New Dominican Rite Resources

Through the kindness of contributors, I can now announce several new resources for the Dominican Rite.

The first is James Harrison's How to Sing Plainchant: Chiefly for the Use of Dominican Choirs (Ditchling: St. Dominic's Press, 1920). This is more extensive than my post on how to read Dominican notation and interpret the rhythm. Note, however, two oddities in this text. First, the author discusses the smaller version of the quarter bar, which was found in editions of our chant from 1910-1933. Unlike the regular quarter bar, this was NOT a sign to lengthen the preceding note, but merely a phrasing mark. It seems to have been added in 1910 to imitate the quarter bar found in the Solesmes-Roman system. Post-1933 books don't have this mark. Also, he mentions, merely in passing, the quilisma. As readers know, our books do not mark this. I assume that he thinks that choirs will add the interpretation where it would found in the Roman books, but he never explains how to do this. One can download a PDF file of this book from from the link on the left sidebar under "Dominican Chant Books" or consult it online here.

Next is a PDF file of Ceremonies of the Dominican Rite (New York: McBreen, 1877). This is a useful book for those who cannot read Latin. Although it does not reflect the practice of 1962 exactly, it is an excellent resource and covers many things not mentioned in Bonniwell's Ceremonial. The book includes rubrics for choir office and other rites besides Mass. It can be downloaded on the left sidebar under "Dominican Rite Texts."

Next is the new Liturgical Calendar of the Dominican Rite for 2010. I have compiled this for use in the Western Province, so it has a number of feasts proper to my province in it. I have also added the page numbers for the feasts along the right margin for those celebrations whose old date was changed and therefore are a bit hard to find in the 1936 Traveling Missal. The numbers indicate the page in that Missal. At the end, is found a list of the local celebrations in dioceses served by my province. Also, as this always seems to come up, the date of the September Ember days follows the reform of Pope John XXIII, which is proper for the usage of 1962. That is why they are a week later than some "Tridentine" calendars that you can find on the web. The Calendar has the days on the correct dates. You can find the link for download on the left sidebar under "Dominican Rite Texts."

Finally, thanks to Sister Mary Catherine of the Summit NJ monastery of our cloistered nuns, a new font can now be downloaded from our sidebar. If you insert the font in a document and type a capital F you will get the traditional Dominican Flex Mark whenever you need it for any psalter project. You can download it at the link under "Other Useful Links." The just copy it into the fonts directory under Windows. Although I cannot reproduce the mark here, due to limitations on fonts in the blogger program, this nice character will look much better than the usual substitutes, an upside down 2, or the † character.

I thank all who have contributed to these new resources.

1965 Dominican Holy Week Available

As readers know, one of my goals is to make the chant books of the Dominican Order accessible to the public in PDF format for download. Through the work of Fr. Gregory Schnakenberg, O.P., a contributor to Dominican Liturgy, we can now make available the last, 1965, edition of the Officium Hebdomadae Sanctae iuxta Ritum Ordinis Praedicatorum, that issued by order of the Master of the Order Aniceto Fernandez. It is now found linked for download on the left side bar under Dominican Chant Books. We already had made available the 1965 Regulae Chantus, and hope eventually to have available the 1965 edition of the Completorium.

This edition is of considerable historical interest. It integrated the selection of chants published in 1959 to bring the Dominican liturgy of Holy Week into conformity with the Roman Rite. In addition, this version of Holy Week abandoned the traditional Dominican notation and imposed on our music the Solesmes method of execution and its system of interpretive marks. Those interested in how this revision affected the music may the chants in this book with those in the older versions, as exemplified by the 1927 edition also available on the side bar.

All Souls at Blessed Sacrament Parish, Seattle WA

I apologize for the delay in posting these images of the Solemn Requiem Mass according to the Dominican Rite celebrated at the Church of the Blessed Sacrament in Seattle WA on All Souls last. It has taken me some time to get them together. This is just a selection from the photographs taken and posted by Mr. Pat Bucy at this photo album.

The minsiters for the Mass were: Fr. Daniel Syverstad, O.P., Pastor and Former Provincial of the Western Dominican Province, priest; Fr. Augustine Thompson, O.P., S.T.M., professor of Church History at Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology, deacon; and Mr. Jesson Mata (an installed lector and acolyte), director of liturgy and music at Blessed Sacrament, subdeacon. Music was provided by the Tudor Choir, resident at Blessed Sacrament, under the direction of Mr. Doug Fullington, which sang the Requiem and Libera of Tomas de Vittoria. The church, which holds just over 700 was almost completely full, so attendence is estimated at about 650.


