Page 18 - Music for Common Worship Compline

Note to this edition
The Plainsong and Medieval Music Society’s edition of Compline first appeared in 1929. It was edited, though without attribution, by J. H.Arnold.The publication was contro- versial: it used a form of service that was not authorized for use in the Church of England, but which followed the order of the rejected Book of Common Prayer, 1928. At the time the Society was threatened with legal action by the Church Commissioners for allegedly breaching Crown copyright.
In the event, J. H.Arnold’s plainsong setting of Compline in English has become firmly fixed in the Anglican tradition, and remains the best loved and most valued of the sung office services based on medieval chant. Part of its attraction is the stability of form, text and chant.
This new edition is uncontroversial: it is published at the request of the Liturgical Commission of the Church of England.The text is that of Night Prayer (Compline) in Traditional Language published in Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the Church of England. This follows the order of the contemporary language Common Worship service, but includes all of the 1928 texts. There are three minor additions: the psalm antiphon has been retained from Arnold’s edition for optional use, together with the ‘Amen’ at the end of the hymn; and there is an additional collect for use on Sundays and in Eastertide (which uses the original text of that provided in Common Worship: Daily Prayer).
The musical text is that of J. H.Arnold’s original edition.There are some additions: the ferialhymnmelody,theEastertideresponsory(basedontheRomanmelody),andchants for the additional versicles and responses. The pointing of the psalms is almost unchanged, though the presentation of that pointing is simplified. Rubrics from the Common Worship text are in red italic; additional rubrics are in black italic. Dialogue between the minister and the people is distinguished by the use of normal and bold type.
Neither the psalms nor the Gospel canticle are printed in bold.The verses may be sung in alternation (cantor(s) then people), or antiphonally side by side. In the psalmody, the intonation is sung only at the beginning of the first verse of each psalm; the first half of this verse may be sung by the cantor(s). In other places, a sign (†) indicates the opening sung by the cantor(s).
The Royal School of Church Music has prepared a plainsong version of Night Prayer (Compline) which sets the contemporary language texts found in Common Worship: Daily Prayer, including seasonal psalms, readings and prayers, as well as additional hymns.
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