Chants of the Vatican Graduale - MusicaSacra

Sunday within the Octave of Christmas 69
on the dominant and the pressus over plordtus are expressions of gripping
sorrow; they almost sound like a shrill outcry.
In the following phrase the minor seconds and the minor thirds
produce a gentler ring. The third phrase in its first half supports itself
on c. The mother's heart is inconsolable, because her children are no
more. However true and deep this sorrow may be, it never becomes
unruly or distraught. With dbg the melody comes to a close; est ends on
d, (ululd)-tus on b, suos on g. Through this harmony the grief is tempered.
SUNDAY WITHIN THE OCTAVE OF
CHRISTMAS
INTROIT (Wisd. 18: 14, 15)
1. Dum medium silentium tene- 1. While all things were in quiet
rent omnia, 2. et nox in suo cursu silence, 2. and the night was in
medium iter haberet, 3. omnipo- the midst of her course, 3. thy altens
sermo tuus, Domine, 4. de mighty word, 0 Lord, 4. came from
caelis a regalibus sedibus venit. Ps. heaven, from thy royal throne. Ps.
Dominus regnavit, decorum in- The Lord hath reigned, he is clothed
dutus est: * indutus est Dominus with beauty: * the Lord is clothed
fortitudinem, et praecinxit se. with strength, and hath girded himself.
The text speaks of the liberation of Isarel from Egyptian slavery
and domination. In the middle of the night came God's almighty word
and freed His people. The angel struck Egypt; to the people of God,
however, he brought liberty. But today these words have an entirely
different import. They tell us of that quiet night in which not only an
angel, but in which the Angel of great counsel, the almighty Word of
God Himself, deserted His royal throne and descended to us from
heaven to be our Saviour. The former was a night of horrors for the
Egyptians. This quiet night is a blessed night for us, in which the angels
sing new songs, bringing the peace of God to men.
The ascent from the depths fits well to the mysterious text. No
little solemnity and majesty is conferred upon the song by means of
numerous fourths.
In the first phrase the first three groups show an ascent, but ever
again bend downwards: cd dgf, gag, gb\>agf, fgac ba, until finally the tris-