| Question Title | Posted By | Question Date |
|---|---|---|
| RE: Postures & Gestures of the Office | Aaron | Friday, February 11, 2005 |
Question: Dear Brother, Thank you very much for your reply to my answer. Your additional detail on your method of gestures makes it easier for me and for the rest who read this post what to do during the Office, instead of hunting all over the Net for it. Subsequently, you mentioned: "I chant the entire office -- everything is chanted except for the beginning and ending Sign of the Cross and the Readings." I would like to know what are the proper notes and tones for chanting the office? sometimes when i try chanting and after a while forgotten tones are substituted with strange ones, it ends up weird. It does no justice to the beautiful psalm or prayer :-) Any online referral that has tone samples for every chant possible in the breviary? Not that singing out of tune hurts God's ears, but at least it would better preserve the dignity of the Office. (less it provokes harsh criticism from the likes of American Idol judges... :-) Thank you and God bless. |
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| Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM
Dear Aaron: There are a few sources that include tones for the Divine Office, but most people, I think, would have problems with many of those tones unless they are singers. I teach a very simple plain chant that is relatively easy even for those who cannot sing otherwise. I plan on providing audio recordings of me illiustrating these tones, but I disclaim any reponsibility of broken speakers or ears or windows or howling dogs if you listen to my chant. I use five basic tones for the Psalmody, a tone for each of 1) Advent/Holy Week; 2) Sunday/Solemnity; 3) Feasts; 4) Ordinary Time/Day Prayer 5) Lent In addition there are some variations in tones for individual element in the Office other than the Psalms/Canticle. The Gospel Canticle has its own distinctive tone. If I can remember, I suppose I can later scan into a graphic file my handwritten musical notation of these tones. For example, for Lent the tone is very plain beginning at "Middle C" C C C C Dª Sundays (also beginning at "Middle C") C E G G G A G God Bless, |
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