The High Altar of the church, dressed for the Mass; notice the black humeral veil for use later by the subdeacon, and the unbleached candles. Funds need to be raised for a violet tabernacle veil and for a proper black altar frontal; the vestments you will see in the coming photos were a kind loan from Holy Rosary Dominican Parish in Portland; the catafalque candle sticks were from the attic of the local Episcopal parish. If you would like to help Blessed Sacrament purchase what is needed needed for regular celebration of Dominican Rite Masses, contact Mr. Jesson Mata at the parish about how to make a donation.


The catafalque, covered with a black pall, where the Absolution of the Dead will be performed during the singing of the Libera, following the Mass.


Members of the Dominican Community of Blessed Sacrament, in choir awaiting the beginning of Mass: from left to right: Fr. Raphael Mary Salzillo, O.P., parochial vicar (ordained last spring); Fr. Jordan Bradshaw, O.P., Director of the Catholic Newman Center, University of Washington; and Fr. Augustine Hartman, O.P., in residence and chaplain.


Prayers at the Foot of the Altar in the Dominican form. Note the very simple apparels on the albs. The acolytes were Lawrence Lam and Thomas Fetz.


The ministers in the cross formation, waiting for Fr. Daniel to turn for the Dominus Vobiscum.


The priest and deacon read the Epistle, Responsorium, Tract, and Sequence quietly at the sedilla; they will stand in a moment to read the Gospel. Note the black "mappula" or "mappa" on their laps, the Dominican form of the Roman gremial.


The subdeacon has taken the black humeral veil and is about to bring the chalice to the sedilla where it will be prepared. The choir is singing the chants between the readings.


The Gospel Procession goes to the lectern.

The Offertory: the subdeacon has unveiled the already prepared chalice and the deacon has just passed it to the priest, saying "Imola Deo sacrificium laudis et redde Altissimo vota tua." The priest will offer up the host and chalice in a single oblation. Note the very simple apparels on the amices.

The Preface: the ministers are in this position for the dialogue (they are coming up from bowing for "Gratias agamus Domino Deo nostro"). They will also take this position for their reading of the Sanctus and Agnus Dei.

Ministers in position for the first part of the Canon. They will kneel in the triangular formation on the steps for the Consecration. The catafalque is visible in front.

The Elevations were not photographed out of respect for the Blessed Sacrament. This photo shows the deacon returning from placing the pall on the chalice and the priest with his arms extended in the cross position used by Dominicans after the Consecration.

Display of the Host for the Ecce Agnus Dei. This ceremony is not actually proper to the Dominican Rite. It is a Romanization imposed on the Rite in 1960 when our use of our Communion Confiteor was also suppressed by the Sacred Congregation of Rites.

Fr. Daniel was recovering from back surgery a little over two weeks before the Mass -- as those present could clearly see. He did not distribute Communion. Here Fr. Raphael is assisted in distribution by the deacon.

Fr. Jordan is assisted by the subdeacon.

The senior acolyte assists Fr. Hartman.

The priest consumes the ablution of water and wine at the side of the altar, deacon and subdeacon hold the cruets, servers wait to retrieve them.

The Choir has chanted the Libera. As he silently recites the Pater Noster, Fr. Daniel, wearing the cope, sprinkles the catafalque with Holy Water. He will then incense it and sing the verses and collects. For this ceremony, Chris Hanzeli served as crucifer (in front), and James Bronoske was thurifer.

The procession departs. You can see the full pews on either side of the church.

I thank Mr. Jesson Mata for forwarding the link and photographs.

New Holy Week Chants now available for download

I am pleased to announce that, through the kindness a friar reader of this site, we can now make available in PDF format for download the chant book Cantus Gregoriani ad Ordinem Hedomadae Sanctae Iuxta Ritum Ordinis Praedicatorum (Rome: Santa Sabina, 1959).

