The “Vidi Aquam” And “Aspérges Me”.

Mass at the Church of Saint Nicholas

du Chardonnet, Paris, France.

The "Aspérges Me" can be heard at 4.00 on this Video.

Available on YouTube at

YOU TUBE

"Vidi Aquam" is sung during Paschaltide

until Pentecost Sunday, in place of  "Aspérges Me".

Available on YouTube at

YOU TUBE

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

Old Roman Chant from Ensemble Organum

(Director of Music: Marcel Peres).

From "Old Roman Chant: Vespers for Easter Sunday".

It is a bit shorter than The Traditional Form.

Available on YouTube at

YOU TUBE

and here is what "Vidi Aquam" replaces during Paschaltide.

On Pentecost Sunday, "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

YOU TUBE

The following Text is from Wikipedia - the free encyclopædia.

“Vidi Aquam” is the name of an Antiphon, which is sung during the Latin Rite Catholic Mass. It accompanies the Aspérges, the ritual at the beginning of Mass when 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 “Aspérges 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).

Aspérges 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 sæcula sæculorum.

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, Ms Q15) and Tomás Luis de Victoria.