1994 Sue V. Moore – French Planh and Planctus of the Eleventh and Twelth Centuries and the Possible Application in Deathbed Vigils.pdf

FRENCHPLANHANDPLANCTUSOFTHEELEVENTH
ANDTWELFTHCENTURIES
ANDTHEIRPOSSIBLEAPPLICATION .INDEATHBEDVIGILS
BySueV.Moore
SubmittedApril28, 1994,inpartialfulfillment
oftherequirements forcertification asaMusic
Thanatologist, ChaliceofReposeProject,
Missoula, Montana
Copyright ©1994SueV.Moore
AllRightsReserved

CONTENTS
Page
Contents ••••• ………ii
Acknowledgements ••iii
FrenchPlanhandPlanctusoftheEleventh and
TwelfthCenturiesandTheirPossible
Application inDeathbedVigils••••••• 1
Appendix A: “Rachel’s Lament”: Sources, Harp-voice
Setting, andEnglishTranslations ••• 22
B: “Fortzchausa es”:
Harp-voice Setting
Sources, and
30
C: “Dolorum solatium”:
Transcription •
Sourcesand
34
Notes 38
Bibliography …… 41
ii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
IamdeeplygratefultoThereseSchroeder-Sheker,
Founder-Director oftheChaliceofReposeProject,forhervision
ofthenewfieldofmusicthanatology and forherdetermination
andsuccessincreatingaprogramtoteachthisremarkable work
toothers. Iappreciate herpointingmeinthedirection of
thefascinating topicofthis paperandherguidinghandin
bringingittofruition.
Theworkcouldnothaveprogressed withouttheableand
goo-humored effortsofmanyothers: Thestaffofthe
Inter-Library LoanOfficeoftheMansfield Libraryofthe
University ofMontanamadepossibletheborrowing ofmaterials
fromlibrariesacrosstheUnitedStates. MyfellowChalice
students, JudithShotwellandLauraBrooks,provided
translations ofFrenchandLatintexts, respectively. German
materials weretranslated bySusanneBauers, ateachingassistant
attheUniversity ofMontana. AnotherChalicecolleague, Cherri
Newton,sharedwritten andrecordedmaterials ofaperformance
oftheSlayingoftheInnocents. Draftswereread, edited,
andenhancedbyfellowstudentsBethCavaliere andS11eHarriss.
FrequentmoralsupportcamefromfellowstudentSr.VivianRipp
andmyanmchara,AnnWillcutt. Helpfulfeedbackonthequalities
andeffectsofthemusicwasofferedbystudentsandteachers
inaclassroompresentation.
IamalsoindebtedtoEdBulick, myfiance, forordering
materials formethroughtheMariettaPublicLibrary, prior
tomyholidaysojourninGeorgia;fornurturingmethrougha
disabling fluattackwhilethere; andforhisenduringourlong
separations asIcompletemyChalicetraining.
iii

FRENCHPLANHANDPLANCTUS OFTHEELEVENTH
ANDTWELFTHCENTURIES
AND THEIRPOSSIBLEAPPLICATION INDEATHBEDVIGILS
bySueV.Moore
The purpose ofthis paperisfourfold: First,toexplore a
genre oflament knownastheplanhorplanctusasitappeared
inFrance inthe11thand12thcenturies; secon, toexamine
four examples ofthe form;thir, tode~cribeguidelines for
assessing musicforpossibleapplication indeathbedvigils
bymusic thanatologists; fourth,toconsidertheappropriateness
ofthese fourpieces,usingtheguidelines.
1.”Lamentatio Rachel,”aplanctusassociated with
the Abbey ofst.MartialatLimoges,11thcentury;
I
I
I
I

Thefollowing exampleswillbediscussed indetail:
2.”Heu,Heu,” aportionofalong”LamentofRachel”
fromtheFleurydrama,TheSlaughteroftheInnocents,
12thcentury;
3.”Fortz chausaes,”aplanhbythe12thcentury
troubadour, GaucelmFaidit.
4.”Dolorumsolatium,” oneofsixplanctuswrittenin
the12thcenturybyPeterAbelar, philosopher,
theologian, poet,andcomposer.
These pieceswereselecedfortworeasons: first,threeof
them were mentioned intheNewGrovesDictionary ofMusicand
Musicians,1 making themthebetterknownandmorereadily
accessible examples ofthegenre;andsecondbecausetheyare
1

