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Bill East wrote:

In the Sarum Calendar, a Simple feast with double Invitatory.

Again, might I enquire how a double Invitatory works? We certainly do not have such things nowadays. Do you sing one and then the other, or are they alternatives? What exactly is meant?

In the current Roman breviary, the "Liturgy of the Hours," the entire portion from "Lord, open my lips" through the Venite with its Antiphons is termed the Invitatory.

However, in the 1911 Roman Breviary, it is the Antiphon on Psalm 95which is called the Invitatory.

This seems to have been copied in the Anglican Breviary. First there is "The Opening Versicles" (V. O Lord, open thou my lips. R. And my mouth shall shew forth they praise. Etc.)  Then the next section says "The opening Psalm with its Invitatory".

The rubric following says:

(N.B. The italicized words in the Psalm are omitted whenever an Invitatory is used which quotes them, as directed in the Rubrics.)

First, after the Opening Versicles, the Invitatory is given out in its complete form by the Cantor, (or Cantors,) and then said in its complete form by the Choir; and next the Psalm is sung by the Cantor, during which he makes a pause, whenever he finishes one of the separate divisions thereof, at which the Choir repeats the Invitatory, either in its complete form or in part, as divided by the star (*), the same being repeated in alternate fashion, as indicated below, and the same thing is done at the very end. That is to say, the Invitatory and Psalm are said thus:
First is said TWICE ENTIRE the Invitatory, and then:

Psalm 95. Venite exsultemus Domino.

O COME, let us sing unto the Lord ; let us heartily rejoice in the strength of our salvation. * Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving ; and shew ourselves glad in him with Psalms.

Here the ENTIRE Invitatory is again said.

For the Lord is a great God ; and a great King above all gods. *
In his hand are all the corners of the earth ; and the strength of the hills is his also.

Here the later HALF of the Invitatory is said.

The sea is his, and he made it ; and his hands prepared the dry land. * Here all genuflect. O come, let us worship and fall down ; and kneel before the Lord our Maker. Here all rise. For he is the Lord our God ; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.

Here the ENTIRE Invitatory is again said.

Todayif  ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts; * as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness ;
when your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works.

Here the later HALF of the Invitatory is said.

Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said,  It is a people that do err in their hearts, for they have not known my ways; *
unto whom I sware in my wrath,  that they should not enter into my rest.

Here the ENTIRE Invitatory is again said. (NOTE, That the following Doxology is OMITTED at certain times, according to the Rubrics.)

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.

Here the later HALF of the Invitatory is said by the choir.
Then the ENTIRE Invitatory is repeated by all.

As soon as the Invitatory is thus concluded, there is said: The Hymn"

The "Invitatory" for "Ordinary Sundays through the year except those in privileged Octaves," which are "After Jan. 13th until Septuagesima; and After Trinity until Nov. 26 inclusive" is:

 Invit. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving: * Let us shew ourselves glad in him with psalms.

Sooo, it looks to me that there are three "uses" of the term "invitatory." I, myself, use the term when I mean just the Psalm 95 canticle. And, I would speak of "the antiphon on the Invitatory" or "the Invitatory antiphon." The same way that I would speak of "the antiphon on Magnificat" or "the Magnificat antiphon."

I can only speculate that the reference from another poster about doubling the invitatory may mean saying the whole antiphon entire in those places where the rubrics call for only the latter half of the antiphon. Unlike the Psalter, the Invitatory Psalm 95 Canticle does have the antiphon at both the beginning and at the end. So, it would not be like the way of employing the antiphon at the beginning of a psalm, unless it is a "double" day, in which the antiphon is employed at the end also. Then there are Doubles of the First Class or of the Second Class.

Then, of course, there is the 'oxymoron' "Semi-Double." However, just now, Semi-Doubles nec nomenitur in nobis.  :))

Sometimes it takes Divine help just to figure out what is to be prayed, in the Office. That must be why we begin it with "Deus, in adjutorium meam intende."  ;)

Cheers,

Terrill ********************************************************************** To join the list, send the message: join medieval-religion YOUR NAME to: [log in to unmask] To send a message to the list, address it to: [log in to unmask] To leave the list, send the message: leave medieval-religion to: [log in to unmask] In order to report problems or to contact the list's owners, write to: [log in to unmask] For further information, visit our web site: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/medieval-religion.html