Chants of the Vatican Graduale - MusicaSacra

270 Seventh Sunday after Pentecost
ously and enthusiastically. The holy Sacrifice with all the honor it gives
the Holy Trinity, with all the blessings it brings to souls, especially in
the sacrificial Banquet, has become a sacrifice of jubilation. Filled with
these sentiments, the pious soul prepares to return again to the life that
awaits its outside. There also it will not forget to sing and play before
the Lord and to remain a cheerful giver.
The melody rises in a well-graduated ascent, its highest points
forming the ascending line c d e f g a. How clearly hostiam jubilationis,
with its recitative on high g and the graceful conclusion, rings out! The
second phrase returns more to the spirit of the introductory Circuibo.
But in dicam the song reasserts the tone of jubilation. Both phrases
close with the same formula. The reason for the transposition to c is
found in the beginning of this chant. Usually we should have / c eb. We
are here dealing with a formula which begins many pieces, especially
antiphons of the eighth mode. Thus the Magnificat antiphon for the first
Vespers of Christmas, set a whole step lower, begins as follows:
fc e\> f g f fgff
Cum ortus fuerit
The same holds true of the beginning of the Introit for the first Sunday
of Advent.
SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
In comparison with the preceding Sundays, a change of feeling now
becomes apparent in the antiphonal chants. The former were serious,
entreating, imploring confidence. Now they have a tone of joyous exultation.
INTROIT (Ps. 46:2)
1. Omnes gentes, plaudite mani- 1. O clap your hands, all ye nabus:
2. jubilate Deo in voce jubila- tions: 2. shout unto God with the
tionis. Ps. Quoniam Dominus ex- voice of joy. Ps. For the Lord is most
celsus, terribilis: * Rex magnus high, he is terrible: * he is a great
super omnem terram. King over all the earth.
The exhortation to be glad, to shout aloud for sheer joy, could
hardly be expressed better than in these words of the Introit. It is the
triumphal shout of Easter. The melody, however, is not correspondingly
impetuous, and can scarcely be regarded as a substantial enhancement
of the text. The sixth mode, the one used here, is mild and limpid in
character. Besides, in its plagal form, it usually has very narrow limits