Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary: Recent Episodes
Officium Parvum
Recordings of the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary from the 1962 version sung in Latin. Cantare Officium Parvum Beatae Mariae Virginis. littleoffice.brandt.id.au
Thank you Jardin de Dieu for suggesting this post!
Substack is a very helpful platform. I have uploaded the video and it seems to have already made an audio file for the podcast. I hope it appears nicely in your podcast player.
Get full access to Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary at littleoffice.substack.com/subscribe
You may have noticed that I have booklets available on how to sing the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Sadly, I haven’t polished these up for publication. They are still rather inconsistent and at times messy, but they are helpful for pointing you in the right direction. Preparing them for publishing feels like an epic quest beyond my present abilities. While this is a noble goal, maybe a similar yet smaller task might help towards the ultimate end. Maybe I can make a booklet for a smaller Little Office first!
The Little Office of the Immaculate Conception shares some similarities and differences. Like the Divine Office, it is arranged by hours and employs similar versicles and collects. On the whole it has a rather different feel, being based around a hymn instead of the Psalms. If you can pick a hymn tune then the hours are pretty much ready to sing. That is, until you get to the last part.
Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
The last hour of the day is Completorium or Compline. While the large part of the hour follows the same pattern as the other hours, it ends with a new section called The Commendation or Commendatio. This consists of a hymn followed by the response, Deo gratias, then an Antiphon, Versicle and Response closing with a Collect or Prayer.
The first version I recorded only had the hymn of the Commendation, so it was only recently that I began to puzzle over the Antiphon. The other parts can be sung easily with common tunes. Antiphons are little snippets each with their own melody. There are hundreds of them in the Liber Usualis and the Antiphonale Monasticum, but not this particular one.
Haec est virga in qua nec nodus originalis, nec cortex actualis culpae fuit.
This is the rod wherein was neither the knot of original sin, nor the bark of actual sin.
Some research revealed that this particular antiphon can be found in Vespers for the medieval Franciscan feast of the Immaculate Conception, long before the universal feast was established after Our Lady gave her title to St Bernadette at Lourdes. The two manuscripts containing the antiphon date from the 17th and 18th centuries.
A beautifully photographed manuscript clearly gave all the antiphons for this feast. The neumes are intelligible even after hundreds of years. I transcribed this piece into “modern” square notes and added it to Gregobase.
And here is how it sounds:
Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Get full access to Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary at littleoffice.substack.com/subscribe
The Livestream this one is from was not my best recording. I’ll consider re-recording.
For now, this should be listenable. I missed a flat sign in the Antiphon “Rubum quem viderat” and I must have been getting tired going by the mistakes, but this remix is a bit better than it was.
Booklets are at littleoffice.brandt.id.au.
Get full access to Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary at littleoffice.substack.com/subscribe
Another remix from 2021. Here is the original recording.
I’m using the Monastic Tonus in Directum. I don’t think it’s a deal-breaker.
The booklets are still at littleoffice.brandt.id.au.
Get full access to Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary at littleoffice.substack.com/subscribe
This was a fun one to fix. As well as trimming excess audio, I found a wrong note in the Amen of Ave Maris Stella. You can hear the original mistake in this livestream from 2021.
The mistake comes from mentally transposing to make the solfege easier but forgetting to add in a ti-flat (or te). This also crops up in the hymn for Roman Compline for Ferias.
The booklets are at littleoffice.brandt.id.au
Get full access to Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary at littleoffice.substack.com/subscribe
From a recording back in 2021, trimmed back a bit.
Get full access to Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary at littleoffice.substack.com/subscribe
Sacrosanctae et individuae Trinitati, Crucifixi Domini nostri Iesu Christi humanitati, beatissima et gloriosissimae semperque Virginis Mariae fecundae integritati, et omnium Sanctorum universitati sit sempiterna laus, honor, virtus et gloria ab omni creatura, nobisque remissio omnium peccatorum, per infinita saecula saeculorum. Amen.
℣ Beáta víscera Maríæ Vírginis, quæ portavérunt ætérni Pátris Fílium.
℟ Et beáta úbera, quæ lactavérunt Christum Dóminum.