As many of our readers know, and as I have explained in my history of the Dominican Liturgy post on this site, the Dominican Rite Holy Week rituals underwent extensive revision in the 1950s to make them conform to the reformed Roman Liturgy. As our rite is a monastic rite and did not have any provisions for blessings of the font (non-existant in monastic churches), baptisms, and other aspects of the secular liturgy, this was a major revision. To supply chants for the reformed rites presented great challenges. The editors of the Cantus Gregoriani sought out as many authentic medieval versions of the chant as they could find and adopted others from the modern Roman tradition.

This set of chants represents the last effort to conform the Dominican Rite Holy Week to Roman practice using medieval music. In 1965, this material would be consolidated into the last edition of the Officium Hebdomadae Sanctae, but in that edition they music would be drastically revised to conform to the Solesmes methods of execution and notation. Those interested in the music of the Dominican Rite before accomodation to the Solesmes regime will find this download especially useful.

The music may be downloaded on the side bar under Hebdomadae Sanctae Cantus Novi.

Solemn Requiem Mass at Seattle WA

I am pleased to announce:

ALL SOULS DAY
November 2, 2009
7:00 p.m.

SOLEMN MASS OF THE DEAD
According the the Dominican Rite


V. Rev. Fr. Daniel Syverstad, O.P., Pastor and Former Provincial
Celebrant
V. Rev. Fr. Augustine Thompson, O.P., S.T.M.
Deacon
Mr. Jesson Mata
Subdeacon

Music Program

Tomas Luis de Vittoria
REQUIEM MASS
and
LIBERA
(Absolution of the Dead)

Propers from the Graduale Sacri Ordinis Praedicatorum

TUDOR CHOIR OF SEATTLE
under the direction of
Mr. Doug Fullington

CHURCH OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT
Dominican Parish
5041 Ninth Avenue N.E.
Seattle, WA 98105
206-547-3020

Dominican Nuns of Marbury Alabama

I promised the Dominican nuns of the Monastery of St. Jude in Marbury, Alabama, that I would mention them to our readers and emphasize their dedication to Dominican Chant. But I also want to pay tribute to the community's commitment to racial justice. At the time of their founding in 1944, they were among the first cloistered nuns to break the color line in the Deep South, something very difficult at that time. To the right you can see a picture of the some of the youngest and oldest members of the community.

I have often been asked whether there are any houses of cloistered Dominican nuns in the United States who are dedicated to preserving the chants of the Dominican Order, and I have always answered that all the monasteries of nuns preserve the chant to a greater or lesser degree. But my friends, the sisters of Marbury, are especially dear to my heart because I have been collaborating with them for almost two years in the revision of their music.

Like most of the Dominican monasteries in the U.S., the sisters at Marbury were then using the "Neo-Gregorian" music produced back in the 1970s in the monastery of Buffalo N.Y. When the Dominican nuns, following the friars, adopted the new Roman Liturgy of the Hours back in 1970, they discovered that many, if not most, of the antiphons and other chants of the Liturgia Horarum were new creations and had no music in the medieval chant tradition. In a heroic project old melodies were adapted to fit the new texts. Monasteries of our nuns adopted this music around the world, when they did not convert to vernacular chants.

About two years ago, the sisters of Marbury contacted me asking if there were any way to replace the Neo-Gregorian music with authentic Dominican chants. I assured them that it was possible and we began the project of compiling a new Antiphonal using the order of authentic antiphons given in the Ordo Cantus Officii published by the Sacred Congregation in 1983. Almost all these antiphons have Dominican variants and the substitutions were made. Parts of this project were already in use by the nuns last spring, and when I visited Marbury to celebrate a Missa Cantata in the Dominican Rite for Ascension Thursday. I was then able to hear the Paschal Time Office, with its traditional Alleluia antiphons, in use with the Liturgia Horarum for the first time in my life. The chants for that Mass were those from the Dominican Gradual, which the nuns also use at their regular Extraordinary Form Masses according the Roman Missal of 1962.

The Marbury sisters have always maintained the chant as part of their life of prayer, and it is central to their daily Horarium. When complete, the Advent-Christmas volume of the new Antiphonal will contain the complete music for all the Hours, not just Vespers as at present. The sisters plan to begin introducing this restored music on the First Sunday of Advent. The only thing lacking will be the "prolix responsories" for use at the Office of Readings, but I have included those responsories appointed for use in place of the short responses at First Vespers of Solemnities by the 1983 Proprium Ordinis Praedicatorum. And page references are will be provided for those not included. They can be found in the Dominican Antiphonals of 1863 and 1933, both available for dowload in PDF format on the side bar here at Dominican Liturgy. When complete this new Antiphonal will be available there too.

