Chants of the Vatican Graduale - MusicaSacra

316 Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost
again upon the altar. Then we may be certain that Christ prays thus
to the Father for us; and so we sink readily into the quiet atmosphere
of the melody. We enter into its spirit even more when the repetition
Domine in auxilium meum respice is sung tenderly and devoutly. Now
we understand why all three phrases are given about equal importance:
a strongly contrasting phrase in the middle would be somewhat disturbing.
The same motive occurs over qui quaerunt and ut duferant. The
word-accent is especially emphasized by the fourth and the prolonged
note. Over in auxilium, however, no fourth occurs. Perhaps this is due
to the fact that in this instance two syllables precede the word-accent,
while in both other cases a single syllable precedes.
The two verses which the ancient manuscripts add to this Offertory
on the Friday after the second Sunday in Lent had an unusually ornate
melody on their last word. So much the more impressive must have
been the simple Domine, which is likewise repeated in the manuscripts.
COMMUNION (Ps. 70: 16, 17, 18)
1. Domine, memorabor justitiae 1. O Lord, I will be mindful of
tuae solius: 2. Deus, docuisti me a thy justice alone: 2. thou hast taught
juventute mea, 3. et usque in senec- me, O God, from my youth, 3. and
tarn et senium, Deus, ne derelin- unto old age and grey hairs, O
quas me. God, forsake me not.
Let us first of all consider the middle phrase: Deus, docuisti me a
juventute mea. It takes its inception a fourth higher than the preceding
note, adheres to the dominant high c, has a group of two and of three
notes over me-(a) and the preceding syllable, and a pleasing harmony.
It is a soul's grateful expression for the loving care that God has taken
of it from its youth to the present day, even until today's Communion,
for this is a Communion song. Whoever considers all this sees the debt
of gratitude become infinitely great. But he finds his consolation in Him
who has come in Holy Communion, whose thanksgiving is infinite in
value.
The first and last phrases are not so cheerful; in fact, one must say
that they are almost heavy, depressing. This results from the frequent
descent of the melody to low d, the accentuation of the tonic g, and the
repetition of the same formula: Memordbor=senectam,justitiae=senium,
and the same motive a fourth higher over solius=(de)-re-(linquas).
The thought of God's justice may become extremely oppressive, as
well as the prospect of lonely old age here referred to. And the repetition
of senectam and senium compels us to think of all the unwelcome concomitants
of old age. When loneliness creeps into my heart, when those