where we shall no longer lack anything,
where our every longing will be perfectly satisfied in the contemplation
and possession of Himself.
SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
INTROIT (Ps. 27: 8, 9)
1. Dominus, fortitudo plebis 1. The Lord is the strength of his
suae, et protector salutarium Chris- people, and the protector of the salti
sui est: 2. salvum fac populum vation of his Anointed: 2. save, O
tuum, Domine, et benedic hereditati Lord, thy people, and bless thine
tuae, et rege eos usque in saeculum. inheritance, and rule them forever
Ps. Ad te Domine, clamabo, Deus Ps. Unto thee will I cry, 0 Lord: *
meus, ne sileas a me: * ne quando my God, be not thou silent to me,
taceas a me, et assimilabor descen- lest if thou be silent to me, I become
dentibus in lacum. like them that go down into the pit.
Today's Introit begins in the same manner as that for the fourth
Sunday after Pentecost, and is also cast in the same mode. The usque
in sdeculum and the preceding (fortitu)-do plebis suae resemble ceciderunt
in the former. The present Introit, however, differs greatly in development
and in sentiment. The range of the former is from low a to high
6b; here it is only from a to g, beyond which it never goes. In the former
there is but slight difference between the individual phrases, and one
experiences something almost oppressive—as if the psalm-verse, which
speaks of those who descend into the pit, supplied the leading thoughts
for the singer. Still, the fourths over (fortitudo) plebis and especially
over (pro)-tector, as well as the vigorous accents of suae and rege following
the frequent stress of the dominant and the return to the tonic, produce
an enlivening effect. They energetically express the thought: We
are Thine inheritance, 0 Lord, and Thou shalt be our King!
Two musical phrases are distinguishable, each beginning with low
a and again returning to it after having reached their peak with g. Here,
even more than elsewhere, we must be guided by the text, which is most
thought-provoking. In the first part David praises the Lord as the
"strength of His people" and gratefully recalls the armor of divine
grace which has been bestowed upon him, the Lord's anointed. It is
also a prayer of thanksgiving. The second part is a prayer of petition.
But the king's petition is not for himself; it is for his people, or, more
correctly, for the people of God. He says to Him: It is Thy people, Thy