2
musically lovelyandinteresting. Sourcesforeachofthefour
piecesandharp-voice settingsforthreeofthem–the “Lament
ofRachel”fromst.Martial, “Heu,Heu” fromthelongLament
ofRachelintheFleurydrama, andthe”Fortz chausaes”–are
provided. Multiplehistorical examplesoftheselamentsare
citedintheAppendices.
Definitions andBackground
Lament,according toNewGroves, is
atermforavarietyofmusical andpoeticformsrelated
toorinspiredbymourningritesforthedeadorforritual
leave-taking••••
Despiteitsimportance asanexampleofmusicandpoetry
producedspontaneously underthe pressureofdeep
emotion,ithasnotbeenstudiedcomprehensively. While
suchastudycouldsaymuchaboutthenatureandpurpose
ofartthelamentisalsoutilitarian: Itserves
firstlyasatechniqueofmourning, toeasethemindof
itsgrief; secondlyasalyricalexpression ofregardfor
thedeadperson;andthirdlyasaritualaidtoreconcile
thedeadtotheirnewconditionandtopersuadethemnot
toreturntotroubletheliving. Beyondanytherapeutic
role,thefunerallamentisapartoftheritesof
transition andincorporation intotheworldofthedead,
takingonaceremonial formthatraisesitfromthelevel
ofameresequenceofcriesofgrief anddespair. Inthis
form, remarkably consistent throughtheagesandacross
theglobe, twokindsofexpression arebalance–the almost
involuntary cryofgrief(whichwill henceforth bereferred
toasthe’planctus’) andthemoreorlessdeliberate framing
ofamessage(the’discourse’). ‘Planctusand’discourse’
maybesaidt2representmomentsofcrisisandorder
respectively.
Theplanctus, according tothe NewGroves, isasongof
lamentation. InFrenchitiscalledaplaintorcomplainte;
inProvencal–the ancientlanguageprevalent inthe12thcentury

3
intheregionofwhatisnowSouthernFrance–it iscalleda
planh.
Asaliteraryandmusicalgenreitwaswidespread inthe
Midle Ages,bothinLatinandinthevernaculars. There
isevidenceofthefollowingtypesofplanctusfromthe
9thcentury(classification fromDronke,1970): (a)
vernacular planctustobesungbywomen;(b)dirgesfor
thedea,especially forroyalandheroicpersonages;
(c)’Germaniccomplaints ofexileandvoyaging’; (d)
ficional,asdistinctfromreal-life, planctusonclassical
orbibilical themes. Fromthe12thcenturyonwards,
(e)dramaticorsemi-dramatic lamentso~theVirginMary
and(f)complaintes d’amourarecornmon.
TheplanhbyGaucelmFaiditlamentsthedeathofKingRichard
theLion-heart, andthusisanexampleofDronke’stype(b),
“dirgesforthedea,especially forroyalandheroic
personages.IIThetwoLamentsofRachel,lamentingtheSlaughter
oftheInnocents, andtheAbelardplanctus,ofDavidlamenting
thedeathsofKingSaulandJonathon, areexamplesofDronke’s
type(d),planctusonclassicalorbiblicalthemes.
TheIILamentatioRachel”andIIHeu,Heu”
“Lamentatio Rachelll andIIHeu,Heu”arelamentsofRachelfor
theSlaughteroftheInnocents, described intheNewTestament
inthebookofMatthew,2:13-18,andforeshadowed intheOld
Testament inthebookofJeremiah, 31:15-17:
ThussaiththeLord;AvoicewasheardinRamah,
lamentation, andbitterweeping;Rachelweepingforher
childrenrefusedtobecomforted forherchildren,because
theywerenot. (KingJamestranslation.)