The Marbury sisters are a small community, but they have been blessed recently with an increase in vocations. They have asked me to call their community to the attention of young Catholic women who feel called to the Dominican spiritual tradition of study and prayer in the form of the Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, but especially to those women who have a love of Gregorian Chant. Those interested may find the vocation page here. Even if you are not thinking of a vocation to the sisters, their web page is still worth a visit.

Note to readers

The analysis of the "Canonical Status of the Dominican Rite" on the side bar has been updated.

Dominican Libellus Precum Available On-Line

I have been asked many times about collections of Dominican prayers and devotions in Latin. So it may please readers to know that the Libellus Precum ad Usum Fratrum Ordinis Praedicatorum ["Booklet of Prayers for Use by the Friars of the Order of Preachers"], has been made available on-line for down-load in PDF format on our left sidebar or here.

This small prayerbook contains the Latin texts of the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin in its Dominican Rite form, the Daily Office of the Dead, and many other prayers and devotions popular in the Dominican Order. It also contains special Dominican forms for blessings, including that of the Rosary, as well as the daily Examination of Conscience and the Thanksgiving after Communion. The first edition was produced in 1911 and the last in 1957. This is the edition printed under the Master of the Order Fr. Emmanuel Suarez, O.P., in 1952.

A new version of the Libellus was created and published in 1983 as part of the Proprium Ordinis Praedicatorum, which adapted chants and texts of the traditional Dominican Rite for use with the new Roman Liturgia Horarum. Sadly this section of the Proprium was never published independently.

I know of no translation of the Libellus Precum. Should anyone do one, I would happy to post it for download. I think my collaborator Bro. Corwin Low, O.P., for providing this excellent quality scan.

Dominican Missal of 1521

It may interest our readers to know that the Dominican Rite Altar Missal of 1521 is now, in part, available on-line at Gonzaga University in Spokane WA. It is published electronically by their Rare Books Collection. This is a beautiful and informative presentation, with excellent digital images, one of which decorates this post.

Of special interest artistically are the woodcuts with which it is decorated. This missal, although heavily overburdened with saints days (almost to the exclusion of the Sundays of the Year!) is important because it is one of the last editions before the Romanizing reforms mandated by the Dominican General Chapter of Salamanca in 1551. Most famously, the Salamanca reforms changed the Dominican (and Sarum) practice of counting Sundays after Trinity to "Sundays after the Octave of Trinity," an oddity preserved until the change to the Roman form of "Sundays after Pentecost in the Missal of 1965.

I thank Mrs. Jamie Ballanger for calling this publication to my attention.

Easter Vesperal for Dominican Use Available

The Easter Season Vesperal for the modern Liturgy of the Hours following the Dominican Use is now available on our left side-bar or here for download in PDF format. This Vesperal gives the Dominican Versions of the Gregorian music assigned for use with the Latin Liturgia Horarum according to the Ordo Cantus Officii (1983) issued by the Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship. Also included are additions and variants provided in the Proprium Officiorum Ordinis Praedicatorum (1982).

In addition to Vespers, the Alleluias that may replace the psalm antiphons of the Liturgia at Office of Readings, Lauds, and the Little Hours are also included, along with the Antiphons at the Benedictus. The music for Vespers of the feasts of the Annunciation and St. Joseph follows the Psalter.

I apologize for the lateness of this posting, especially to those who have been waiting for this material for personal use. A computer problem had to be rectified before I would edit the music for this project and create PDF files. In order to make this available as quickly as possible, I have posted this Vesperal without the Commons of the Saints. I need to complete the revision of the antiphons and responsories to include alleluias. Once this is done an updated version will be posted.

Anchorage Chant and Dominican Rite News

The Catholic Anchor, newspaper of the Archdiocese of Anchorage AK, has recently run a nice story on the revival of Gregorian chant there. As this article also mentions the regular celebration of the Dominican Rite Mass in the Cathedral each First Saturday of the month at noon, readers might be interested in reading it.

It has been posted, with premission of the newspaper here.

