Chants of the Vatican Graduale - MusicaSacra

First Sunday of Advent 19
the altar, even when your vocation and your duties demand sacrifices
from you which cut deeply into the heart, even when your fidelity results
only in derision for yourself (neque irrideant). Then pray and sing
with your whole soul: "My God, I put my trust in Thee. I shall not be
confounded." And behold, He for whom your heart longs will come to
you in Holy Communion, to be your light and your strength!
Even more clearly than in the Introit does the melody here "lift"
itself from the depths. Erubescam, a heightened repetition of (d)-nimam
meam, is much like the erubescam of the Introit. The division of the
phrases, moreover, is almost identical; in other respects, however, this
Offertory travels its own path. The predilection of the second mode for
the frequent combination of the tonic and dominant (d-f) determines
the melodic line; in fact, the melody extends but a single tone above its
dominant. The motive over (Do)-mine is found again over (confun)dentur,
with a slight variation over mei, and, taking its rhythm into
consideration (2 + 4 + 2 [4]), also over te, d-(nimam), Deus meus, and confido.
All this assures the song a feeling of deep rest and unimpassioned
reserve. But we must not forget that in early times the Offertory had two
more verses, of which especially the last had a florid close. Deus meus,
non, and neque set in on the dominant. The effect varies, however, depending
on whether the preceding note rests on the same pitch, or a
third or a fourth lower. As a result of its intonation, non (erubescam)
possesses special force, heightened by its pressus-like accent, the only
one in the entire piece. While the Introit and the Gradual make exspectant
prominent, our present song stresses universi with its interval of a
fourth. But the melody is more subdued and quiet than in the corres
sponding passage of the Introit. It would seem that the subsequent Secret
already exerts its influence upon this song. According to the position
it occupies liturgically, plain song knows how to give the same text its
proper character, its own spirit. Animam meam, words and melody, is
found also on the feast of St. Joseph of Cupertino. That song uses also
the last phrase of today's Offertory, though with a different text.
Revue, 8, 49 ff.
COMMUNION (Ps. 84: 13).
1. Dominus dabit benignitatem: 1. The Lord will give goodness:.
2. et terra noslra dabit fructrum 2. and our earth shall yield her
suum. fruit.
All the chants of this Sunday are fervent and touching supplications.
Here we have the answer to all these petitions, and especially to
that of the Alleluia-verse, which is taken from the same psalm as the