Saturday, May 28, 2016

The Other Chants of the Mass of St Philip Neri

Having in my last post identified the musical source for the chant setting of the Offertory for the feast of St Philip Neri, I thought next to mention the melodic origins of the rest of the Proper of his Mass. 

To begin with, the Introit, Caritas Dei, is self-evidently taken from the Mass of Whit Saturday, omitting the first, internal alleluia (and the last two, except in Eastertide), raising the first note of per by a tone and replacing the Whit Saturday melody for the last word, nobis, with that of the last two syllables of the first (itself identical with the corresponding part of the last) Whit Saturday alleluia

Likewise, the Gradual Venite is taken without change from the Mass of the 7th Sunday after Pentecost.

The Alleluia and verse De excelso is set to the same melody as the first Eastertide Alleluia and verse for the feast of St Irenaeus (28th June), but it is unclear to me as to which is the original.

I have not yet found a source for the music of the second Eastertide Alleluia and its verse Concaluit.

Most interestingly, the Communion Cor meum is set to a very prominent chant – that of the Communion Viderunt of the Mass of Christmas Day. Doubtlessly this conveys something of the joy whereby the heart and flesh of such a saint do ever exult in the living God.

Friday, May 27, 2016

Musical Source of the Offertory for St Philip Neri


Having checked through the Offertoriale, it is clear that the chant for the Offertory for the feast of St Philip Neri is taken from that of the 19th Sunday after Pentecost, Si ambulavero, thus: 

1Viam1 2man2-3datorum tuorum cucurri3, 4cum dilatasti4  5cor meum.5 (T. P. Alleluja.) 
1Si am1-bulavero in medio tribulationis, 4vivificabis4 me, Domine: et super 2i2-ram ini-3micorum meorum extendes3 manum tuam, et salvum me faciet 5dextera tua.5 

Sunday, May 15, 2016

Twenty-Nine Years in the Church of Rome

Today being Pentecost Sunday, I motored down to Hobart (as I usually do each first day of the week) and M.C.'d the Missa cantata at Sacred Heart. Today being Pentecost Sunday, I mark the anniversary of my Baptism, Confirmation and first Communion on this same beloved feast in 1987. While I have perhaps little to show for twenty-nine years in the Church of Rome, that is because of my sins and backsliding: but grace is greater than all, so I must give all glory to God for having blessed me so abundantly with the grace of the Holy Spirit in Christ Jesus our Lord. Te Deum laudamus!