Which can be translated as:
To the most holy and undivided Trinity, to the manhood of our crucified Lord Jesus Christ, to the fruitful virginity of the most blessed and glorious Mary, ever a virgin, to the entire assembly of the saints, be ascribed everlasting praise, honor, power, and glory, by every creature; and to us be granted the remission of all our sins, world without end. ℟ Amen.
℣ Blessed is the Virgin Mary's womb, which bore the Son of the everlasting Father.
℟ And blessed are the breasts which nourished Christ our Lord.
This prayer is usually followed by
-
Pater noster (Our Father)
-
Ave Maria (Hail Mary)
-
Credo in Deum (Apostles’ Creed)
The Benziger Brothers edition of the Little Office in 1915 omits the Apostles’ Creed and adds this note:
To those who shall on their knees recite with devotion the above prayer, Pope Leo X granted indulgence in respect to those shortcomings and faults which they may have committed through human frailty, while saying the Office.
Get full access to Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary at littleoffice.substack.com/subscribe
These prayers are usually said silently before the Office, followed by a silent Hail Mary or Ave Maria.
Get full access to Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary at littleoffice.substack.com/subscribe
I’m struck by how much more elaborate the Christmas office is. In Australia this time of year is hot and I often find myself not keeping up with the Office.
This recording comes from a Livestream from 2021. There I also recorded the prayers before and after the Office. These would be good to have on the podcast in separate episodes so you can add them to your queue as need be.
Get full access to Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary at littleoffice.substack.com/subscribe
One of these books recommended ending a public recitation of the Little Office with the appropriate Marian Antiphon. This is how Compline always ends, but is optional for the other hours.
You could even pray it by itself.
Here are the words:
Alma Redemptóris Mater, quæ pérvia cæliPorta manes, et stella maris, succúrre cadénti,Súrgere qui curat pópulo: tu quæ genuísti,Natúra miránte, tuum sanctum GenitóremVirgo prius ac postérius, Gabriélis ab oreSumens illud Ave, peccatórum miserére.
Kind mother of the Redeemer, who remain the open gate of heaven and the star of the sea: help your falling people who want to rise, you who bore your holy Parent, while nature marveled:a Virgin before and after, receiving that ‘Ave’ from Gabriel’s mouth, have mercy on [us] sinners.
You will notice there are two different collects for this Antiphon - one for Advent and one for Christmas. I have sung the one for Christmas here.
Get full access to Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary at littleoffice.substack.com/subscribe
Nice quiet solo recording of Terce, tidied up a bit from this Livestream in 2021.
In the livestream I finished with the Solemn Marian Antiphon, but I thought I would upload that separately - it’s an optional ending for most of the hours. It’s mandatory for Compline.
Get full access to Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary at littleoffice.substack.com/subscribe
Preparing for Christmas looks different for all different families. Some are shopping, some are cooking, some are decorating. I’m editing audio.
This recording comes from a Livestream from 2021. I’ve edited it down a bit, run the noise reduction and amplify over it so it should be easier to listen to. There’s a bit of bird noise in the background - quite a few magpie calls. This is the Australian magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen). Also our pet budgerigars and wild sulphur crested cockatoos.
Get full access to Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary at littleoffice.substack.com/subscribe
Another one from the 2021 Livestreams. You can watch the original video here.
There is a little bit of coughing. Happily, I’ve reduced it a little and trimmed it a bit.
God bless you!
Get full access to Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary at littleoffice.substack.com/subscribe
This comes from a Livestream I recorded back in 2021.
I have trimmed it a little and applied a noise removal and amplification. The beginning starts with chirps from my pet budgerigars, but they soon settle down.
Get full access to Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary at littleoffice.substack.com/subscribe
Advent seems to be a busy time of year! Here's an hour I have missed recording in the past. The hour of Sext at Midday, which is sometimes called Noon, but shouldn't be confused with None. As always, get your PDF booklets here:
littleoffice.brandt.id.au
In making this recording I did find one note wrong in the old booklets - in the flex for the Little Chapter, so you might like to update your copy.
Get full access to Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary at littleoffice.substack.com/subscribe
Learning these Responsories is probably the trickiest bit of the whole project. I’m not sure about how to sing the oriscuses - they are the punctums shaped a bit like a waving flag. If your choirmaster says to sing them differently, definitely follow your choirmaster.
