NLY ONCE in all the years I knew him did I see Father Valentine Young truly angry. But there was one instance in which he became exasperated. That was the time someone kept mispronouncing the Latin word Spirítui. They kept saying “Spiri-TOO-ey,” which caused Father Valentine exclaim: “Please stop; you’re making my Latin ears bleed.” Father Valentine was rare among priests because he was fluent in Latin. Most priests—if they know Latin at all—can ‘fake’ it if they’re given access to a LATIN-ENGLISH DICTIONARY. But Father Valentine was fully fluent. Indeed, he’d often travel great distances to attend conferences where all the participants spoke in Latin to each other. (He took delight in such gatherings.)
Alma Redemptóris • Today, I’d like to speak about the simple form of the Alma Redemptóris Mater. (The “simple” version seems to be the most popular, although Dom Gregory Murray did write a beautiful organ interlude on the “solemn” version.) First of all, below is a harmonization I wrote for it—corresponding to the MARIAN INSERT stickers I mentioned recently—along with my attempt to accompany myself while simultaneously singing the melody:
* PDF Download • ORGAN ACCOMPANIMENT
—Includes the singer’s score as well as a metrical version.
(1 of 3) French Approach To Latin • I’m certainly not a spectacular linguist, but since 1995 I’ve dealt with Lingua Latina on a daily basis. For decades, I’ve experienced Latin spoken by priests and seminarians from all over: France, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Australia, Mexico, Poland, New Zealand, and so forth. The French—when speaking in their own tongue—place the accent on the final syllable of each word.
Naturally, this has an impact on how French priests pronounce Latin:
(2 of 3) French Approach To Latin • Starting in 1880, Dom André Mocquereau began studying linguistic theories of scholars such as Henri Weil (d. 1909) and Louis Benloew (d. 1900), attempting to prove that the accent of Latin words should be shifted over to occur on the final syllable, as it does in French. One of his disciples, Dom Joseph Gajard, believed in the theories of Dom Mocquereau with fanatical adherence. In 1935, Gajard summarized what Mocquereau had to say about the Latin accent: “In the golden age of the language, the Latin tonic accent was not a strong syllable as opposed to a weak one, but a high syllable (‘accentus acutus’) as opposed to a low one (‘accentus gravis’). […] In the classical age the accent was exclusively melodic and short, with practically no intensity.”
(3 of 3) French Approach To Latin • Dom Mocquereau’s theory that Latin words should have their accent ‘shifted’ to a different syllable never found acceptance.1 But we must be aware of his theory, because Dom Mocquereau’s rhythmic system favors adding an emphasis to the final syllable. About this, the 1962 LIBER USUALIS says: “This is often the more excellent way for those who are musically alert.” And Dom Gajard wrote in 1935:
“Our own theory normally
places the rhythmic ictus
on the last syllable of
the isolated word.”
(For the record, some dispute that Dom Mocquereau’s ictus constitutes a true “accent.”)
Practical Effect • Gregorianists like Professor Joseph Gogniat couldn’t make up their mind regarding the precise amount of elongation ending syllables should receive. Therefore, Gogniat tried to ‘hedge his bets’ by saying that a TROCHEE before a bar should be halfway between lengthened and not lengthened. Needless to say, such an approach is not practical. A better solution (perhaps) would have been to adopt the “Dom Johner Rule,” which says a TROCHEE should only be doubled before a full bar or a double bar. According to my colleague, William Fritz, the Norbertines did adopt Dom Johner’s method. As things stand in the year 2025, those who follow of Dom Mocquereau’s rhythm shift the accent, whereas the ‘German school’ emphasizes the Latin tonic accent:
Dr. Peter Wagner clearly felt the ‘tension’ of the final TROCHEE, and suggested that folks purchase his editions in modern notation so they can use these to mark the Gregorian notation. Abbat Raphael Molitor found such a ‘solution’ totally absurd, asking in a 1904 pamphlet:
“But what singer will buy a KYRIALE when he finds he must purchase a second book as a key to the first? Even a choirmaster would scarcely do so.”
German Method • I could easily produce thousands of examples demonstrating the “German Approach” to elongation for a TROCHEE that comes before a bar line. But my time is somewhat limited. Therefore, the following example must suffice:
* PDF Download • GERMAN APPROACH (“Final Trochee”)
—From a 1928 “Vesperbuch” published in Cologne (Köln) with an IMPRIMATUR dated 17 November 1928.
‘Via Media’ • Those who examine my harmonization (above) will see that I chose a via media between the different methods. Some may ask: “Why not simply use the Dom Mocquereau version, since that’s currently the most popular?” I am not able to do that because the version by Dom Mocquereau—to use Father Valentine’s expression—makes my Latin ears bleed. It goes without saying no choirmaster can teach (in a convincing & honest way) a theory he doesn’t accept.
Challenge For Each Reader • I challenge anyone to play the Dom Mocquereau versions—such as the 1953 version by Dr. Eugene Lapierre, or the 1952 version by Father Percy Jones, or the version by Henri Potiron, or the version by Dr. Theodore Marier, or the version by Achille P. Bragers, or the version by Dom Jean-Hébert Desroquettes (who was organist at Solesmes Abbey under Dom Mocquereau). Play through those versions and see whether you agree that treatment of words like “súmens íllud Áve” becomes bizarrely transformed into “suméns illúd Avé.” Do you agree that someone who routinely sings according to such rhythm will end up very confused?
Final Thoughts • I don’t believe it’s reasonable to expect musicians to follow Dom Mocquereau’s rhythmic system when it causes one’s Latin ears to bleed. Moreover, when we consider that the “simple” versions of the Marian antiphons were composed at a very late date, applying the GERMAN APPROACH seems much more probable—in terms of the ‘authentic’ rhythm from the standpoint of musicology. I do sometimes wonder if Dom Mocquereau genuinely believed all the accents on Latin words should be shifted. Deep down, I sometimes suspect he invented his theory to justify singing Latin words as if they were French.
And guess what? If you listen carefully to the phonograph records conducted by Dom Gajard, you’ll see he contradicts the very editions he promotes:
Here’s the direct URL link.
The highlighted words show where Dom Gajard adopts the GERMAN APPROACH, contrary to the rhythmic markings of Dom Mocquereau!
I don’t wish to come across as unhinged, berserk, or sensationalist. I just feel that Dom Mocquereau’s obsession with adding elongations the final syllable—even for the simplest and most straightforward chants—goes against the proper pronunciation of the Latin words in a grotesque way.
1 I’m not saying the truth of Dom Mocquereau’s theory about ‘shifting’ the tonic accent on Latin words rests upon whether a majority of scholars agree with him. However, I do believe his theory becomes impossible to justify when one examines the Latin poetry from the period in question.