4
TheNewGrovesdescribes “Lamentatio Rachel”as”adramatic
tropetotheliturgical responsory SubaltareDei.,,4John
Caldwell, inhisbookMedievalMusic,describes atrope:
Atropemaybeapurelymusicaladition, apurelyverbal
adition oracombination ofthetwo,toanexisting
musicorliturgical entity. ItsorigininLatinchant
isver~remote,forwhatisanantiphon (unlessitis
merelyl asingleverseOsthepsalmwithwhichitissung)
butaFropetoapsalm?
Theearliestplanctusforwhichmusicsurvivesareinthe
manuscripts associated withtheAbbeyofst.MartialatLimoges,
France. The”Lamentatio Rachel”isfoundinoneofthese
manuscripts” Bibliotheque Nationale, fondslatin1139(11th-12th
century).6 Inhisbook,HistoiredeIlharmonie aumoyenage,
C.E.H.deCoussemaker saysofthisancientmanuscript that
thereishardlyanyotherasinteresting asit.Hespeaksof
itas”aPharmaCOPOeian whichhadnotbeen
musicalpOinf ofviewpriortohiswork.
Somehavethoughtthatitisofthe10thc.
butthebestjudgesofthismaterialconsideritas
belonging tothe11thc•••• Allthepiecestherein
arenotedinneumssuperimposed bydots,writtenona
linetracedbyadrypointinthethickness ofvellum
•••70neseesherechantsinthelanguageofromane
dloc.
examinedfromthe
Coussemaker providesafacsimileoftheoriginalmusicfrom
ParisBibliotheque Nationale, fondslatin1139,atranscription,
theLatintextanditstranslation inFrerich.8 Aharp-voice
settingandanEnglishtranslation appearinAppendixA.
I

5
Alovelyfragment,whichIcall”Reu,Reu”isfromalong”Lament
ofRachel,”foundinTheSlaughteroftheInnocents, inthe
FleuryPlaybook. Thisplaybookwascompiledinthe13thcentury
inthefamousmonastery ofst.Benoit-sur-Loire atFleury.
Theplaybookcontainstenmusicdramasintheorderofthe
liturgical yearandalsoLentensermons. According toCaldwell,
ThecontentsoftheFleuryplay-book revealtheextent
towhichdramahadpermeated theliturgybythethirteenth
century•
ThefifthandsixthoftheFleurydramasareforthe
Christmas season. TheoriginalChristmasdramaarose
fromatropeindialogueformtotheIntroitofthethird
MassonChristmasDay(‘Puer natusestnobis’), similar
tothatofEaster. Ittoowastransferred toMatinsand
becameOfficiumPastorum. Itcharacteristically begins
withtheangels'”Nolitetimere’ (Luke2:10-12) and”Gloria
inexcelsis’; inthedialoguethequestioners aretwo
midwives. TheFleuryversioniscalledOrdoad
representandum Herodemandisenormously extended. The
adorationoftheshepherds isfollowedbythearrival
ofthemagiatJerusalem, theirencounterwithHero,
theirjourneytoBethlehem (wheretheymeettheshepherds),
theiradoration andofferingofgifts,theirdreamand
theirdeparture ‘peraliamviam’. Thenextiteminthe
manuscript isan[Ordoa]dinterfectionem puerorum,or
MassacreoftheInnocents, includingtheflightintoEgypt
andultimately thereturnoftheHolyFamily. Thisplay
possessesaconvincing emotionalclimaxinRachel’slong
lamentforher9children, interrupted periodically bytwo
consolatrices.
TheNewYorkProMusicaproduction ofthecombinedplaysof
KingHerodandSlaughteroftheInnocentswasfirstpresented
atTheCloisters, TheMetropolitan MuseumofArt,inNewYork
CityinDecember1963.Theintroduction totheperforming
edition,editedbyNoahGreenberg andWilliamL.Smoldon,states:

6
“Theseworkswerewrittentoappealtoapopularaudienceand
wereoriginally performedbythemenandboysofthechoirschool
attachedtothemonasticchurchofFleury.,,10
Aharpsettingofthisfragment,combinedwiththesettingof
the”Lamentatio Rachel,”appearsinAppendixA.
“Fortzchausaes”byGaulcemFaidit
GaucelmFaidit,according toZoltanFalvy,inhisarticle”
“Manuskripte, HerkunftundVerzierung inderTroubadour-Musik,”
wasafavoritetroubadour inhistime. HewasborninUzerches
anddiedinLimousin,buttheactualdatesvaryfromsource
11
tosource;IhavechosenFalvy’sdateof1185to1231.
RecordsindicatethatFaiditiscreditedwithsome62poems.
FalvystatesthatFaidit’s”Fortzchausaes”belongstothe
“highlights oftroubadour poetry.” FalvycitesSandorEckhart
whowrot;ethat”Faiditmayhavewrittenthislamentation in
Esztergom • “Eckhartalsomentionsthepossibility ofa
111t H . 1 t· 12
parae 0aungarlan amenlngsong.
Themelodicstructureof”Fortzchausaes”is:ABCDEFGHI.
Eachlineismelodically different. Thisiscalledaversor
“through-composed” melody. Thenoteaccompanying “Fortzchausa
es”inMedievalMusicstates: “Althoughnolineofthemelody
isrepeatedexactly,restatement oftwo-andthree-note cells

