Here are the introits for the Sundays after Easter, Ascension, Pentecost, Trinity, and the First-Eighth Sundays after. Hopefully we’ll remain caught up from here on out. After the completion of the summer introits I hope to begin transcribing the Alleluias & Verses for the Church Year. (I also intend to do Introit and Alleluia for all major feasts as they come) Graduals are not given in most of the 16th century Lutheran chant sources, though occasionally for major feasts. Instead they often sang sequences and/or hymns (Graduallieder).

+SDG+

Quasimodo geniti
Misericordia[s] Domini
Jubilate
Cantate
Rogate
Ascension of our Lord
Exaudi
Feast of Pentecost
Feast of the Most Holy Trinity
Trinity I
Tirnity II
Trinity III
Trinity IV
Trinity V
Trinity VI
Trinity VII
Trinity VIII

Easter

The Annunciation of Mary

Note on the text: Laetare features an antiphon drawn from Isaiah 66:10-11. The text of the common service omits a portion of verse 11 that is retained in the gregorian, though even this is edited slightly. It seems that even in the 16th century there were simply some things you could not say in Church! As for Palmarum’s introit, the text of the common service has notable differences from the Latin (see the Douay-Rheims version for a more literal translation).

Invocavit
Reminiscere
Oculi
Laetare
Judica (Passion Sunday)
Palmarum

Lutherans in the 16th and 17th centuries would have said “farewell” on Saturday. (In Latin, the “Deposition of Alleluia”) For parishes with more than the typical weekend services (First Vespers, Matins, Mass, Second Vespers), this would fall on the last office before Saturday Vespers before Septuagesima (likely Matins). The Cantica Sacra of Magdeburg (1613) provides this beautiful antiphon to be sung after the lection at Matins. (In depositione ALLELUIA post lectionem capitis germanice cantatur sequens Antiphona.)

It is comprised of portions of Psalm 137 (super flumina Babylonis) with Alleluias inserted between the phrases. The text is as follows:

Hymnum cantate nobis, Alleluia, de canticis Sion, Alleluia, Quomodo cantabimus canticum Domini in terra aliena? Alleluia, Septuaginta annos super flumina Babylonis sedimus et flevimus, dum recordaremur Sion, Alleluia, ibi suspendimus organa nostra, alleluia.

Sing us a hymn, alleluia, the songs of Zion, alleluia, How can we sing the Lord’s song in an alien land? alleluia, Seventy years by the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept, when we recalled Zion, alleluia, there we suspended our chanting [of] alleluia. (organum is a loaded term encompassing instruments, voices, and even as a term for chant itself. The English of the psalm is “harps”)

The inclusion of “Seventy years” shows the significance of the Gesimas to Lent, namely the seventy years of exile recalled here in the Church year. As Septuagesima is the seventieth day, so Lent used to be called “Quadragesima” for the forty-days therein. This transcription takes its text from the KJV so as to compliment the common service texts used in the Divine Service propers.

The Deposition of Alleluia

I had hoped to transcribe an Alleluia verse as well, but I found great discrepancy: 4 options in all. The one prescribed in the Common Service (I will worship toward Thy holy temple…) is found nowhere in the chant sources available to me for the Purification. The liber usualis (20th century Roman) has this alleluia assigned for the dedication of a temple.

The liber prescribes a beautiful liturgical text alleluia, “The old man carried the young Child:  Yet the young Child was the old  man’s King.”

Ludecus (1589) gives “Virga Jesse floruit...” which the liber prescribes for common masses for the B.V.M.

Magdeburg (1613) gives “Diffusa est gratia in labiis tuis…”, which the liber prescribes for St. Lucy Day.

Ludecus, as well as the liber, provides the chants to be sung prior to the service as the candles are blessed, providing a 3 part organum setting for boys which may be transcribed and translated in the future. For now, here’s the introit for the Purification of Mary (which is in fact shared with the 8th Sunday after Trinity).

Purification of Mary

Here they are: Introits for Septuagesima, Sexagesima, and Quinquagesima. The Gesimas are an important part of the Church Year, most especially in the Lutheran tradition which celebrates our Lord’s Transfiguration on the last Sunday of Epiphany. The Gesimas provide a needed transition between Christ resplendent in glory on the mountain and our Savior as a lamb led forth to slaughter and cast into the lowest pit. Christ prepares us in these Sundays for His coming Passion, Himself showing us that He goes forth for our salvation.

Whether Green or Purple, the Gesimas are an important part of our Lutheran heritage. The introits for these three Sundays are especially simple and beautiful. Quinquagesima is often called “esto mihi” after the first words of its introit, “Be Thou to me”.

Septuagesima
Sexagesima
Quinquagesima ]]> http://www.historiclectionary.com/2009/01/gesima-introits/feed/ 2 http://www.historiclectionary.com/2008/12/introits-for-the-days-after-christmas-and-more/ http://www.historiclectionary.com/2008/12/introits-for-the-days-after-christmas-and-more/#comments Sun, 28 Dec 2008 02:04:21 +0000 sean.daenzer http://historiclectionary.com/?p=621 Continue reading →]]> Here are introits for the days following Christmas (St. John coming soon I hope).

For those celebrating Divine Service for Holy Innocents tomorrow, here’s a special bonus: Gradual & Alleluia!

The notes are taken from the liber usualis, a 20th century pre-vatican II Roman source. Note: The gradual’s tune comes from the “offertory” which uses the same text as the common service gradual, and the alleluia’s tune comes from the “gradual”, which uses the same text (alleluias too) as the common service alleluia. The liber also provides a complete gradual/alleluia combination with an alternate alleluia verse for the “common of many martyrs”, but I thought it would be more appropriate to make use of the tunes that are proper to Holy Innocents…. albeit in slightly different places, perhaps. The introit is as it should be.

St. Stephen
St. John
Holy Innocents (Introit)          Holy Innocents (Gradual & Alleluia)
Sunday in the Octave

Epiphany
Epiphany I
Epiphany II
Epiphany III-V
Transfiguration          Transfiguration (Magdeburg 1613)

There are two versions of the Christmas introit (Christmas Day). The first is the Common Service text, made to fit with the chant provided. The second is the more literal translation set to the notes, modifying the verse to say simply “Wonderful Counselor of Angels”. Epiphany season is half completed, and I’ll be posting those soon. SDG

Advent I
Advent II
Advent III
Advent IV
Christmas Day (Common Service)           Christmas Day (Historic)