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Views from the Choir Loft

PDF Download • Vespers Organ Accompaniments

Jeff Ostrowski · June 10, 2019

NE OF THE MOST AWESOME things we do at my parish is Sunday Vespers. The entire congregation sings, alternating between Men & Women. It is beautiful beyond anything I could have imagined, although it took us a few months to get going. This would not be possible without the 465-page book I mentioned, created by Albert Bloomfield. The Magnificat changes each week, and I accompany Vespers on the organ. (Reminder: The men and women alternate, sitting on opposite sides of the congregation.) So, which organ scores do I use to accompany the (ever-changing) Magnificat antiphon & verse? Well, you can download them if you wish (see below). You’ll notice the harmonies underneath the psalm tones are missing, because I like to improvise them. These scores are very ugly. They’re for private use only.

* *  (Magn. Ant. + Verse) • Epiphany

* *  (Complete Vespers) • Feast of the Holy Name

* *  (Magn. Ant. + Verse) • Holy Family + hymn

* *  (Magn. Ant. + Verse) • 2nd Sunday after Epiphany

* *  (Magn. Ant. + Verse) • 3rd Sunday after Epiphany

* *  (Magn. Ant. + Verse) • 4th Sunday after Epiphany

* *  (Magn. Ant. + Verse) • 5th Sunday after Epiphany

* *  (Magn. Ant. + Verse) • 6th Sunday after Epiphany

* *  (Magn. Ant. + Verse) • Septuagesima Sunday

* *  (Magn. Ant. + Verse) • Sexagesima Sunday

* *  (Magn. Ant. + Verse) • Quinquagesima Sunday

Hymn for Vespers: AUDI BENIGNE CONDITOR

* *  (Magn. Ant. + Verse) • 2nd Sunday of Lent

* *  (Magn. Ant. + Verse) • 3rd Sunday of Lent

* *  (Magn. Ant. + Verse) • 5th Sunday of Lent (“Passion Sunday”)

Hymn for Vespers: VEXILLA REGIS PRODEUNT

* *  (Magn. Ant. + Verse) • Palm Sunday

Hymn for Vespers: AD REGIAS AGNI DAPES

* *  (Magn. Ant. + Verse) • Low Sunday

* *  (Magn. Ant. + Verse) • 2nd Sunday after Easter

* *  (Magn. Ant. + Verse) • 3rd Sunday after Easter

* *  (Magn. Ant. + Verse) • 4th Sunday after Easter

* *  (Magn. Ant. + Verse) • 5th Sunday after Easter

* *  (Magn. Ant. + Verse) • Sunday after Ascension

* *  (Magn. Ant. + Verse) • Pentecost Sunday

* *  (Magn. Ant. + Verse) • Trinity Sunday

* *  (Magn. Ant. + Verse) • 4th Sunday after Pentecost

* *  (Magn. Ant. + Verse) • 5th Sunday after Pentecost

* *  (Magn. Ant. + Verse) • 6th Sunday after Pentecost

* *  (Magn. Ant. + Verse) • 7th Sunday after Pentecost

* *  (Magn. Ant. + Verse) • 8th Sunday after Pentecost

* *  (Magn. Ant. + Verse) • 9th Sunday after Pentecost

* *  (Magn. Ant. + Verse) • 10th Sunday after Pentecost

* *  (Magn. Ant. + Verse) • 11th Sunday after Pentecost

* *  (Magn. Ant. + Verse) • 12th Sunday after Pentecost

* *  (Magn. Ant. + Verse) • 13th Sunday after Pentecost

(Version for singers, since this Tone is difficult, can
also be printed for the 13th Sunday after Pentecost.

* *  (Magn. Ant. + Verse) • 14th Sunday after Pentecost

* *  (Magn. Ant. + Verse) • 15th Sunday after Pentecost

* *  (Magn. Ant. + Verse) • 16th Sunday after Pentecost

* *  (Magn. Ant. + Verse) • 17th Sunday after Pentecost

* *  (Magn. Ant. + Verse) • 18th Sunday after Pentecost

* *  (Magn. Ant. + Verse) • 19th Sunday after Pentecost

* *  (Magn. Ant. + Verse) • 20th Sunday after Pentecost

* *  (print double sided) • Christ the King Sunday

* *  (Magn. Ant. + Verse) • 21st Sunday after Pentecost

* *  (Magn. Ant. + Verse) • 22nd Sunday after Pentecost

* *  (Magn. Ant. + Verse) • 23rd Sunday after Pentecost

* *  (Magn. Ant. + Verse) • 24th and LAST Sunday after Pentecost

* *  (Magn. Ant. + Verse) • 1st Sunday of Advent

* *  (Magn. Ant. + Verse) • 3rd Sunday of Advent

* *  (Magn. Ant. + Verse) • 22 December (verse 10 has error)

* *  (Magn. Ant. + Verse) • Sunday after Christmas

For some reason, I find it easier to improvise the harmonies for psalm tones, rather than read them.

If you have never done Vespers before, this xerox sheet is (perhaps) the best way to begin.

EXTRAS:

12 December: Our Lady of Guadalupe

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

Filed Under: Articles, PDF Download Tagged With: Organ Accompaniment Magnificat, Vespers, Vespers Organist Scores Last Updated: April 25, 2022

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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

16 May 2022 • Harmonized Chant?

This year’s upcoming Sacred Music Symposium will demonstrate several ways to sing the CREDO at Mass. This is because—for many parishes—to sing a full-length polyphonic CREDO by Victoria or Palestrina is out of the question. Therefore, we show options that are halfway between plainsong and polyphony. You can hear my choir rehearsing a section that sounds like harmonized plainsong.

—Jeff Ostrowski
14 May 2022 • “Pure” Vatican Edition

As readers know, my choir has been singing from the “pure” Editio Vaticana. That is to say, the official rhythm which—technically—is the only rhythm allowed by the Church. I haven’t figured out how I want the scores to look, so in the meantime we’ve been using temporary scores that look like this. Stay tuned!

—Jeff Ostrowski
14 May 2022 • Gorgeous Book

If there is a more beautiful book than Abbat Pothier’s 1888 Processionale Monasticum, I don’t know what it might be. This gorgeous tome was today added to the Saint John Lalande Online Library. I wish I owned a physical copy.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“The sun’s disc did not remain immobile. This was not the sparkling of a heavenly body, for it spun round on itself in a mad whirl, when suddenly a clamor was heard from all the people. The sun, whirling, seemed to loosen itself from the firmament and advance threateningly upon the earth as if to crush us with its huge fiery weight. The sensation during those moments was terrible.”

— ‘Dr. Almeida Garrett, professor of natural sciences at the University of Coimbra (1917)’

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