Cathedral Rite vs. Monastic Rite

[Elisha]

Here is a question for you experts:

What is Cathedral Rite vs Monastic Rite?  Does this have to do with NOT doing the psalm verses during the first two Antiphons or is it whether or not the first two antiphons are "Through the Prayers..." & "O Son of God..." vs "Bless the Lord..." & "Praise the Lord..." (this being, for non-feast day Sundays of course)?  I'm guessing it is the latter and NOT doing the psalm verses is more (in my cynical mind) laziness.

I split this topic off of the question about Soul Saturday since this was taking over that discussion - Arimethea, Liturgy Section Moderator

[arimethea]

What is Cathedral Rite vs Monastic Rite?  Does this have to do with NOT doing the psalm verses during the first two Antiphons or is it whether or not the first two antiphons are "Through the Prayers..." & "O Son of God..." vs "Bless the Lord..." & "Praise the Lord..." (this being, for non-feast day Sundays of course)?  I'm guessing it is the latter and NOT doing the psalm verses is more (in my cynical mind) laziness.

The Cathedral Rite died when Constantinople fell. The Cathedral Rite required large multiple choirs and many deacons in order to be done properly.

Our modern practice is based totally on the Monastic Rite. Even the antiphons on "Through the prayers..." and "O Son of God..." are monastic rite for Festal Liturgies that has become the regular usage is Greek influenced parishes.

The Cathedral Practice of Antiphonal singing was adopted and preserved in the later Monastic Practice. My comment about Michael Farrow inventing the Psalm verses is based on the fact then when the antiphonal singing took place it was with an entire psalm rather then a few select verses. These Antiphons as used in the Cathedral Rite were processional pieces to usher the people into the churches so the full psalm with a refrain was needed to get everyone into such places as Agia Sophia.

[Deacon Lance]

"The Cathedral Rite died when Constantinople fell. The Cathedral Rite required large multiple choirs and many deacons in order to be done properly."

Actually the Cathedral Rite was still serve in the Cathedral of Thessalonika in St. Simeon the Theologian's time. Doctor Alexander Lingas in his article: 'Festal Cathedral Vespers in Late Byzantium', Orientalia Christiana Periodica 63 (1997): 421-455, debunked the theory that the Cathedral Rite was difficult to execute. See also: http://www.analogion.com/CathedralRite.html

"Our modern practice is based totally on the Monastic Rite. Even the antiphons on "Through the prayers..." and "O Son of God..." are monastic rite for Festal Liturgies that has become the regular usage is Greek influenced parishes."

Again the Antiphons were taken directly from the Cathedral Rite where they were used both at Vespers and Liturgy and were called the Little Antiphons precisely because they only used 4 verses of 3 Psalms.

The format was:
Little Litany
Prayer
Pslam 114 4 verses with response: Through the prayers of the Theotokos…
Little Litany   
Prayer
Psalm 115 4 verses with response: O Son of God Risen from the Dead…
Hymn of the Only Begotten Son
Little Litany
Prayer 116 4 verses with response: The Trisagion


The Psalm verses disappeared from the Trisagion and Pslams 114 and 115 were replaced with Pslams 65 and 66 for Sundays and 91 and 92 for Weekdays and selected Psalms for Feasts of Our Lord. The Carpatho-Rusyns still normally use Pslams 65 and 66 on Sundays. The Typical Psalms and Beatitudes are an importation from the Monastic Typika service.

Fr. Deacon Lance

[Deacon Lance]

An outline of the Cathedral Services:

Cathedral Vespers

Blessing
Great Litany (Synapte)
Prayer
Psalm 85 with R. Glory to you O God
Little Litany
Prayer
Psalm 67 vs1 with R. Alleluia
Psalm 140 with R. Glory to your life-giving Resurrection (entrance made at vs 8 )
Stichera
Prokimen
Fervent Litany (Ektene)
The Little Antiphons (just like at Liturgy)
   Little Litany
   Prayer
   Pslam 114 4vs with R. Through the prayers of the Theotokos…
   Little Litany   
   Prayer
   Psalm 115 4vs with R. O Son of God Risen from the Dead…
   Only Begotten Son
   Little Litany
   Prayer 116 4vs with R. Trisagion
Litany of Supplication (Aiteseis)
Prayer
Prayer of Bowed Heads
Aposticha
Lite
Troparia
Dismissal

Cathedral Matins

Blessing
Litany of Peace
Prayer
Psalms 3, 62, 133 with R. Glory to you O God
Little Litany
Prayer
Psalm 118 vs 1-72 with Alleluia
Little Litany
Prayer
Psalm 118 vs 73-131 with R. Give me understanding O Lord
Little Litany
Prayer
Psalm 118 vs 132-176 with Alleluia
Canticle of Three Youths (Cross with three candles placed on ambon and entrance)
Psalm 50
Resurrection Troparion
Psalms 148, 149, 150
Stichera
Eothinon
Troparion: You are truly blessed, O Virgin Theotokos…
Canticle of Zachary with Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
Canticle of the Theotokos
Great Doxology
Troparion: Today Salvation has come to the world… or You came forth from death…
Prokimen: Arise then O Lord lift up your hand…
Gospel of the Resurrection
Litany
Dismissal
   

[arimethea]

Actually the Cathedral Rite was still serve in the Cathedral of Thessalonika in St. Simeon the Theologian's time. Doctor Alexander Lingas in his article: 'Festal Cathedral Vespers in Late Byzantium'...

Again the Antiphons were taken directly from the Cathedral Rite where they were used both at Vespers and Liturgy and were called the Little Antiphons precisely because they only used 4 verses of 3 Psalms.

Dr. Lingas has his agenda and therefore makes some leaps that have been criticized by those who actually study Liturgical development vs. musical development where Dr. Lingas true talents are.

The Little Antiphons developed during the transitional period from the Constantinople period to the post Constantinople period. It is no surprise that Simeon the New Theologian was serving Cathedral Rite practices in Thessaloniki since this would have been during start of 1000AD some 400 years before the practice had totally fallen out of use. It is late enough where some of the monastic practices had crept into the Cathedral Rite. After the Iconoclastic period the Cathedral and Monastic practices started a flip flop on some of their aspects. They key thing to remember is that by this point every major city had its own unique practice.

[Deacon Lance]

What do Dr. Lingas' critics find wrong with his assertations?

As to the mixing of Rites, yes it was in fact St. Simeon who introduced the Monastic practice of singing of Canons into Cathedral Matins because the people liked them. He also reduced the psalmody because the people grumbled the services were too long.

Fr. Deacon Lance   

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