Canticles

AND

Occasional Anthems

NEWLY POINTED FOR BOTH ANGLICAN AND
PLAINSONG CHANTING.

The following Pointing of the Canticles and Occasional Anthems has been prepared in response to an urgent and extensive demand for practical improvement in our methods of chanting; and for an adequate provision of Plainsong as well as of Anglican Chants. During the past twenty-five years, the principles of chanting, both Anglican and Gregorian, have become more clearly understood, and have been exemplified in many standard publications. It is now seen that the two methods are not mutually antagonistic, but rest alike upon the following

COMMON PRINCIPLES OF CHANTING.

A Chant consists of one or more Recitations upon a fixed note, and of one or more melodic Inflections.

The Recitation may be of any length; it may be preceded by introductory melodic notes, known as the Intonation.

The Inflections must be capable of adjustment to the varying accents of a prose sentence. The difference between Anglican and Plainsong chanting consists in the method of this adjustment.

As ordinary Psalm verses consist of two parts, ordinary Chants likewise contain two Recitations and two Inflections. The latter are sometimes called the Mediation and the Ending.

The words should be sung at the same pace in the Recitations and Inflections, thereby smoothly and naturally joining both Mediation and Ending with the previous Recitations. Weak syllables should not be hurried, nor strong ones retarded; every syllable should be clearly enunciated.

All accents, without exception, should be merely those of good reading. The tune derives its accents from the words; not the words from the tune. The words are more important than the music which adorns them.

1. The Recitation extends from the beginning of each half-verse to the upright stroke. Each word and syllable should be distinctly enunciated, without hurry or stiffness, and with only the natural accent of good reading.

2. When the Recitation consists of a single syllable only, it should be sung to a half-note, not to a whole note. (17 examples in Te Deum).

まま

ac cord ing to Thy word.

that he would give

us.

3. The syllables after the upright stroke | in each half-verse are sung to the Inflection. There is no break or pause between Recitation and Inflection, and the rate of speed is the same in both.

4. A syllable in heavy-faced type should be sung to two notes of the Inflection.

strength of the hills is his al SO.

world without | end. A men.

5. A hyphen indicates that an additional note of the Inflection should be sung to the preceding syllable.

6. Two syllables followed by a dot should be sung to a single note of the Inflection, divided; but they should be somewhat retarded, so that that whole measure of the chant will form a triplet.

*

ग

eld

ev

er.

bless ye the Lord: praise him, and | mag ni⚫ fy him for 7. The final syllable of each half-verse ordinarily falls on the last note of each Inflection. If unaccented, it should be sung lightly and diminuendo, as marked above. In a few cases, two syllables fall upon this not They should be sung quietly and evenly; not shortening the first, nor accenting it heavily.

delivered out of the hand of our en e mies: might serve him with out fear.

An example of bad chanting.

HIGH

Thatwebeingdeliveredoutofthe hand of our enemies: might| serve him without fear;

1. The Intonation, together with the rest of the first half-verse, should be sung by a single voice; the Choir and Congregation beginning at the second half of the verse. The notes of the Intonation are not slower than those of the Recitation. The Intonation should not be sung with any other verse of the Canticle, or at the Gloria; except in the case of the three Gospel Canticles, Benedictus, Magnificat, and Nunc dimittis; in which it should be sung with every verse: as on pages 740, 741, 749, 756, 757.

2. The Recitation should be sung precisely as in Anglican chanting.

3. The notes of the Intonation, Recitation, Mediation, and Ending, should move at the same pace, and irrespective of whether a single note or a group is sung to a syllable: except the final notes of both Mediation and Ending, which are to be lengthened as approximately indicated in the music; and when concluding with a weak syllable, should be sung diminuendo: as on pages 746, 747, 748, 756.

4. The syllable following the upright stroke | is sung to the first note which changes in pitch from the reciting note.

5. Groups of notes are never divided between syllables; nor are single notes ever combined to be sung to a single syllable. Examples on pages 740, 746, 747, 748. ó. Adaptation of the words to the Mediation and Ending is obtained by the addition as needed of the notes in parentheses; and in some cases by the omission of the Recitation, or of notes in the Mediation. The notes in parentheses are only used when needed: as on pages 728, 740, 743.

7. In the Mediation of Tones II, IV, V, and VIII, the final note is omitted if the half-verse ends with an accent: as on pages 728, 736, 737, 743, 749, 765. The Mediations of Tones III and VII are sometimes abbreviated by the omission of a note to obtain closer correspondence with the words: as on pages 740, 756, 767.

8. The central pause in each verse should be long enough to afford a plentiful and leisurely breath; and should be rhythmically related to the preceding cadence. Each half-verse should be sung with a single breath, except those printed in two lines; when an additional breath may be taken at the end of the first line. The sign indicates an inflection of the voice used in many choirs at an unaccented syllable preceding such a breath; and is included for their convenience.

9. The two verses of Gloria Patri should be sung precisely as any other two verses; without either preliminary retard in the preceding verse or pause after it. Both verses may properly be sung by the full choir.

10. The melody only is sung by the voices.

The verses may be sung antiphonally (1) between the two sides of the Choir, (2) between a single voice and the remaining singers, (3) between the Choir and Congregation, or (4) between sopranos and altos on the one hand, and tenors and basses on the other. The second method is preferable for a small congregation, the third or fourth for a larger church with a choir.

COME let us sing | unto the LORD:

let us heartily rejoice in the strength of our salvation.

2 Let us come before his presence with ❘ thanksgiving: and show ourselves | glad in him with psalms.

3 For the LORD is a great God:

and a great | King above all gods.

4 In his hand are all the corners of the earth: and the strength of the hills is his also.

5 The sea is his and he made it:

and his hands prepared the dry land. 6 O come let us worship and fall down: and kneel before the LORD our Maker.

7 For he is the | Lord our God:

and we are the people of his pasture,
and the sheep of his hand.

8 O worship the LORD in the beauty of | holiness:
let the whole earth | stand in awe of him.

9 For he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: and with righteousness to judge the world,

and the people with his truth.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son:

and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now and | ever⚫ shall be: world without | end. Amen.