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Views from the Choir Loft

What They Didn’t Tell You About Psalm Tone VIII

Jeff Ostrowski · December 11, 2014

578 Tone 8 Psalm Tone Mode Eight OMEONE who explains to a young driver the meaning of the green and red traffic lights but says nothing about the yellow light is guilty of a serious omission. The same is true when it comes to explaining the Gregorian psalm tones. Many manuals, even the front of the Liber Usualis, leave out critical information.

Eventually, I will explain all eight psalm tones, but today I treat Mode 8 “simple” psalm tone.

Those alive during the 1990s remember The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Do you know why that sentence was used to display fonts? It’s because every letter of the alphabet is used. Similarly, these Latin sentences use every possibility:

PSALM 138 • Et vide, si via iniquitátis in me est: * et deduc me in via aetérna.

PSALM 115 • Crédidi, propter quod locútus sum: * ego autem humiliátus sum nimis.

PSALM 129 • Quia apud te propitiátio est: * et propter legem tuam sustínui te Dómine.

PSALM 110 • Memóriam fecit mirabílium suórum, † miséricors et miserátor Dóminus: * escam dedit timéntibus se.

The significance & importance of these will become clear below.

97% of Latin words end with a Trochee or Dactyl:

A Trochee (e.g. Déus) has the accent on the penult—that is, the second-last syllable.

A Dactyl (e.g. Dóminus) has the accent on the antepenult—that is, the third-last syllable.

When setting texts to a Mode 8 psalm tone, you can follow the Rules For Psalm Tones without any issues 97% of the time. Hundreds of fully notated psalms (Psalmi in Notis) are available at the Lalande Library.

Setting Mode 8 is easy when each line ends with a Trochee or Dactyl:

      * *  PDF Sample Page: Solesmes Psalmi in Notis (1908)

Now let’s examine the difficult cases.

Psalm 138 has a mediant that ends with three (3) monosyllables:

PSALM 138 • Et vide, si via iniquitátis in me est: * et deduc me in via aetérna.

The more common way would be:

577 Mode 8 First


However, the 1912 Vatican decree also allows:

576 Mode 8 Second

Psalm 115 has a Trochee followed by a monosyllable:

PSALM 115 • Crédidi, propter quod locútus sum: * ego autem humiliátus sum nimis.

The more common way makes this into a “false” Dactyl:

575 Mode 8 Third


But the 1912 Vatican decree also allows:

574 Mode 8 Fourth

Psalm 129 has a Dactyl followed by a monosyllable:

PSALM 129 • Quia apud te propitiátio est: * et propter legem tuam sustínui te Dómine.

This would normally be treated:

573 Tone 8 Fifth


But the 1912 decree gives permission for:

572 Mode 8 Sixth

Finally, what should be done with Psalm 110, whose ending consists of a Dactyl plus a monosyllable?

PSALM 110 • Memóriam fecit mirabílium suórum, †
miséricors et miserátor Dóminus: * escam dedit timéntibus se.

Here’s what you do:

571 Mode 8 SEVENTH


If you don’t believe me, you can see proof in Psalmi in Notis.

Speaking of endings with a Dactyl plus a monosyllable, the same is true for this example:

661 corripias me


The same is true of this example (“refíciam vos”):

179 reficiam


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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Psalm Tone Mode 8 Tone Eight Simple Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Jeff Ostrowski

Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004). He resides with his wife and children in Los Angeles.—(Read full biography).

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Quick Thoughts

    Requesting Our Advent Eucharistic Hymn
    A young lady named Agnes wrote to us: “Dear Mr. Ostrowski, do you have the PDF score for Ave Corpus Domini set to the ADVENT melody? Last year, we sang the hymn tune “Nun Komm der Heiden Heiland” quite a bit using your contrafactum technique. My choir appreciates the Latin hymns and practice videos, especially in the ADVENT and CHRISTMAS seasons. Your recent article on Gregorian Psalm Tones is a great help to my organist brother, and reminds us of attending VESPERS years ago when we lived in California. Thank you so much for all the effort put into providing these wonderful resources!”   Agnes, if you are listening! Yes, the PDF file you desire can be downloaded for free at the Brébeuf Portal via this URL link. Thanks for writing to us!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Message from the Vice-President!
    The Vice-President of the Church Music Association of America, Dr. Horst Buchholz (who also serves as Director of Sacred Music for the Archdiocese of Detroit) sent us an email yesterday regarding the harmonizations (PDF) I composed for the Gregorian Chant psalm tones. Dr. Buchholz says: “Those settings are absolutely exquisite, as I'm used to when it comes from you. Bravo! Well done! Now, as a sequel, if you could write something for accompanying psalms in English that would be awesome.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Seven (7) Hymn Verses for November!
    In the month of November, we remember in a special way the souls in purgatory. The BRÉBEUF HYMNAL often includes text alone versions for its hymns; why is that? The short answer is: flexibility. The “text only” version allows each choirmaster to employ a myriad of melodies. For example, I recently set the English translation of “De Profúndis” with the DAVOST MELODY (PDF). We are singing this before November ends. Indeed, you can hear our volunteer singing this (in real life) if you click here.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“One must pray to God not only with theologically precise formulas, but also in a beautiful and dignified way. The Christian community must make an examination of conscience so that the beauty of music and song will return increasingly to the liturgy.”

— Pope Saint John Paul II (26 February 2003)

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