Friday, 20 April 2018

The "Vidi Aquam" And "Aspérges Me".





Tridentine Latin Mass at Saint Nicholas du Chardonnet, Paris, France.
The "Aspérges Me" can be heard at 4.00 on this Video.
Available on YouTube at





The "Vidi Aquam", sung during Paschaltide until Pentecost Sunday
in place of The "Aspérges Me".
Available on YouTube at


and here is the Old Roman Chant version of "Vidi Aquam".


Old Roman Chant from Ensemble Organum (Director of Music: Marcel Peres) 
from the CD "Old Roman Chant: Vespers for Easter Sunday".
It is a bit shorter than the Traditional Form.
Available on YouTube at


and here is what The "Vidi Aquam" replaces during Paschaltide.
On Pentecost Sunday, The "Aspérges Me" returns for the rest of The Liturgical Year.


The "Aspérges Me", sung during the rest of The Liturgical Year outside of Paschaltide.
Available on YouTube at



The following Text is from Wikipedia - the free encylopaedia.

"Vidi Aquam" is the name of an Antiphon, which is sung during The Latin Rite Catholic Mass. It accompanies The Asperges, the ritual at the beginning of Mass where the Celebrant sprinkles the Congregation with Holy Water.

It is sung from The Easter Vigil throughout The Liturgical Season of Eastertide (Paschaltide) until The Feast of Pentecost.


Vidi aquam egredientem de templo, a latere dextro, alleluia:

Et omnes ad quos pervenit aqua ista, salvi facti sunt,
Et dicent: 
alleluia, alleluia.


I saw water flowing out of the Temple,
from its Right side, Alleluia:
And all who came to this water were saved,

And they shall say: Alleluia, Alleluia.



The Text refers to the words of the Prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel 47:1), who saw the waters gushing forth from the Temple as a sanctifying flood that flows through the Earth.

If the sprinkling Rite occurs outside Eastertide, the simpler Antiphon "Asperges Me" replaces The "Vidi Aquam".

"Aspérges Me" is a Latin Antiphon said or sung at a Roman Catholic High Mass in all Seasons except the Easter (Paschal) Season and Palm Sunday. It Traditionally accompanies The Asperges, the ritual sprinkling of the Congregation by the Celebrant with Holy Water, as part of an entrance ritual, symbolising the cleansing of the people. Its words are taken from Psalm 50 (51| (The Miserére).

Asperges me, Domine, hyssopo et mundabor,
Lavabis me, et super nivem dealbabor.
Miserere mei, Deus, secundum magnam misericordiam tuam.

Thou wilt sprinkle me, O Lord, with hyssop
and I shall be cleansed
Thou wilt wash me, and I shall be washed whiter than snow.
Pity me, O God, according to Thy great mercy.




It is followed by the conventional Doxology (except on The First Sunday of Passiontide):


Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto
Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper,
et in saecula saeculorum.
Amen.

Glory be to The Father, and to The Son, and to The Holy Ghost
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
World without end.
Amen.



The Antiphon is then recited a second time.

From Easter until Pentecost, "Aspérges Me" is replaced by the more lengthy and florid Antiphon,
"Vidi Aquam".

Although usually sung to Plain Chant, "Aspérges Me" has been set to music; two well-known examples are those by Gilles Binchois (Bologna, International Museum and Library of Music,

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