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Views from the Choir Loft

The Communion of the Second Sunday after Epiphany

Charles Weaver · January 16, 2022

N TODAY’S MASS, both forms of the Roman Rite give us the account of the wedding feast at Cana. In the newer liturgical books, this passage only comes around every three years, which means that for many people this is the first time hearing this passage at Mass since the pandemic began. Certainly the readings which the Church gives us are often to our profit regardless of our situation. In my case, I was supposed to be traveling this weekend and hearing the schola of one of my colleagues here. My plan has been derailed like so much else in our lives lately; instead I am at home and have experienced some recent illness as well. In this case it is worth reflecting on the message of this passage, even at the simple level of knowing that the Lord wishes us to be joyful, even if it is not in the way we expect: joy on His terms and not ours.

The communion antiphon is a masterpiece of exegesis and is one of my favorites of the whole year, so even though it has been discussed on this blog in previous years, it is certainly worthy of yet another post. To sing it is to engage in a guided lectio divina. To begin, consider the brevity of the text. Much of the miraculous kernel of the story is distilled from the text around it in the most concise possible way.

Now consider the way the composer creates different voices among the characters in the scene by using vocal register. Have you ever noticed that in the famous Passions of J.S. Bach, our Lord is always sung by a bass? This tradition in Passion singing dates from the Middle Ages. In the most widely used melody for the passions sung in Holy Week in the Roman Rite, the chronista occupies the middle fifth of the mode F–C, with the Lord and the other speakers (the synagoga part) taking the lower and upper registers respectively. Precisely the same thing is at work here, with characteristically subtle use of modulation. Indeed, the only notes on which we reach definitive cadences here are F and G, but what a wide variety of character is possible within this simple framework!

There are five utterances by three speakers, narrator-Christ-narrator-architriclinus-narrator. The narrator opens with a simple identification of the next speaker, accomplished by outlining the modal third F–A and avoiding a cadence.

Christ’s speech begins in what seems to be mode 2, outlining D–F, in a clearly lower register. Only with his second command does he lead to a typical mode-6 cadence.

As in the gospel account itself, the miraculous transformation is described only with a participle phrase: “when the chief steward had tasted the water made wine.” Perhaps there is a subtle allusion to the transformation in the change from b-natural to b-flat. The narrator again sticks to the compass of the central modal fifth F–C.

The exclamation of the chief steward reaches much higher than the rest of the chant, as though sung by a different singer as during the passion. The ecstatic nature of his outburst is of course expressed by the triple repetition of the torculus on the highest notes. We are given only the essence of steward’s words. The cadence suggests the eighth mode.

The closing narrative again occupies the central fifth F–C.

I never get tired of this melody and I look forward to it every time it comes around. A rehearsal video for the whole chant is here:

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

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: January 18, 2022

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About Charles Weaver

Charles Weaver is on the faculty of the Juilliard School, and serves as director of music for St. Mary’s Church. He lives in Connecticut with his wife and four children.—(Read full biography).

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Quick Thoughts

23 May 2022 • FEEDBACK

From a reader: “I wasn’t looking for it. But, I stumbled across your hand-dandy arrangement of Pachelbel’s Canon. Jeff, this is the greatest thing since sliced bread! I had to play a wedding on Saturday. The bride requested the Canon. There were 11 bridesmaids! The organ loft is a football field away from the communion rail. It’s so difficult to play and keep checking the mirror. Your arrangement is absolutely genius. One can skip and choose which variations to use. The chord names are handy so that when my eyes are off the music, I always know where I am at. A thousand times thank you for sharing this arrangement!”

—Jeff Ostrowski
19 May 2022 • “Trochee Trouble”

I’m still trying to decide how to visually present the “pure” Editio Vaticana scores, using what is (technically) the official rhythm of the Church. You can download my latest attempt, for this coming Sunday. Notice the “trochee trouble” as well as the old issue of neumes before the quilisma.

—Jeff Ostrowski
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

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“The cemeteries are full of people who thought they were indispensable.”

— Fr. Alan Heet, OFM

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