Chants of the Vatican Gradual, by Dom Johner - Church Music ...

Third Sunday of Advent 33
A mere glance at the melodic construction tells us that we are here
treating of something out of the ordinary. If we first carefully recite the
text alone and then sing the melody with it, we shall discover that the
melody is not only a fine garment for the text, but that the text and
melody form one whole, an entity as closely united as our intellect and
will and feeling.
The song begins quitely, but soon with jubilant upward flight it
strives to banish from the soul all fear and solicitude, tries to lift it above
all things mundane and carry it up to that new world in which the angels
sing a new canticle of peace and redemption. On Christmas night we shall
hear them saying to the shepherds: Nolite timere—"Fear not; for behold,
I bring you good tidings of great joy. . .This day is born to you a
Saviour" (salvdbit). Hence this Communion, in a way, introduces the
feast of Christmas, just as in Matins for Gaudete Sunday the Invitatory
ran: Prope est jam D&minus—"Already the Lord is nigh." With all
its jubilation, however, the melody follows a definite plan: confortdmini,
resting on the dominant of the mode, divides the first phrase into two
halves. Timere repeats the motive of nolite, and then closes a third lower,
paralleling the final neums of (confortdmi)-ni. These are formulas expressive
of calm, but at the same time they advance the melodic thought.
Now comes the joyful news: ecce, solemn and resolute, as one antiphon
has it: veniens veniet—"He will surely come." Here the melody in a way
makes a conclusion on the tonic; but it adds another very significant
thought, and introduces it with a major second below the tonic and the
F-major chord built on that note: "Behold, this God will be your Saviour."
What a magnificent ring the song must have had in the ancient
basilicas, when the faithful, accompanied by this stirring melody, went
up to the altar to receive the Holy Euchraist! Into him who approached,
it instilled courage, for it said: nolite timere. And to him who was returning
from the altar it whispered: ecce Deus noster: He has come to you to
free you from everything that hampers you, to heal you of every weakness,
to make you cheerful and brave in your work, in your sufferings,
in your vocation. For how many, likewise, was Holy Communion the
source of supernatural strength (confortdmini), the Viaticum for martyrdom!
The song begins with dicite: a command to us singers. We are the
privileged ones to bring this joyous message into the hearts of the faithful.
Those who are bowed down, who scarcely dare to keep on hoping,
those we can now console: Behold, God wishes to be also your Saviour;
in your soul, too, there should be a Christmas.