HOSE WHO PUBLISH books on Gregorian chant almost never speak about the “French vs. German Trochee.” Why is that? I actually can’t think of anything more important. The only author who treats this subject is Dom Johner—and he only includes a tiny section. For our purposes, a trochee is a word whose accent falls on the penultimate syllable. Trochees are words like: Déus, própter, nómen, méus, plantátus, posuísti, diérum, florébit, confitéri, prævenísti, and so on. A trochee is different from a dactyl, whose accent is on the ante-penult. (Dactyls are words like: Dóminus, quóniam, illúminas, témperas, Líbani, córnibus, átriis, lápide, longitúdinem, and so forth.) Both the French and the Germans treat dactyls the same; so there’s no issue with dactyls. But there’s a major issue with trochees.
No Help: The first thing to realize is that the official version (a.k.a. Editio Vaticana) doesn’t give you any help. It leaves the interpretation to each choirmaster:
* PDF Download • EDITIO VATICANA (Singer)
—“Víctimæ Pascháli Láudes” (Sequence) • Dominica Resurrectionis.
French Trochee Method: The French school (a.k.a. “ictus rhythm of Dom Mocquereau”) does not elongate the accent of each trochee, as you can see here. It’s almost like the tonic accent has been moved to the final syllable of each trochee. When you harmonize strictly according to the Dom Mocquereau “ictus” method, you end up with this organ accompaniment. Some people feel this method bumps the tonic accents erroneously: “recóncilíavít” instead of reconciliávit; peccátorés instead of peccatóres; “victímæ” instead of víctimæ; “rédemit” instead of redémit; and so forth. You can hear a female choir sing the VICTIMAE PASCHALI LAUDES accompanied by that “French Trochee” score if you click here.
Father Fortescue: Courtesy of the forthcoming Campion Missal, 3rd edition (Sophia Institute Press, 2022), we’ve received a special English translation of “Víctimæ Pascháli Láudes” created by Father Adrian Fortescue (d. 1923).
* PDF Download • Father Fortescue (ENGLISH VERSION)
—“Víctimæ Pascháli Láudes” (Sequence) • Dominica Resurrectionis.
“French Trochee” accompaniment for Father Fortescue’s Version
English Again, But Different: A priest of the Fraternity of Saint Peter recently sent us his “singable” translation of the VICTIMAE PASCHALI LAUDES. This priest was trained in Germany, and it seems best to sing his version with the “German Trochee” method. I have made two slight modifications to his score, and these are indicated by an italic font:
* PDF Download • FSSP Priest (ENGLISH VERSION)
—“Víctimæ Pascháli Láudes” (Sequence) • Dominica Resurrectionis.
For the record, if you sing that version according to the “French Trochee” method, you would end up with this organist score.
“Germanic Trochee” Harmonizations:
To understand the “German Trochee Method,” simply download this sheet. The German Trochee can even be found in psalm tones; check out ámen.
* PDF Download • Max Springer (1910s)
—Max Springer (d. 1954) was organist at the Saint Emmaus Monastery (Prague).
* PDF Download • Father Franz Xaver Mathias (1936)
—Father Mathias founded the SAINT LEO INSTITUTE FOR SACRED MUSIC in 1913.
* PDF Download • Dr. Peter Wagner (1910s)
—Wagner founded the “Gregorian Academy” in Fribourg, Switzerland.
* PDF Download • Nova Organi Harmonia (1944)
—Monsignor Jules Van Nuffel was choirmaster at the Cathedral of Saint Rumbold (Belgium).
“French Trochee” Harmonizations:
* PDF Download • Giulio Bas (1874-1929)
—Giulio Bas was the editor of the “Rassegna Gregoriana” (Rome).* PDF Download • Desrocquettes (1887-1972)
—Dom Jean Hébert Desroquettes was organist of Solesmes Abbey.* PDF Download • Achille P. Bragers (1887-1955)
—Bragers taught at the Pope Pius X School of Liturgical Music (Manhattanville College, New York).* PDF Download • Achille P. Bragers (TRANSPOSED)
—This has been transposed very high.* PDF Download • (first) Henri Potiron (1882-1972)
—Potiron was Choirmaster of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart (Paris).* PDF Download • (second) Henri Potiron (1882-1972)
—Another version by Henri Potiron.* PDF Download • Father Andrew Green (1865-1950)
—Father Green headed the music department at St. Benedict’s College (Atchison, KS).* PDF Download • Dom Gregory A. Murray (1905-1992)
—Dom Murray was a Downside Abbey monk who eventually came to hate Mocquereau’s method.* PDF Download • Dr. Eugene Lapierre (1957)
—Lapierre (University of Montreal) granted Roger Wagner his doctorate “in absentia” (from California).
* PDF Download • Father Percy Jones (1952)
—Dr. Percy Jones lived until 1992 • He produced the Pius X Hymnal (Australia).
* PDF Download • Dr. Ted Marier (1970s)
—The famous hymnal created by Dr. Theodore Marier has been reviewed by Daniel Craig.
* PDF Download • Nicola A. Montani (1920)
—Nicola A. Montani produced the Saint Gregory Hymnal (1920).
* PDF Download • Father Carlo Rossini (1932)
—Father Carlo Rossini produced the Parochial Hymnal (1936).
NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:
* Something rather peculiar: Dom Desrocquettes died the same year as Henri Potiron died, and was born the same year as Achille P. Bragers was born.
