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Views from the Choir Loft

An FYI on EP in the OF – Part 1

Andrew R. Motyka · May 22, 2013

For the series Introduction, please click HERE.

ast week, we outlined the structure of Evening Prayer. This week, we will take a closer look at the first few elements of the liturgy, We will focus in on the introduction, hymn, and psalmody, which makes up the heart of the Liturgy of the Hours.

The introduction, along with most other elements of the liturgy, follows a dialogue “call-and-response” format. The leader begins with O God, come to my assistance, and all respond Lord, make haste to help me, while all make the sign of the cross. The leader begins Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, and all respond As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. The prayer “Glory be to the Father…” is known as the doxology, and is used many times during Evening Prayer. You might notice that it is phrased slightly differently than you might be used to. This is simply because of the translation of the Gloria Patri provided in book of Christian Prayer. It is essentially the same as the doxology you might already know. Also, during the Easter Season, the “Amen” at the end of the doxology is followed by an “Alleluia.” Simple musical settings of this introduction can be found in many modern hymnals.

The hymn then follows. I will not use this space to discuss the appropriateness of hymnody in the Mass, but I will point out that the Liturgy of the Hours is the most appropriate place for hymns. It is at this moment in Evening Prayer that the hymn belongs.

The purpose of the hymn is to set the tone for the hour or the feast and, especially in celebrations with a congregation, to form a simple and pleasant introduction to prayer. (General Instruction on the Liturgy of the Hours #42)

Select a hymn for the liturgy much in the same way you would prepare a hymn for the Mass. On a side note the General Instruction has much stricter words for the selection of hymns compared to instruction for the Roman Missal: “Great care must be taken not to allow popular songs that have no artistic merit and are not in keeping with the dignity of the liturgy. (178)” For my money, however, some of the best English hymn texts can be found in the Mundelein Psalter. This is especially true on Feasts and Solemnities. They are usually set common hymn meters (Long Meter seems to be a favorite), and have some truly excellent texts for the feasts. For example, the upcoming feast of the Visitation (May 31) contains this verse, among others:

Enriched by Holy Spirit’s gift,
Come, Mother of the hidden Christ,
And visit us as once you came
And gladdened John who leapt for joy.

Following the hymn is the Psalmody portion of Evening Prayer. There are three “psalms” (in quotes because they are not always psalms) which follow a similar format for each. In Evening prayer, the first two are actual psalms (although sometimes they are simply one longer psalm broken into two smaller parts), and the third is a Canticle, which is a Biblical song that is not a Psalm. The psalms typically contain these elements:

Antiphon
Psalm
Doxology
Psalm Prayer (optional)
Repeat Antiphon

There are several things to note here. First, every psalm has an antiphon that corresponds to it, and doxology is added to the end of the psalm as if it were a last verse. The Psalm Prayer is only optionally recited by a leader; it can be omitted (and doesn’t even occur in many countries outside the US). There are lots of options for the psalms. The psalm can be sung responsorially, antiphonally, or straight through (in directum).

If you choose to sing them responsorially, you would sing the psalm much in the same way you do at Mass, with the antiphon being used as a “refrain” between each verse. While not the traditional way to sing the psalms at Evening Prayer, this can be a good way to get the people to engage in the text if you cannot put the whole psalm in your worship aid.

Singing the psalms antiphonally is the most traditional way to sing this liturgy in common. This means that the antiphon is sung, either by the leader or all, to begin the psalm, and then the psalm verses are taken up by the people, in alternation, usually by groups. You can do this by dividing the group between men and women, or even more effectively by “sides” of the church. One side intones one verse, and the other side sings the next verse. Again, a wonderful example of this is provided in the Mundelein Psalter, mentioned above, which contains very simple psalm tones that can be taken up by all easily. The benefit to this method is that it puts the entire psalm text in the mouths of the faithful.

The psalms can also be sung straight through, if you have a setting of them. A metrical psalm is an option here, such as the Old Hundredth. The strength to this approach is that you can use a hymn tune that everyone knows. The weakness is that metrical psalms are paraphrases and frequently some sense of the text is lost. It is an option, though.

These suggestions are very basic. There are many other possibilities not explored here, and I would love it if people shared their own experiences in the comments. Next week, we will continue our brief walkthrough of Evening Prayer, delving into the reading and responsory.

For the second part of this series, please click HERE.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Andrew R. Motyka

Andrew Motyka is the Archdiocesan Director of Liturgical Music and Cathedral Music for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    Simplest “Agnus Dei” Ever Published
    Our choir is on break during the month of July. I needed a relatively simple “Agnus Dei,” so I composed this setting for organ & voice in honor of Saint René Goupil. It has been called the simplest setting ever composed. I love CARMEN GREGORIANUM (“Gregorian Chant”), especially the ALLELUIAS, INTROITS, and COMMUNION ANTIPHONS. That being said, some have pointed out that certain sections of the Kyriale aren’t as strong as the Graduale or Vesperale. There’s a reason for this—but it would be too complicated to explain at this moment.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Our choir is on break during the month of July. However, on the feasts website, the chants have been posted for the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C), which is this coming Sunday: 6 July 2025.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Bugnini’s Statement (6 November 1966)
    With each passing day, more is revealed about how the enemies of the liturgy accomplished their goals. For instance, Hannibal Bugnini deeply resented the way Vatican II said Gregorian Chant “must be given first place in liturgical services.” On 6 November 1966, his cadre wrote a letter attempting to justify the elimination of Gregorian Chant with this brazen statement: “What really gives a Mass its tone is not so much the songs as it is the prayers and readings.” Bugnini’s cadre then attacked the very heart of Gregorian Chant (viz. the Proprium Missae), bemoaning how the Proprium Missae “is completely new each Sunday and feast day.” There is much more to be said about this topic. Stay tuned.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Pope Pius XII Hymnal?
    Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Hybrid” Chant Notation?
    Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Antiphons Don’t Match?
    A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

“The first tasks of the new pope will be to restore normality, restore doctrinal clarity in faith and morals, restore a proper respect for the law and ensure that the first criterion for the nomination of bishops is acceptance of the apostolic tradition. Theological expertise and learning are an advantage, not a hinderance for all bishops and especially archbishops.”

— Cardinal Pell (2022) about the pope who will succeed Francis

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