This part of Matins is good for all Advent, except feasts of Our Lady, which would be the Immaculate Conception (8th December) and Our Lady of Guadalupe (12th December) which is celebrated in the Americas as I understand it. On those feasts, the 2nd Responsory ends with a Gloria Patri and the Te Deum is sung instead of the 3rd Responsory. I have the recording for this, but still need to edit it. Stay tuned!
Get full access to Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary at littleoffice.substack.com/subscribe
More new recordings for Advent.
It seems expedient to divide up the Matins recordings into 3 parts. It makes it easier for me to upload just the parts that need updating for each season.
Also, when listening to the recordings, I can sing the first part while getting ready, then start with the second part when I head off in the car.
I could stitch them together to make all the combinations for the year if the three part thing is too tricky to navigate.
For now, this is the third nocturn with the change in antiphon for Advent.
There are also variations with regard to different versions of the office. Before 1915 there were a few more psalms in Lauds. Before 1962 there were more Kyrie Eleisons and a commemoration of All Saints at Lauds and Vespers.
Get full access to Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary at littleoffice.substack.com/subscribe
Available with visuals at Youtube and soon Rumble and Odysee.
I made this recording in an hotel room - a very unusual setting for me, but beautifully quiet. Helps reinforce the idea that a quiet space away from pet parrots is a very worthwhile goal!
As always, the PDF booklets are at littleoffice.brandt.id.au
I hope to complete a new set of recordings in time for Advent. I’m a bit sidetracked by some very cute tiny copies of the Little Office of the Immaculate Conception that I’d love to make available.
Get full access to Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary at littleoffice.substack.com/subscribe
UPDATE: Video now available on Youtube, Rumble and Odysee.
It has been a while since I posted a video, so I added a poll on Youtube. The results strongly suggested it was time to rerecord the Little Office for Advent. One comment specifically requested Prime. So here it is.
Here are the issues with this recording:
-
background bird noise
-
background traffic noise
-
mistakes in pronunciation - adjuva instead of adjuvat and a “a” instead of “ae” at the end of another word
-
changing key for the closing antiphon - we actually launched into “Maria Virgo Assumpta Est”, the regular antiphon for Terce which is also Mode 8, then sang the correct “Missus Est” but we went up a tone in the process. I tried autotuning it, but it sounded autotuned, so left it as is. Raising the pitch for the closing antiphon happens to be something we often do for Compline as a family, so there you go.
-
We’re singing too fast.
-
We start a bit high - first thing in the morning most voices appreciate a lower pitch. For Mass we usually aim for A as a reciting note and here I did concede to a G, but it could have been a bit lower. The psalms are lower.
You may find other issues and that’s fine.
The thing with the bird noises is that when editing the audio the bird noises are still going on around me. The budgies respond to the bird calls in the recording, making even more bird noise. There was an idea to use the garage, which is partially underground. Maybe next time.
The prime booklet at littleoffice.brandt.id.au has also been updated.
Get full access to Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary at littleoffice.substack.com/subscribe
When I started singing the Little Office, Compline was the first hour I tackled. I made some guesses about how to sing it, going from the way similar things were sung at the time at Maternal Heart of Mary Church, Lewisham.
I didn’t have any reason to go into the details. I just went from the blue Baronius Press books and guessed the rest, resulting in a few habits that subsequent study has proved questionable.
So, now, as far as I know, this is my first recording of Compline where I follow the Roman Antiphonale music.
I went with the Solemn Salve. We usually sing Roman Compline from the Divine Office each night as a family with the Simple Salve, so I like to sing the Solemn Salve when singing the Little Office afterwards by myself. In hindsight, I should have sung both and made two podcasts. Anyway, this is what I have for now!
God bless!
Get full access to Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary at littleoffice.substack.com/subscribe
Here’s the mid-afternoon little hour of the Little Office of Our Lady sung with my son.
This is probably my most overlooked hour of the Little Office. 3pm is a busy time for me. I have a job tutoring schoolkids after school a few days a week, so I’m often driving to the tutoring centre at this time. It is a really nice time to take a break though. Taking the time to slow down and listen to God really helps. Sometimes it’s part way through the prayers that I really start to pray - if that makes sense. In a perfect world you would prepare to pray first.
With these recordings, back on my first podcast platform I added on a little intro recording. It comes in handy for adjusting the volume. Some podcasts use music. I’m thinking maybe I should make something like that, maybe using the prayers before the Office, or just an Ave Maria.
