I didn't anticipate that!

I just worked my way through the rather complicated rubrics governing the occurrence of feast days around Holy Week in the Use of Nidaros, and it transpires that anyone following that august and venerable Use should this year be transferring the Feast of St Magnus, by anticipation, to ... TODAY! Happy Feast!



(In the Roman Rite, the Feast will be transferred to Monday 28 April.)

Nesciens mater

Nesciens mater is the antiphon in honour of the Blessed Virgin that is sung in the Use of Nidaros after Compline, from Christmas until Candlemas. We learnt it last week at the Schola, and I am going to make a recording of it as a practice aid; however, a recording by the Choir of Winchester Cathedral from 2000 has just been re-released. The antiphon is available for download (price: 10 pence), and as it is less than a minute in length, you can actually listen to the whole thing on the website of Hyperion Records.

Recordings: Compline on Tuesday per annum

As a learning aid, I have made some recordings of Compline as we are singing it on Tuesday evenings, following the order of Compline found in the liturgical books of the Use of Nidaros. Click on the respective parts of the Office to play an mp3 file.

Preamble (Jube, Domine, &c.)
Opening verses (Converte nos, &c.)
Antiphon: Miserere mihi
Psalm 4
Psalm 30
Psalm 90
Psalm 133
Antiphon: Miserere mihi (repeated)
Hymn: Te lucis
Chapter (Jeremiah 14.9)
Versicle (Custodi nos, &c.)
Antiphon: Salva nos
Canticle: Nunc dimittis
Antiphon: Salva nos (repeated)
Preces part 1
Preces part 2
Preces part 3
Preces part 4
Prayer: Illumina quaesumus
Benedicamus Domino
Antiphon in honour of our Lady: O florens rosa
Antiphon in honour of St Magnus: O martyr Magne

For the record, the total length of these recordings comes to 21 minutes 30 seconds.