IFTY YEARS AFTER the Second Vatican Council, they are still working on completing the chant books containing the revised “post-conciliar” Breviary. I believe this is one reason Pope Benedict XVI gave every Latin Rite priest permission to fulfill his obligation with the 1962 Breviary: fifty years is just a totally unacceptable period of time. (Several very smart people have told me it will never be completed.)
Speaking of the 1962 Divine Office, we have been asked to sing Compline after Mass tonight. As quickly as possible, I put together the following booklet for the choir. Changes were made to 1957 Compline in 1961. I have tried to take those alterations into consideration, but please let me know about any errors I have made. My ignorance about the 1962 Divine Office is profound!
* * PDF Download • Sunday Compline “Eastertide” (1962)
We used the “Te lucis ante terminum” melody my choir knows; the same chosen by Palestrina in the Mass we sing. We are allowed to substitute this melody under the same provisions that allow—for example—using a modern setting of the “Te lucis ante terminum.” Indeed, many parishes use the common tone all year long.