Get full access to Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary at littleoffice.substack.com/subscribe
I’ll post this, lightly edited, as I think it’s an improvement on the previous Vespers per annum recording.
I’ve included the commemoration of All Saints as in the 1915 Benziger Brothers edition. I think I should have shortened the end of the collect before that, but the extra prayers are probably still good. Just letting you know that I’m aware of it.
Get full access to Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary at littleoffice.substack.com/subscribe
I’m doing some re-recording to fit better into my short car trips.
Booklets and more information available at:
littleoffice.brandt.id.au
Get full access to Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary at littleoffice.substack.com/subscribe
I’m posting Matins in parts so that I can line up the matching three parts each day to listen to on a walk or drive. You’ll need three thirds for the full Matins.
-
1st third: Invitatory and Hymn
-
2nd third: three Psalms
-
3rd third: Lessons and Responsories
Get full access to Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary at littleoffice.substack.com/subscribe
Here are the Psalms for Nocturn 3, which is sung on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
I’m posting Matins in parts so that I can line up the matching three parts each day to listen to on a walk or drive. You’ll need three thirds for the full Matins.
-
1st third: Invitatory and Hymn
-
2nd third: three Psalms
-
3rd third: Lessons and Responsories
Get full access to Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary at littleoffice.substack.com/subscribe
Here are the Psalms for Nocturn 2, which is sung on Tuesdays and Fridays.
I’m posting Matins in parts so that I can line up the matching three parts each day to listen to on a walk or drive. You’ll need three thirds for the full Matins.
-
1st third: Invitatory and Hymn
-
2nd third: three Psalms
-
3rd third: Lessons and Responsories
Get full access to Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary at littleoffice.substack.com/subscribe
This one includes the closing prayers in case you’re not ready to proceeed to Lauds. If you are ready for Lauds, I have an old recording here.
I’ve made another recording trimming off the closing collect, and I will publish that soon!
Get full access to Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary at littleoffice.substack.com/subscribe
Here are the Psalms for Nocturn 1, which is sung on Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays. Pre-luminous Rosary fans will notice the parallel with the days for the different mysteries.
I’m posting Matins in parts so that I can line up the matching three parts each day to listen to on a walk or drive. You’ll need three thirds for the full Matins.
-
1st third: Invitatory and Hymn
-
2nd third: three Psalms
-
3rd third: Lessons and Responsories
I use Antennapod to listen to podcasts and these recordings.
God bless you!
Get full access to Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary at littleoffice.substack.com/subscribe
I’m giving myself a reason to improve the podcast and booklets by resolving to sing the Little Office for the length of the Dormition Fast, from 1-14 August, ready for the feast of the Assumption.
I have a little bit of commuting each week, so it’s handy to have clear recordings, and my trips are short, so the pace will be a bit on the quick side.
I’ve divided Matins into three parts:
-
Domine, labia mea aperies… Invitatory and Hymn
-
The Psalms or Nocturn
-
The lessons and responsories and Te Deum
Right now I’ve just recorded the parts for most of the year. The first part doesn’t vary much - I just need to change the Alleluia to a Laus tibi Domine and it will cover the whole year!
The Nocturns are pretty standard. Only the third Nocturn has a variation for Advent and the Annunciation.
The last part changes for Septuagesima/Lent and Advent, and that will take a bit more practice, as they have elaborate responsories and I will need to practise them some more!
This is my first time uploading a podcast via Substack, so please bear with me while I figure out the ropes. Hopefully I will also make Youtube versions - maybe premixed. My podcast app (Antennapod) makes it easy to line up a playlist. Youtube might not be quite so easy - though it does have a playlist feature.
Let me know what you think!
And may God bless you!
Get full access to Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary at littleoffice.substack.com/subscribe
A fairly quick sing through so that I can listen to the whole of vespers on my drive home from work.
Here's the booklet I sang from:
https://littleoffice.brandt.id.au/2023/04/10/easter-booklet/
For general information on the Little Office see:
https://littleoffice.brandt.id.au/
I'm incorporating 1915 features.
Get full access to Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary at littleoffice.substack.com/subscribe
The Dominicans have their own books. Here I sing from a book of chant for third order Nuns of the Order of Preachers.
More info here: https://littleoffice.brandt.id.au/2022/03/04/dominican-little-office/
The Dominicans have their own books. Here I sing from a book of chant for third order Nuns of the Order of Preachers.