7
doesoccur,givingthepiecethecharacterofacontrolled
” “t” “13lmprOVlsa lone
The~ appearstobeafairlycommonformintroubadour songs
–inacursoryexamination ofentriesintwoanthologies of
troubadour songs,14overathirdofthemelodiesineach
anthology were~. However,thiscouldsimplybetheresult
oftheanthology editorsfindingthethrough-composed songs
moreinteresting andthusover-representing themintheir
anthologies.
RobertS.Briffaultandotherscholarssetforthpersuasive
evidencefortheMoorishoriginsoftroubadour music. Faidit
wasamongthemanytroubadours whovisitedtheSpanishcourts
andseveraltroubadours werespaniards.15 Thisinformation
influenced mysettingofthispiecefortheharp,whichappears
inAppendixB.
“Dolorumsolatium”byPeterAbelard
PeterAbelar, afamousandcontroversial figureof12thcentury
France,isbestknownasaphilosopher, theologian, andlover
ofthealmostequallyfamousandcontroversial Heloise,Abbess
oftheParaclete. Lesswellknownuntilrecentlywerehis
talentsandcontributions aspoetandmusician. Abelardmay
havewrittenthreekindsofmusic: lovesongsforHeloise,
noneofwhichsurvived;hymns,atHeloise’srequest(orcommand)

8
forherconvent,theParaclete; andsixplanctus, whichmay
alsohavebeenwrittenatherurging. Thetextforeachof
thesixplanctusistakenfromaBiblestory. Butunlikemost
ofDronke’stype(d)planctus,Abelard’s areununusalinthat
thetextswerewrittennotasiftheauthorwerelamenting the
famousdeceasedBiblefigure,butratherasifonebiblical
figureislamentingthedeathofothers. (Thisisalsotrue
ofthetwolamentsofRachel.)
LorenzWeinrich, inhisarticle”PeterAbaelardasMusician,”
says:
Abaelard’s songstakeeminently humansituations inthe
OldTestamentandfashionthemanewforthemanofthe
12thcentury. Thethemeswereasstirringthenasthey
aretoday: Jacob’sravisheddaughterbewailsherfate;
Jacob,thefather,tearfully takesleaveofhisyoungest
son,Benjamin,ashedepartsforEgypt;younggirlsmourn
thetragicsacrificeoftheirbeloved; thepeopleofIsrael
shedtearsforthemightySamsonwhogavehislifefor
them;Davidholdswakesforhismurderedsupportef6 Abner,
forKingSaul,andforhisslain friendJonathan.
MichaelHuglostates: “ItistheninthehymnalofParaclete
andinthesixauthenticplanctusthatwediscoverthetrue
talentsofthepoetandmusicianwithwhichPierreAbelardis
endowed.,,17 According toWeinrich,
Abelard’s planctusdeserveasignificant positionin
musicalhistory,fillingthegapbetweentheLatin
liturgical sequenceoutsidetheMassandtheFrenchsecular
lai••••

9
ThepoetAbelar, whoimmersedhimselfinsuchelevating
humanconflicts, inventedsongswithmyriadchangesof
rhythminthrough-composed strophes. Theircolorfulshifts
forma18emarkable contrasttotheuniformity ofthe
hymns.
TheonlyAbelardplanctusforwhichwehaveareliablefull
scoreisNo.VI,”Dolorumsolatium,” David’slamentforKing
SaulandJonathan. Weinrichprovidesafacsimileofonepage
fromMS.Bodl.79andareprintinsquarenumesfromthethree
19
extantsources. Amodernrhythmicarrangement isfoundin
20
PeterDronke’sPoeticIndividuality intheMidle Ages. The
melodyisprovidedinAppendixCofthispaper.
IssuesofPerformance: RhythmandAccompaniment
Modernmusicians facesignificant ambiguity regarding appropriate
rhythmwhenapproaching 11thand12thcenturymusicwith
performance inmind. Whenitwaswrittendown,musiccarried
littleifanyindication oftimevaluesforthenotes. This
istrueofthemusicofthetroubadours aswellasGregorian
chant. Recentscholarsgenerallyagreethattherewas
considerable influenceofIslamiccultureontheartofthe
troubadours. Thishasinformedwrittensettingsandrecordings
ofthepasttwenty-five years.21
Thereisevidencethatharps(aswellastherebecandother
stringedinstruments ofIslamicorigin)wereusedbytroubadours
andtrouveres. Theharpwasthepremiereperforming instrument
22
ofsoloistsintheMidle Ages. CitingJamesMcKinnon, Therese

