Chants of the Vatican Graduale - MusicaSacra

314 Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost
but in the same degree she gains in grace and glory. Affliction should
purge the members of the Body, should cause their love and faith to increase,
and thus lead them into the depths of Christ and into His glory.
In this manner the Lord "builds" His new Sion, His glorified Church,
of well-known stones; there He will dwell as Victor and King.(Bomm,
Volksmessbuch).
ALLELUIA VERSE (Ps. 97: 1)
1. Cantate Domino canticum no- 1. Sing ye to the Lord a new canvum:
2. quia mirabilia fecit Domi- tide: 2. for the Lord hath done
nus. wonderful things.
The reverent surprise with which the Gradual began, continually
mounts in the course of the piece and finally develops into a song of joy.
It continues in the Alleluia in a bright tone and with gentle persuasiveness,
striving to captivate hearts, urging them on to joy in the Lord.
Were we to strive to contemplate the wonderful things of God, the marvels
of His grace, of His mysteries, the prodigies of the Eucharistic Sacrifice;
were we to make an earnest effort to penetrate into this world,
then this song would give new stimulus and energy every time we should
assist at Mass. Then our whole soul would sing out this melody as a
small recompense to God for the gift of His only-begotten Son.
Over Cantate the melody swells as far as the pressus on c; then it
relaxes somewhat, only to prepare for a greater climax with Domino.
Our song is intended for the Lord, and for Him alone. The third significant
word of this verse, mirabilia, is made prominent like the first
two, but it may be sung with still greater warmth. The tempo must, of
course, be quite lively.
So far as the melody is concerned, this Sunday's Alleluia is much
like that of the twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost. Both have the
same twofold division, clearly indicated by the melody. It is difficult to
determine which is the original composition. The probability seems to
favor the twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost, for in the most ancient
manuscripts the Alleluia Cantate Domino is not mentioned, while
in manuscript 121 of Einsiedeln the text is given, but without any
neums, although a place was reserved for their insertion. Three small
variants seem to be mere printing mistakes:
Sixteenth Sunday Twenty-second Sunday
(Domi)-no gf Dominum ge
(Do)-mi-(nus) fgaga (eo)-rum faga