Saturday 15 October 2016, St Teresa of Avila, Doctor of the Church

Missa Cantata in the EF, 9.00 am.

Introit: Dilexisti justitiam,

Gradual: Specie tua

Alleluia: Adducentur regi

Offertory: Filiae regum

Communion: Quinque prudentes

Ordinary from Mass XII, No Credo.

The Introit has two phrases:

1. Dilexisti justitiam, et odisti iniquitatem

2. propterea unxit te Deus, Deus tuus, oleo lætitiæ præ consortibus tuis.

The Gradual has two phrases in the corpus and two in the verse:

1. Specie tua, et pulchritúdine tua

2. inténde, próspere procéde, et regna

Verse

1. Propter veritátem, et mansuetúdinem, et justítiam

2. et dedúcet te mirabíliter déxtera tua.

The Alleluia verse has two phrases:

1. Adducent regi virgines post eam

2. Proximae ejus afferentur tibi in laetitia

The Offertory has three phrases:

1. filiae regum in honore tuo

2. astitit regina a dextris tuis in vestu deaurato

3. circumdata varietate

This is one of the most sublime Offertories in plainchant, characterized, as it were, by the festive splendor of an Eastern sun. It is also sung on the feast of St Anne, the grandmother of Our Lord and mother of Our Lady. In the first phrase both torculus should be discreetly emphasized, and after the second, the clives; bistropha and porrectus are then sung. In this manner the oft-repeated d in the torculus receives its proper value. Similar, but a step higher, is the development over tuo. The climacus with its e here indicates the climax: ‘The daughters of kings in your glory.’ The vibrant bistropha of the second phrase call attention to the appearance of the queen. Here b, which so far had been avoided, occurs for the first time; it recurs over varietate. Quiet, solemn groups of two notes are sung, followed by a somewhat more rapid rendition of a dextris. The motif over regina is abbreviated over in vestitu, and developed over circumdata. The ornate deaurato might depict for us a heavy gold brocade. The melody here attains its greatest range. Like the first phrase, the second closes on the dominant c which, as a matter of fact, plays an important role throughout the melody. The third phrase repeats the formula b c a g c and continues it immediately. The tonic e of the third mode, to which this melody is ascribed, appears only as a final note. The lowest note of the third phrase then is e, of the second f, and of the first g.

The Communion has two phrases:

1.  Quinque prudentes virgines acceperunt oleum in vasis suis cum lampadibus

2.  Media autem nocte clamor factus est: ecce Sponsus venit: exite obviam Christo Domino

This antiphon brings the Gospel command: ‘Go forth to meet Christ the Lord,’ into prominence in a most captivating manner. We see the melody move along steadily and quietly in a lower register of the Mode 5 scale as the wise virgins prepare their lamps and rest. Then the melody rises suddenly as the clamor is given, and the melody reaches its high point over (ex)-i-(te). This is our ultimate goal in life: to go out of ourselves to meet Christ. After that encounter, if it is fruitful, we find the peace and rest of true interior joy.