Chanting the Divine Office (1960s)

[rf9661]

Hello all!
I’m interested in chanting the Divine Office in community but am unsure as to where one should start.
What book is used? The Liber Usualis or the Graduale Romanum? Is it a different one? I’m open to any replies!
These are the two Libers I have my eyes on: https://fraternitypublications.com/product/liber-usualis-just-in-lower-price/ and Liber Usualis - Angelus Press.
Any thoughts on the above two for the purpose of chanting the Office?
Pax Domini.

Also, I apologize if this belongs in the Traditional portion of this forum and not the Liturgy one.

 

[OraLabora]

Which Divine Office? Monastic, or Roman?

For the monastic you’d need Antiphonale Monasticum, Solesmes 1934. For the Roman, Antiphonale Romanum, I believe the 1912 edition would be used. Not sure if there’s a later edition. These are only for the day hours. You’d need a Nocturnale for Vigils (Matins), but often communities would chant the night Office rect-tono so the Breviary alone would suffice.

Liber Usualis would only be good for Sundays and some feasts of the Roman Office. Graduale Romanum would be useless. It’s only for the Mass.

 

[rf9661]

Thanks for your response. I should’ve clarified in my post it’s for the Roman Divine Office.

I feared the Antiphonale Romanum is the one I’d need. They only one available for purchase is the “Antiphonale Romanum II” which only has Vespers.

Any who, thanks for your help!

 

[OraLabora]

Antiphonale Romanum I is also available from Solesmes as of this year, for Lauds. Both I and II are for the current Liturgy of the Hours though, not the pre-1970 Divine Office.

Another resource is Les Heures Grégoriennes that allow you to chant all the day hours in Latin, with French alongside (French is my mother tongue, but the Latin is there). I use both LHG and AR I and II.

Here’s a tidbit: LHG follows, for the weekday Offices, the current (2015) Ordo Cantus Officii. One exception is the antiphon for Ps. 109 (110) on Sundays, which is always the same, but in AR II varies with each Sunday in the 4-week cycle. However for feasts and solemnities, some compromises and simplifications are made. Fortunately, AR I and AR II are completely faithful to the 2015 Ordo. So using these for feasts and solemnities, along with LHG for normal weekdays and memorials, will put you 100% in synch with the Ordo.

One limitation of LHG is that only one antiphon is presented for the Gospel Canticle on Sundays, while in AR I and II, two are offered (one for 1 Vespers and lauds, the other for 2 Vespers).

So if you want to chant the post-1970 Office, all the resources needed are available and currently in print. It’s also much more attainable for ordinary laymen than the 1910-1970 Office, which had the whole psalter in a week, and was never really intended for the laity.

LHG is well laid-out in 3 volumes: Ordinary Time, Advent and Christmastide in Vol. I, Lent and Eastertide in Vol. II, and memorials, feasts and solemnities of the saints in Vol. III. You never have to leave the volume you’re using for any given Hour. It’s very convenient and also beautifully bound with high quality printing on Bible paper. The only handicap is the price, over 200 euros.

 

[rf9661]

Oh! Thanks for that clarification.
So then there is no book for chanting the 1960 Divine Office that is currently in print?
I don’t pray the LOTH so the Antiphonale Romanum I and II which is for the LOTH wouldn’t work for my purposes.
I am thinking of reaching out to one of the “trad” seminaries to find out what they use.

 

[OraLabora]

I think you can find a PDF copy of Antiphonale Romanum 1912 on-line. I have one somewhere, I sourced some antiphons from it when creating my own Nocturnale (based on the 1983 Ordo Cantus Officii, now superseded by the 2015). It’s not of great quality however, each page is an image.

Of course it won’t have the same impact as praying from a beautifully-bound book. You’ll have better luck with the pre-Concilar (or for that matter post-Conciliar) Monastic Office. Antiphonale Monasticum 1934 is still in print by Solesmes, https://www.solesmes.com/node/9069?position=12&list=NQq1bdWN8WaUmsUERYZP0JeBJ0DcCDfZ9N1k_wCmdCs

There is also Liber Reponsorium that has the night Office for at least major feasts and solemnities. Those are probably the only Matins that would be fully chanted in a community, the normal weekday Office and minor feasts would be recto-tono.