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Pope Saint Paul VI (3 April 1969): “Although the text of the Roman Gradual—at least that which concerns the singing—has not been changed, the Entrance antiphons and Communions antiphons have been revised for Masses without singing.”

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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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President’s Corner

    PDF Comparison Chart • “Serious Problems with the Lectionary Translation”
    EARS BEFORE truly revolutionary changes were introduced by the post-conciliar reformers, Evelyn Waugh wrote (on 16 August 1964) to John Cardinal Heenan: “I think that a vociferous minority has imposed itself on the hierarchy and made them believe that a popular demand existed where there was in fact not even a preference.” We ask the kind reader— indeed, we beg you—to realize that those of us born in the 1940s and 1950s had no cognizance of Roman activities during the 1960s and 1970s. We were concerned with making sure we had the day’s bus fare, graduating from high school, taking care of our siblings, learning a trade, getting a job, courting a spouse. We questioned neither the nuns nor the Church.1 Do not believe for one instant any of us were following the liturgical machinations of Cardinal Lercaro or Father Bugnini in real time. Setting The Stage • To never question or resist Church authorities is praiseworthy. On the other hand, when a scandalous situation persists for decades, it must be brought into focus. Our series will do precisely that as we discuss the Lectionary Scandal from a variety of angles. We don’t do this to attack the Catholic Church. Our goal is bringing to light what’s been going on, so it can be fixed once and for all. Our subject is extremely knotty and difficult to navigate. Its complexity helps explain why the situation has persisted for such a long time.2 But if we immediately get “into the weeds” we’ll lose our audience. Therefore, it seems better to jump right in. So today, we’ll explore the legality of selling these texts. A Word On Copyright • Suppose Susie modifies a paragraph by Edgar Allan Poe. That doesn’t mean ipso facto she can assert copyright on it. If Susie takes a picture of a Corvette and uses Photoshop to color the tires blue, that doesn’t mean she henceforth “owns” all Corvettes in America. But when it comes to Responsorial Psalm translations, certain parties have been asserting copyright over them, selling them for a profit, and bullying publishers vis-à-vis hymnals and missals. Increasingly, Catholics are asking whether these translations are truly under copyright—because they are identical (or substantially identical) to other translations.3 Example After Example • Our series will provide copious examples supporting our claims. Sometimes we’ll rely on the readership for assistance, because—as we’ve stressed—our subject’s history couldn’t be more convoluted. There are countless manuscripts (in Greek, Hebrew, and Latin) we don’t have access to, so it would be foolish for us to claim that our observations are somehow the ‘final word’ on anything. Nevertheless, we demand accountability. Catholics in the pews are the ones who paid for all this. We demand to know who specifically made these decisions (which impact every English-speaking Catholic) and why specifically certain decisions were made. The Responsorial Psalms used in America are—broadly speaking—stolen from the hard work of others. In particular, they borrowed heavily from Father Cuthbert Lattey’s 1939 PSALTER TRANSLATION:
    *  PDF Download • COMPARISON CHART —We thank the CCW staff for technical assistance with this graph.
    Analysis • Although certain parties have been selling (!!!) that translation for decades, the chart demonstrates it’s not a candidate for copyright since it “borrows” or “steals” or “rearranges” so much material from other translations, especially the 1939 translation by Father Cuthbert Lattey. What this means in layman’s terms is that individuals have been selling a translation under false pretenses, a translation they don’t own (although they claim to). To make RESTITUTION, all that money will have to be returned. A few years ago, the head of ICEL gave a public speech in which he said they give some of “their” profits to the poor. While almsgiving is a good thing, it cannot justify theft. Our Constant Theme • Our series will be held together by one thread, which will be repeated constantly: “Who was responsible?” Since 1970, the conduct of those who made a profit by selling these sacred texts has been repugnant. Favoritism was shown toward certain entities—and we will document that with written proof. It is absolutely essential going forward that the faithful be told who is making these decisions. Moreover, vague justifications can no longer be accepted. If we’re told they are “making the translations better,” we must demand to know what specifically they’re doing and what specific criteria they’re following. Stay Tuned • If you’re wondering whether we’ll address the forthcoming (allegedly) Lectionary and the so-called ABBEY PSALMS AND CANTICLES, have no fear. We’ll have much to say about both. Please stay tuned. We believe this will end up being the longest series of articles ever submitted to Corpus Christi Watershed. To be continued. ROBERT O’NEILL Former associate of Monsignor Francis “Frank” P. Schmitt at Boys Town in Nebraska JAMES ARNOLD Formerly associated w/ King’s College, Cambridge A convert to the Catholic Church, and distant relative of J. H. Arnold MARIA B. Currently serves as a musician in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte. Those aware of the situation in her diocese won’t be surprised she chose to withhold her last name.
    1 Even if we’d been able to obtain Roman journals such as NOTITIAE, none of them contained English translations. But such an idea would never have occurred to a high school student or a college student growing up in the 1960s. 2 A number of shell corporations claim to own the various biblical translations mandated for Roman Catholics. They’ve made millions of dollars selling (!) these indulgenced texts. If time permits, we hope to enumerate these various shell corporations and explain: which texts they claim to own; how much they bring in each year; who runs them; and so forth. It would also be good to explore the morality of selling these indulgenced texts for a profit. Furthermore, for the last fifty years these organizations have employed several tactics to manipulate and bully others. If time permits, we will expose those tactics (including written examples). Some of us—who have been working on this problem for three decades—have amassed written documentation we’ll be sharing that demonstrates behavior at best “shady” and at worst criminal. 3 Again, we are not yet examining the morality of selling (!) indulgenced texts to Catholics mandated to use those same translations.
    —Guest Author
    “Music List” • 17th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (27 July 2025). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and Mass Propers for this Sunday are conveniently stored at the the feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Communion • “Ask & You Shall Receive”
    All of the chants for 27 July 2025 have been added to the feasts website, as usual under a convenient “drop down” menu. The COMMUNION ANTIPHON (both text and melody) are exceedingly beautiful and ancient.
    —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 “Nova Organi Harmonia” demanded from each of us an unusual commitment; we have dedicated to it the best of our energies. Would it be, therefore, presumptuous on our part to be satisfied with the result and to expect its welcome reception in the musical world?

— Msgr. Jules Van Nuffel (circa 1940)

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