OR HALF A DECADE, I was in charge of preparing VESPERS each week for one of the largest TLM parishes in the world. Our entire parish sang VESPERS—in Gregorian Chant according to the editions restored by Pope Saint Pius X—every Sunday afternoon without fail. In the days leading up to Christmas, one must be on the lookout for the “O Antiphons,” which serve as the MAGNIFICAT ANTIPHON on certain days in December. From what I can tell, the 1970 Missale Romanum has elevated the “O Antiphons” by assigning them to the GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (“Alleluia verse”) for the Masses in late December. However, they removed the “O” from each antiphon.1
For example:
(1 of 2) Vast Ocean • I certainly have nothing against the “O Antiphons.” Nevertheless, I believe they can be emphasized with excessive zeal. Let me explain what I mean. For about a decade, a leader of one of the major ‘TLM’ blogs would write to me, asking that I compose articles about the “O Antiphons.” I had to decline, because I had other obligations. It struck me as odd that this fellow was so obsessed with the “O Antiphons” but showed no interest in any other liturgical music. Was he unaware there are hundreds more gorgeous MAGNIFICAT antiphons? Over the years, I became convinced this was the case. After all, very few parishes these days sing VESPERS each week (as my parish did). So it’s entirely possible he was ignorant of the beautiful antiphons that occur each week for the MAGNIFICAT. My point is that the “O Antiphons” represent less than 1% of the MAGNIFICAT antiphons. If we don’t come to terms with this, we’re missing out.
(2 of 2) Vast Ocean • I feel rather strongly about this topic. Suppose somebody tells you they love The Andy Griffith Show. Later, you discover this person has only watched one episode—and he watches that same episode over and over again. I feel this is wrong. That person should become familiar with other episodes of The Andy Griffith Show besides just the one. And I see this with some music directors. Year after year, they do the same pieces: e.g. “Sicut Cervus” by Palestrina or “Ave Verum Corpus” by William Byrd. In my humble opinion, that’s like watching the same episode over and over again. There’s a vast ocean of gorgeous & fabulous music waiting for us! Guerrero, Morales, Marenzio, Gallus, Sheppard, Lassus, Zoilo, Nanino, Zachariis, Viadana, Hassler, Uttendal, Croce, Allegri, Ingegneri, and Victoria all wrote utterly superb music … how dare we neglect it?
Addendum • For those seeking to learn more about the “O Antiphons,” the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal contains splendid information about them:
1 In the late 1960s, it became ‘trendy’ to modify things which were popular among the laity. For instance, certain clerics in those years felt that if devotions were popular, there must be something wrong with them. Moreover, there was a tendency (on the part of some) to demonstrate “how smart they were” by elevating lesser-known variants. An example was what the reformers did to the VENI CREATOR SPIRITUS and the Mode II psalm tone.
