Historic (partial) recording of Sunday Vespers at St. Edmund's College

A friend of long standing, Mr. Alan Robinson, alerted me to an historically interesting 1937 recording of Sunday Vespers on YouTube from St. Edmund's College, Ware. The recording is reproduced from 78rpm vinyl and consists of part of Vespers, a sermon and Benediction.

Although, unfortunately, the psalmody is absent from the recording - it begins with the chapter Benedictus Deus - the recording is interesting as it has two commemorations sung after the collect of the ninth Sunday after Pentecost. This may be of practical use as an example for those migrating to the old rite from the 'EF' etc.

Following the Office hymn, versicle and its response the intonation of the antiphon on the Magnificat is missing and the recording jumps to the Doxology at the end of the canticle and then the chanting, in full, of the Magnificat antiphon:

Scriptum est enim: Quia domus mea domus oratiónis est cunctis géntibus; vos autem fecístis illam spelúncam latrónum. Et erat cotídie docens in templo.

The celebrant then chants the collect of the Sunday with its conclusion:

Páteant aures misericórdiæ tuæ, Dómine, précibus supplicántium: et, ut peténtibus desideráta concédas; fac eos, quæ tibi sunt plácita, postuláre. Per Dóminum nostrum Iesum Christum, Fílium tuum: qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitáte Spíritus Sancti Deus, per ómnia sǽcula sæculórum. Amen.

Then the antiphon for the first commemoration, of St. Vincent – being the feast observed the following day, is sung followed by its versicle and response (in the simple tone):

Similabo eum viro sapienti, qui ædificávit domum suam supra petram.

V. Amávit eum Dóminus, et ornávit eum.
R.Stolam glóriæ índuit eum.


The celebrant then chants Oremus followed by the collect for St. Vincent but without a conclusion:

Deus, qui, ad evangelizándum paupéribus et ecclesiástici órdinis decórem promovéndum, beátum Vincéntium apostólica virtúte roborásti: præsta, quǽsumus; ut, cujus pia mérita venerámur, virtútum quoque instruámur exémplis.

Then the commemoration of St. Camillus is made:

Hic vir despíciens mundum et terréna, triúmphans, divítias cælo cóndidit ore, manu.

V. Justum dedúxit Dóminus per vias rectas.
R. Et osténdit illi regnum Dei.

Then, again, Orémus but as this is the last commemoration (the Suffrage is omitted as there are concurring and occurring double feasts) the collect is sung with a conclusion:

Deus, qui sanctum Camíllum, ad animárum in extrémo agóne luctántium subsídium, singulári caritátis prærogatíva decorásti: ejus, quǽsumus, méritis, spíritum nobis tuæ dilectiónis infúnde; ut in hora éxitus nostri hostem víncere, et ad cæléstem mereámur corónam perveníre. Per Dóminum nostrum Jesum Christum, Fílium tuum: qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitáte Spíritus Sancti Deus, per ómnia sǽcula sæculórum. R. Amen.

Today is the Patronal festival of St. Edmund's College so a blessed feast to all its present members and its Old Edmundians.