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Views from the Choir Loft

Singing the Divine Office before and after Mass

Veronica Brandt · September 14, 2013

St Michael from Monastic Office A page from The Monastic Office by Teresa Clark OST PEOPLE AGREE we need more awareness of the Divine Office. The treasure of the Liturgy of the Hours is spiritually nourishing for us here on earth as well as pleasing to Heaven.

Some parishes are reviving Vespers once a week or more. One parish has been praying the hours before and after the main Sunday Mass as well as Compline after evening Masses. The choir manages to finish practice before grabbing a drink of water and heading in for Terce at 10.15, just before Mass starts at 10.30. After Mass they wait a while before moving up to the front pews, ladies on the right, men on the left, and chant the hour of Sext.

After evening Mass the choir sits up the front (as for Sext) and chants the night prayer. They follow the Monastic Office, which has less variation for Compline than the regular Roman Office. The Monastic Office also echoes the Benedictine roots of the parish.

At first they sang straight from the Monastic Antiphonale, but it was cumbersome. There would be the odd mix up with the Liber Usualis, another impressive black tome. My mother made booklets, which were refined over the years until at last all the pieces have been assembled into one volume.

HERE is a preview of the first 16 pages, including the ordinary of the hour of Terce. You could try it out tomorrow, all you need is the collect, which you might find in your missal.

The complete 238 page book is available through Lulu in hardback, spiral bound and pdf

If you have any questions, or if you would like a set with a custom cover, ask my mother, Teresa.

(Happy feast of the Holy Cross today!)

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Compline Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Veronica Brandt

Veronica Brandt holds a Bachelor Degree in Electrical Engineering. She lives near Sydney, Australia, with her husband and six children.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

Quick Thoughts

    PDF • “For the Season of Pentecost”
    During the season of Pentecost, you might consider using this 2-page Piece “for the season of Pentecost.” Rehearsal videos are available at #40691, but the lyrics are different. Therefore, make sure your choir members understand that one can rehearse songs that have different lyrics (“CONTRAFACT”).
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Introit • (This Coming Sunday)
    Our volunteer choir appreciates training videos, so here's my attempt at recording “Exáudi Dómine Vocem Meam,” which is the INTROIT for this coming Sunday. This coming Sunday is Dominica Post Ascensionem (“Sunday after the feast of the Ascension”). It is sung according to the official rhythm of the Catholic Church.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Volunteer Choir Attempts “Kýrie Eléison”
    My volunteer choir attempted the polyphonic KYRIE that will be sung at this year's Sacred Music Symposium. If you're interested, you can listen to the live recording from last Sunday. The piece is based on the ancient plainchant hymn melody: Ave Maris Stella. Polyphony like this is truly intricate and wonderful. It reminds me of the quote by Artur Schnabel: “music that's greater than it can be performed.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

The People’s Hymnal suffers from a too literal and awkward translation. And even in the lovely Slovak “Memorare” in The Saint Gregory Hymnal we are still asked to sing “that anyone who sought thee, or made to thee his moan.” Why not “groan” or “bone” or even “phone?” The only thing necessary, it seems, is that it rhyme with “known.”

— Mons. Francis P. Schmitt (1958)

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