More info here: https://littleoffice.brandt.id.au/2022/03/04/dominican-little-office/
The Dominican's have their own books.
Read more here: https://littleoffice.brandt.id.au/2022/03/04/dominican-little-office/
Somehow I don't think I'm going to have the complete set of sung Advent hours by Christmas, but Lauds and Vespers and Compline makes a good set.
As always, get your booklets here: https://littleoffice.brandt.id.au
Happy Advent!
Tidying up the collection of recordings of the Little Office of Our Lady, especially sung according to the Antiphonale Romanum and maybe other rites too.
https://littleoffice.brandt.id.au/
Tidying up the collection of recordings of the Little Office of Our Lady, especially sung according to the Antiphonale Romanum and maybe other rites too.
https://littleoffice.brandt.id.au/
I think this is the last of the Spoken series.
https://www.lobvm.com/hours/roman/1962/office-1/la-en/matins/
More on the Little Office at:
littleoffice.brandt.id.au
Here's the website I used for the words: https://www.lobvm.com/hours/roman/1962/office-1/la-en/lauds/
If you're on a mobile phone, click "Settings" to pick Latin if you like.
The Little Office is designed to be sung. Speaking through the words first helps you get the hang of the pronunciation. It's like learning to walk before you run. I have more videos on singing the Little Office.
See: https://littleoffice.brandt.id.au for more details.
Here's the website I used for the words: https://www.lobvm.com/hours/roman/1962/office-1/la-en/vespers/
If you're on a mobile phone, click "Settings" to pick Latin if you like.
The Little Office is designed to be sung. Speaking through the words first helps you get the hang of the pronunciation. It's like learning to walk before you run. I have more videos on singing the Little Office.
See: https://littleoffice.brandt.id.au for more details.
This recording completes the collection of recordings for the Little Office outside Easter, Septuagesima, Advent and Christmas. Still a long way to go, but it's a start!
More info, as always, see littleoffice.brandt.id.au
Matins with some budgie noises - I'm reusing bits, so you may notice striking similarities with the other Matins recordings. Plus I am editing to take out most slip ups, to make it easier to sing along with, but I thought I'd better go on the record as admitting that I make more mistakes in real life than appear on these recordings.
More info, as always, see littleoffice.brandt.id.au
This is a recording of Matins for Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays for most of the year.
I've started using these recordings myself, so now I have more incentive to get them all polished up and completed.
More info, as always, see littleoffice.brandt.id.au
This is just the Terce recording without my little intro talk. This way it should be accessible as an mp3 and easier for people to link to.
God bless,
Veronica
I finish with the Solemn Salve Regina - it's optional but encouraged to finish a publicly recited hour with the Marian Antiphon.
The video is on YouTube and Rumble.
More information: littleoffice.brandt.id.au
The Marian Antiphon for most of the year - from Trinity Sunday through to just before the 1st Sunday of Advent.
In English this is known as Hail Holy Queen.
Some say the Solemn Tone is for feast days and Sundays. I've also heard the Solemn Tone is the proper one and the Simple Tone is a concession for those who need to take it easy. Go with what your superior says and if you're not under a superior, then it's your call which one you sing.
More information: littleoffice.brandt.id.au
It's been a while since I recorded Vespers. Hopefully I'll get more practice and more fluent at it.
I use the simpler version of the Ave Maris Stella for this one and the solemn tone for the Magnificat.
More information: littleoffice.brandt.id.au
None from the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The ninth hour, or mid-afternoon.
More info at littleoffice.brandt.id.au
The 6th hour, or Midday prayer from the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
More information: littleoffice.brandt.id.au
A recording made during Easter, but there are no Easter variations in Prime, so this one is good for all year outside Advent, Christmas and Septuagesima.
More information: littleoffice.brandt.id.au
The Marian Antiphon for most of the year - from Trinity Sunday through to just before the 1st Sunday of Advent.
In English this is known as Hail Holy Queen.
More information: littleoffice.brandt.id.au
This is Terce for most of the year.
I'm working on a system of coded titles to cover all the different variations in the Office.
More info : littleoffice.brandt.id.au
The Marian Antiphon for Easter - starting Easter Sunday and finishing Pentecost Saturday.
littleoffice.brandt.id.au