A responsory or respond is a type of
chant in western
Christian liturgies.
Definition
The most general definition of a responsory is any psalm,
canticle, or other sacred musical work sung responsorially, that is, with a cantor or small group singing verses while the whole choir or congregation respond with a refrain. However, this article focuses on those chants of the western Christian tradition that have traditionally been designated by the term responsory. In the
Roman Rite and rites strongly influenced by it, such as the pre-reformation English rite and the monastic rite of the
Rule of St. Benedict, these chants ordinarily follow readings
at services of the
Divine Office (also called the
Liturgy of the Hours); however, they have also been used as processional chants.
Structure and performance
A responsory has two parts: a respond (or refrain), and a verse.
Methods of performance vary, but typically the respond will be begun by the cantor then taken up by the entire choir. The verse is then sung by a cantor or a small group; or the verse can be begun by the cantor and continued by the entire choir.
The chant concludes with a repetition of all or part of the respond. Sometimes the second repetition of the respond is followed by a half-
doxology, ''Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto'', sung by the cantor, followed in turn by a third repetition of all or part of the respond.
As an example, here is the responsory ''Aspiciebam,'' which in the
Sarum Rite (the medieval rite of
Salisbury Cathedral in
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
) followed the second reading, which was from the first chapter of the
Book of Isaiah, at the night office (
Matins) on the first Sunday of
Advent:
Respond: (started by the cantor and continued by the whole choir) ''Aspiciebam in visu noctis, et ecce in nubibus caeli Filius hominis veniebat: et datum est ei regnum, et honor: * Et omnis populus, tribus, et linguae servient ei.'' (I saw in a night-vision, and behold, the Son of Man was coming on the clouds of heaven: and sovereignty and honor were given him: and every people and tribe, and all languages shall serve him.)
Verse: (sung by the cantor) ''Potestas eius, potestas aeterna, quae non auferetur: et regnum eius, quod non corrumpetur.'' (His might is an everlasting might which will not be taken away; and his reign is an everlasting reign, which shall not be broken.)
Partial respond: (sung by the choir) ''Et omnis populus, tribus, et linguae servient ei.'' (And every people and tribe, and all languages shall serve him.)
Most responsories have a single verse, but a few have multiple verses.
One of the most famous of the latter is the responsory ''Aspiciens a longe,'' sung on the first Sunday of Advent after the first reading in the night office of the Latin secular (non-monastic) rite. The version that was sung in the medieval rite of Salisbury cathedral was worded as follows:
Respond: ''Aspiciens a longe et ecce video Dei potentiam venientem et nebulam totam terram tegentem. Ite obviam ei et dicite, Nuntia nobis si tu es ipse qui regnaturus es in populo Israel.'' (I look from afar, and behold I see the power of God coming, and a cloud covering the whole earth. Go out to meet him and say, tell us if you are the one who is to reign over the people of Israel.)
1st verse (sung by a boy) ''Quique terrigenae et filii hominum simul in unum dives et pauper'' (Whoever are earth-born, the sons of men, together in one rich and poor)
Partial respond (sung by the choir) ''Ite obviam ei et dicite, Nuntia nobis si tu es ipse qui regnaturus es in populo Israel.'' (Go out to meet him and say, tell us if you are the one who is to reign over the people of Israel.)
2nd verse (sung by a boy) ''Qui regis Israel intende, qui deducis velut ovem Joseph'' (Hear, O shepherd of Israel, who leadest Joseph like a sheep)
Partial respond (sung by the choir) '' Nuntia nobis si tu es ipse qui regnaturus es in populo Israel.'' (Tell us if you are the one who is to reign over the people of Israel.)
3rd verse (sung by a boy) ''Excita Domine potentiam tuam et veni ut salvos facias nos'' (Stir up your power O Lord and come that you may save us)
Partial respond (sung by the choir) ''Qui regnaturus es in populo Israel.'' (O you who are to reign over the people of Israel.)
Half-doxology (sung by all three boys) ''Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto'' (Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost)
Partial respond (sung by the choir) ''In populo Israel.'' (In the people of Israel.)
The three boys then sang ''Aspiciens a longe'' whereupon the choir took up the full respond: ''et ecce video Dei potentian venientem et nebulam totam terram tegentem. Ite obviam ei et dicite, Nuntia nobis si tu es ipse qui regnaturus es in populo Israel.'' (I look from afar, and behold I see the power of God coming, and a cloud covering the whole earth. Go out to meet him and say, tell us if you are the one who is to reign over the people of Israel.)
This responsory, ''Aspiciens a longe,'' has become familiar in the English-speaking world in an arrangement published in the second volume of ''
Carols for Choirs'' edited by
David Willcocks and
John Rutter, where it is given the title "Matin Responsory", and is set to music adapted from a setting by
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina of the ''
Nunc dimittis
The Nunc dimittis (), also known as the Song of Simeon or the Canticle of Simeon, is a canticle taken from the second chapter of the Gospel of Luke, verses 29 through 32. Its Latin name comes from its incipit, the opening words, of the Vulgat ...
