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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 3

Andrew R. Motyka · June 12, 2013

For Part 2 of this series, please click HERE.

AST WEEK, we covered the reading and responsory during Evening Prayer. This week, we will wrap up the liturgy with the Gospel Canticle, Intercessions, and the Our Father.

The Gospel Canticle for Evening Prayer is the Magnificat, or the Canticle of Mary. This timeless text is the high point of this liturgy. Historically, this piece has been executed as a choral piece. There are countless settings of it by many composers. The magnitude in which the Magnificat outnumbers an other musical setting of the canticle shows how much more popular this particular Hour was among the general public throughout time. Simply put, the people came to pray at Vespers, and this song is the climax of that prayer.

Its format is exactly like those of the psalms: the proper antiphon is followed by the canticle itself, followed by the doxology, and rounded out by the repetition of the antiphon. It can be executed in the same way that the psalms are, but I would comment that it seems awkward in this case to interrupt this text after each verse to sing an antiphon or refrain. It is not specifically forbidden, but I would argue that it’s in bad taste. This is definitely the time to “do it up.” If you have a choir, this is a good time for them to shine. Make this the high point of the liturgy.

Following the Magnificat are the Intercessions. These are just like the petitions offered at Mass. There is typically a specific response given in the ritual, tied to the given day or feast. Other than that, it is straightforward. Consider chanting these in the same way you would at Mass.

The Lord’s Prayer follows the Intercessions. This is common prayer; let the people sing this.

The proper prayer of the day rounds out the liturgy. This is proclaimed by the priest or other leader. The final blessing is either the normal one offered by the priest, or the formula:

May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.

if prayed in common.

I hope this series has been of some use to those of you with little experience praying the hours. This beautiful liturgy is the prayer of the whole Church, and deserves more attention in the local parishes. Let us all offer our thanks to God in prayer and song through the beauty and tradition of the Hours.

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

    “What Martin Luther Said…”
    My pastor asked me to write little columns for the bulletin each week. The article for 20 July 2025 has been posted, and it’s called: “What Luther Said…” Martin Luther (an ex-priest and apostate) was an infamous heretic whose ignorance of JESUS CHRIST was only exceeded by his filthy and disgusting vulgarity.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Music List” • 15th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (13 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 propers for this Sunday are also provided at the the feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    This coming Sunday—13 July 2025—is the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). All the chants have been conveniently assembled and posted at the feasts website. The OFFERTORY, Ad Te Levávi, is particularly beautiful.
    —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

To end an impropriety, noticed particularly at orchestral Vespers, when two or three Psalms are sung with full orchestra, and then the other Psalms and the Hymn are rapidly hurried through with organ accompaniment only […] we order that at Mass all portions of the text, including “Agnus Dei,” be sung with orchestral accompaniment. […] Moreover, the musicians are not allowed to put the instruments away and leave their places before the conclusion of the sacred function.

— Cardinal Patrizi (18 November 1856)

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