Upcoming Talks on Dominican Chants for Lent

Of interest to our readers on the East coast of the United States, and those who may find themselves there in the upcoming weeks, the Friars Preachers are holding a series of Lenten conferences on various topics in the New York and D.C. areas. Among these, Br. Innocent Smith, an expert on the Order's chant, will discuss some of the propers of the Dominican Use for Compline in Lent. Like many medieval usages, that of the Dominicans had a great deal of variation at Compline for different seasons and feasts; in fact, the medieval usage of the Roman Curia, which became that of the Franciscans and the Breviary of St. Pius V, is very much the oddity in having so few changes to the last hour of the day. Br. Innocent's talk will focus especially on the three Lenten antiphons for the Nunc dimittis: Evigila super nos, aeterne Salvator (for the First and Second weeks of Lent), Media vita (for the Third and Fourth weeks) and O Rex gloriose, (for Passion week and Holy week.) The second of these is particularly well-known to Dominicans from the story that St. Thomas Aquinas could never hear it without being moved to tears; a recording of it by the Dominican students at Blackfriars, Oxford may be heard here.

The schedule for Br. Innocent's talks is as follows; addresses, directions, and a more complete version of the schedule of conferences at each church (in pdf format) are provided with the links below.

March 27, 7:15 pm - Dominican House of Studies, Washington DC. (directions - schedule)
April 2, 7 pm - New York University, St. Joseph Church, New York, NY (directions - schedule)
April 3, 6 pm - Columbia University, St. Paul Chapel, New York, NY (directions - schedule)
April 17, 6:15 pm - St. Philip and James Church, Baltimore, MD (directions - schedule)