'' (free score of the Nunc dimitti
hereon
CPDL) - and not of the ''
Magnificat'' as stated by the editors. The structure of the Willcocks/Rutter arrangement, however, differs somewhat from what is shown above since it does not repeat the refrain after each verse in the traditional English way. For example, in the traditional English form (shown above) after the first verse, the choir sings all the words of the refrain from ''ite obviam ei'' to the end. In the Willcocks/Rutter arrangement, on the other hand, after the first verse the choir sings (in English translation) only the portion of the refrain corresponding to the Latin words ''ite obviam ei et dicite.''
Music
Traditionally responsories are sung in
Gregorian chant. The refrains are free compositions.
The verses are ordinarily sung to standard tones,
though there are exceptions to this.
Polyphonic settings of parts of responsories survive from the Middle Ages.
[Harrison, ''Music in Medieval Britain'' pp. 366-371.] Marc-Antoine Charpentier composed ''19 Repons'' (H 111 - 119, H 126 - 134 and H 144).
Max Reger composed twenty
Responsories for choir a cappella in 1911. The example of the Willcocks/Rutter setting of ''Aspiciens a longe'' shows that multi-voice settings of responsories have continued to be made in modern times also.
Responsories for Holy Week
Responsories for
Holy Week set to music, for instance by
Carlo Gesualdo
Carlo Gesualdo da Venosa ( – 8 September 1613) was Prince of Venosa and Count of Conza. As a composer he is known for writing madrigals and pieces of sacred music that use a chromatic language not heard again until the late 19th century ...
(
Op. 15) and by
Jan Dismas Zelenka (
ZWV
This list of compositions by Jan Dismas Zelenka was indexed in accordance with Wolfgang Reiche's thematic catalogue "Jan Dismas Zelenka: Thematisch-systematisches Verzeichnis der musikalischen Werke (ZWV)", Dresden, 1985. It includes vocal-instrum ...
55):
Maundy Thursday:
#
In monte Oliveti
#
Tristis est anima mea Tristis est anima mea (Sad is my soul) is the Latin phrase with which starts. It is Tristis est anima mea (responsory), the second responsory of the Tenebrae for Maundy Thursday which was often set to music. It may also refer to:
*Movement XI of ...
#
Ecce, vidimus eum
#
Amicus meus
#
Judas mercator pessimus
Tenebrae responsories are the responsories sung following the lessons of Tenebrae, the Matins services of the last three days of Holy Week: Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. Polyphonic settings to replace plainchant have been pu ...
#
Unus ex discipulis meis
Tenebrae responsories are the responsories sung following the lessons of Tenebrae, the Matins services of the last three days of Holy Week: Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. Polyphonic settings to replace plainchant have been pu ...
#
Eram quasi agnus innocens
Tenebrae responsories are the responsories sung following the lessons of Tenebrae, the Matins services of the last three days of Holy Week: Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. Polyphonic settings to replace plainchant have been pu ...
#
Una hora
Tenebrae responsories are the responsories sung following the lessons of Tenebrae, the Matins services of the last three days of Holy Week: Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. Polyphonic settings to replace plainchant have been publis ...
#
Seniores populi
Tenebrae responsories are the responsories sung following the lessons of Tenebrae, the Matins services of the last three days of Holy Week: Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. Polyphonic settings to replace plainchant have been pu ...
Good Friday:
#
Omnes amici mei
Tenebrae responsories are the responsories sung following the lessons of Tenebrae, the Matins services of the last three days of Holy Week: Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. Polyphonic settings to replace plainchant have been pu ...
#
Velum templi scissum est
#
Vinea mea electa
#
Tamquam ad latronem existis
#
Tenebrae factae sunt
#
Animam meam dilectam
#
Tradiderunt me
#
Jesus tradidit impius
#
Caligaverunt oculi mei
Holy Saturday:
#
Sicut ovis
#
Jerusalem surge
#
Plange quasi virgo
Tenebrae responsories are the responsories sung following the lessons of Tenebrae, the Matins services of the last three days of Holy Week: Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. Polyphonic settings to replace plainchant have been pu ...
#
Recessit pastor noster
Tenebrae responsories are the responsories sung following the lessons of Tenebrae, the Matins services of the last three days of Holy Week: Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. Polyphonic settings to replace plainchant have been pu ...
#
O vos omnes
#
Ecce quo modo moritur justus
#
Astiterunt reges terras
#
Aestimatus sum
#
Sepulto Domino
See also
*
Call and response (music)
Notes
References
*''Antiphonale ad usum ecclesiae Sarum, politissimis imaginibus decoratum,'' London, 1519.
*Apel, Willi, ''Gregorian Chant,'' Indiana University Press, Bloomington, 1958.
*Harrison, Frank Lloyd, ''Music in Medieval Britain,'' Routledge and Kegan Paul, London, 1958.
*''Liber Responsorialis pro Festis I Classis et Communi Sanctorum juxta Ritum Monasticum,'' Solesmes, 1895.
Music of the Sarum Office web site at McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
''Temporale: Dominica Prima Adventus''(PDF file).
*"Responsorial Psalmody", in J. A. Fuller-Maitland, ed., ''Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians,'' Macmillan, New York, 1908.
*Rutter, John, and Willcocks, David, eds., ''Carols for Choirs 2,'' Oxford, 1970.
External links
* {{IMSLP2, work=Responsories, cname=Responsories
Catholic liturgy
Latin-language Christian hymns
Christian chants
Christian liturgical music
Liturgy of the Hours