Does anyone know of any rubrics for Roman (not Sarum, neo-Gallican, or Dominican) choral Mattins and Lauds? A inquired as to the rubrics specifically for Lauds, which is often celebrated in the same manner of Vespers when done [wrongly] as a standalone service. Is this correct?
In the French family tree of rites the hebdomadarius continues in choir dress until the Benedictus and assumes a cope. The cantors wear copes according to the color of the day to sing the responses at Mattins and the antiphons at Lauds. Is the same true of the Roman rite?
The Roman liturgical books contain very little description of the public observance of the Office, more often just the text and music. Is anyone aware either of a liturgical commentator or a rubric concerning Mattins & Lauds in the Roman rite after Trent?
In Fortescue's "The ceremonies of the Roman rite described" there is a short description of Mattins and Lauds, and he cites several sources where more details can be found. The detailed description of this office is given in Caeremoniale Episcoporum, including the case when a bishop is not present.
ReplyDeleteAccording to its rubrics, the cope is assumed "Circa finem tertii Nocturni'. And if the office is ferial, there is no cope.
A. Fortescue, J. B. O'Connell "Ceremonies of the Roman Rite Described". There are described both Mass and Divine Office in all degrees of solemnity. One of the older editions is online on archive.org.
ReplyDeleteLe Vavasseur is probably the best source (for French readers) or both Martinucci and Moretti (both in Latin).
ReplyDeleteIn the traditional Roman rite Mattins and Lauds in choro cannot be separated, that is an EF change. As Anonymous says above when the Office is solemn the Hebdomadary wears the cope to chant the ninth lesson (lessons being chanted in increasing order of seniority, as opposed to the antiphons where the first is intoned by the Hebd. and subsequent one is descending order of seniority). Where there are pluvialistae the ceremonies at Lauds are as at solemn Vespers.
Does the cope have some symbolic meaning or is it meant to simply be a vestment for solemn occasions?
DeleteRubricarius, would you kindly explain the ceremony for the seventh lesson? Isn't there a Gospel "procession" with candles and incense? Is the Gospel excerpt given to a particular deacon, or any deacon, or would this also be chanted by the Hebdomadary in Cope?
DeleteRubricarius, would you kindly explain the ceremony for the seventh lesson? Isn't there a Gospel "procession" with candles and incense? Is the Gospel excerpt given to a particular deacon, or any deacon, or would this also be chanted by the Hebdomadary in Cope?
DeleteJohn, I wish I could confirm your hypothesis but, alas, I cannot. The seventh lesson has no lights, copes nor incense. The canon goes to the lectern and asks for the blessing etc as for the other lessons. All stand for the Gospel fragment but the choir sits for the homily. The canon/lector has to be a deacon or a priest. If, as in parish churches, there is only one priest he reads the Gospel fragment from his stall and a lector continues with the homily at the lectern.
Deletehttps://ia801305.us.archive.org/31/items/Caeremoniale1948/Caeremoniale%201948.pdf
ReplyDeleteThe Caeremoniale contains instructions for Matins and Lauds. Cap. VI. De Matutinis in Cathedralibus et Collegiatis Ecclesiis, absente Episcopo. P 108
The previous chapter describes the ceremony when the bishop officiates, and would be useful to compare. The ceremonies for Vespers are also in the C.E., and all of these together are sufficient to describe the Office, since it is a fairly simple ceremony for the celebrant and ministers, especially compared to holy mass.
For your horror (at my translation) here is the section I referenced. It looks like copes don't come out until right before the final lesson, for the occasion of the solemn reading of the final lesson by the celebrant. Naturally, the copes stay on for the rest of the ceremony and Lauds. The instructions here specifically discourage using the cope for ferial days and lesser feasts. This gives the sense that the cope is not really the proper vestment that every Office has a right to, but a special ornament that can be added. There was progressive solemnity in the older rites!
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15. Around the end of the third Nocturne, the Officiating Canon receives the cope of the color of the correct time, and the two cantors similarly, or more, if it is fitting, vest in copes: when the eighth Responsory is chanted, two acolytes take two candelabra, which with lit candels they hold before the vested Canon, and before him hold it, until he has read the whole lesson, and has begun the Hymn Te Deum Laudamus, etc. which Hymn said first by the cantors vested in copes, their having made to him the obligatory reverence, he preintones.
16. When Te Ergo quaesumus etc. is said, he kneels in the his place, and all the others do the same. The hymn being completed, he begins Lauds, in which all applies, which of Vespers celebrated solemnly in Collegiates, are had above in chapter II book II. In feasts that are not solemn, and on ferial days, it is not fitting to vest in cope.
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Marco,
ReplyDeleteThe cope and chasuble have the same origins as Roman outdoor clothing, indeed pluviale might be described as a raincoat complete with its hood. If you sew a cope up at the front, and take off the hood, you have a conical chasuble. Over time the cope became the vestment used at blessings, processions and for solemn Office and the chasuble for Mass.
Stercky/Levavaseur has an excellent description of this ceremony. Joseph Catalnus has a discussion on the question of separating the two ceremonies in choir. The most sublime example of this magnificent ceremony, outside of the Papal Chapel, is of course when it is celebrated pontifically on Christmas eve, either at the throne of faldstool. It is absolutely magnificent. If I recall the subdeacon sings the seventh, the deacon the 8th, and then after being assisted to vest by the aforementioned, the pontiff the ninth, in cope, with acolytes. After the Te Deum the cope is removed and the rest of the vestments for Mass are put and the ministers go to the altar to begin. Remember also, for Christmass Eve laudes follows after the mass.
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