William Bonniwell, History of the Domincan Liturgy 1215-1945

We are delighted to announce that, through the kindness of Bro. Gregory Schnakenberg, O.P., a downloadable PDF copy of

Fr. William Bonniwell, O.P.'s History of the Dominican Liturgy, 1215-1945, 2d. rev. ed. (New York: Wagner, 1945)

is now available on our sidebar under "Dominican Rite Texts."

This book is the only history ever completed in English for the liturgical tradition of the Dominican Order. Father Bonniwell covers both the Mass and the Office. For the period from 1945 to 1970, one may consult my essay published on this blog and linked through the index on the lower left.

The image of St. Dominic to the right is from the Dominican Breviary of 1699 and was used by Fr. Bonniwell opposite the title page of the book.

Dominican Nuns of Summit Discovered by Time-CNN

Dominican Liturgy is delighted to hear that the Dominican Nuns of Summit NJ have been made the subject of a beautiful photo essay by Time-CNN.

It includes novices and professed sisters speaking in a simple way about their vocations. Here is the link:

Radical Love

After watching this, our readers might want to visit the sisters website, or perhaps their vocations page.

And don't forget their Cloister Gift Shoppe!

Holy Rosary Church: Palestrina Mass of Dedication

Fr. Anthony-M. Patalano, O.P., pastor of the Dominican Parish in Portland, Holy Rosary Church, has asked that I advise our readers of an up-coming event there.

Holy Rosary Church will mark its 115th Anniversary on Sunday, 25 August, at the 11:00 A.M. Mass. The V. Rev. Gerald A. Buckley, O.P., Prior of the Western Dominican Province House of Studies, Saint Albert the Great Priory in Oakland CA, who was pastor at Holy Rosary from 1981-83, and who brought Cantores to this parish will celebrate Mass in Latin according to the Ordinary Form.

Cantores in Ecclesia will sing Palestrina's Missa Emendemus and the Plainsong Propers for the Feast of the Dedication of a Church. Holy Rosary is a dedicated church, and the date of the consecration was 28 January 1894, then the feast of the Translation of the Relics of St. Thomas. In the new calendar, so as not perpetually to impede the Feast of the Angelic Doctor, Holy Rosary Parish celebrates the dedication on the closest Sunday. Fr. Patalano invites any readers in the Portland area to attend the celebration and introduce themselves.

I might add that Fr. Patalano is the conference chair for The Living Tradition: The Dominican Rite in the Twenty-First Century, which will be held at Saint Albert the Great Priory in Oakland CA, 5-9 August 2009. This event is open to anyone interested in the Rite, not just Dominicans. The Program and registration forms may be found here.

Jandel Antiphonal Scans Improved

I am happy to announce that the PDF scans of the two volumes of the great Antiphonarium S. Ordinis F. Praedicatorum published in 1863 at the direction of Master of the Order Vincent Jandel, O.P., have now been vastly improved through the hard work of Bro. Corwin Low, O.P., of the Western Dominican Province House of Studies in Oakland. He has my profound gratitude for this project.

These books contain the complete music for the Dominican Office in its medieval form, including the night office with all its long responsories. This is the only printed edition of the complete office ever done.

The pages of the scan are now all clean, straightened, and searchable! And they are now about 1/3 the size of the former scans: about 45 megs each. You may download or consult them at their links on the left side bar.

Corrected Dominican Rite Calendar for 2009

Those who use the Dominican Breviary or who have permission from their provincial to celebrate Mass according to the Dominican Rite may want to download the calendar that I have prepared for this year, 2009. It is found on the left side bar under Dominican Rite Downloads, or here directly. This version contains some VERY IMPORTANT corrections made on Jan. 3, 2009, thanks to our readers. If you downloaded earlier, please discard that version and use this one.

I have tried to make this calendar as flexible as possible so that those using the 1933 Missal and those using the 1965 can both use it. Principally, this involves the names of the Sundays after Epiphany and after Pentecost. In the 1933 Missal these are called "after the Octave of Epiphany" and "after the Octave of Trinity." As a result the numbering is different depending on the Missal used. There are also occasional page numbers in the right margin; these give the pages where the feast may be found in the 1939 Traveling Missal (which I use).

I have also appended a short summary of rubrics and a list of local feasts in the dioceses of the Western Province. Feasts particular to the United States are included in the Calendar itself.

Should you notice any errors please let me know by writing me directly rather than in the combox.