10
Schroeder-Sheker states, “••• thecanonofrules[oftheRoman
catholicChurch]historically legislated againsttheuseof
instruments withinliturgy.,,23 However,herstudiesconvince
her”thatthecontinental andromanesque harps, insubstance
andsymbol,remainedalivingtradition formanymembersof
religious communities, althoughthiscanonlybeadequately
exploredasanaspectofcontemplative musicology, notCanon
L ,,24
aWe Forexample, someCistercian abbotshadresidence
harpists.
Theharpisusedformusicthanatology deathbedvigilsinpart
becauseofitsrich,mellowtone; theharmonics andvibrations
itcreates; anditshistorical useasaninstrument connected
tocontemplation andinteriorwork. It’svoiceseemsespecially
appropriate fortheinteriorworkofboththedyingpatient
andthecontemplative musicthanatologist playingforthe
patient.
ThePossiblePlaceofLamentintheDelivery
ofPatientServicesinMusiC-Thanatology
Musicthanatology isrootedinpalliative medicine–comfort
andcareofthesoul–when cureofthebodyisnolongerdeemed
possible. Theroleofthedying patient, whoselifeenergy
isebbing, isonlytofinishupdetailsandletgo.Themusic
prescribed inthedeathbedvigilischosentoassistthepatient

11
inunbinding, lettinggoofwhateverisimpedingapeaceful
death. Thepatientisfreetoreceiveanddoesnotinteract.
Inconsidering theappropriateness oflamentsforthedeathbed
vigil,letusconsiderinformation fromNewGroves,cited
earlier. Lamentsareaformofmourningthatcaneasethose
whogrieve: dyingpatients, theirfamilymembers,andtheir
caregivers. Thelamentisalso”apartoftheritesof
transition andincorporation intotheworldofthedea,” from
threeperspectives: thesinger,thepatientleaving,andin
rareexceptions, thatofthesingingpatient.
Inthe20thcenturyWesternworl, wheretheverysubjectof
deathisavoidedandgriefisoftenrepresse, musiccanbe
apowerfulfacilitator forreleasing emotionsandprocessing
unfinished business. Thecapacityofdeathbedmusicvigils
toeffectthisprocessisincreasingly attestedtobynurses
attending patientswhoreceivethisservice. Inaclassroom
dialoguewithChalicestudents,nursesMaryMcCallandRuby
Finchsharedmanyexamplesfromtheirexperience withpatients
inhospiceandnursinghomecare,respectively.25
Instrumental orsunggriefwouldseemtobeasourceofinternal
healingforboththedyingpatientreceivingthemusicandfor
!
familymembersandcaregivers surrounding them.’Letuslook,

12
then,atthefourexamplesofthegenrewhichwereintroduced
above.
TheLamentsofRachel
Thesources,originally monophonic, andmyharp-voice arrangement
ofthecombined”Lamentatio Rachel”and”Heu,Heu”–specifically
preparedfordeath-bedvigils–appear inAppendixA,alongwith
anEnglishtranslation ofthetexts.
Both”Lamentatio Rachel”and”Heu,Heu”arewritteninthe
Mixolydian mode,fromGtoG(inaCtuning). Thisisoneof
thebrighteroftheeightecclesiastical modes,havingonly
oneminorinterval, aminor7th.WilliamFloodpointsoutthat,
contrarytopopularopinion,”manycaoinesanddirgesarein
themajorscale.,,26
Mixolydian ischaracterized asa”strongmode,” perhapsmore
engagingandoutwardthanothers. Ithaslargesteps,providing
space. Mixolydian isalsoknownasthe”trickster,” however,
becauseafterallthemajorstepsonesudenly encounters the
minor7th.27 Usedallopathically (thatis,totreatadisease
oracondition symptomatically) piecesinmixolydian mightbe
offeredtoapatientwithdepression, amoreinwardstate.
Homeopathyically (thatis,givingverysmalldosesofremedies
whichinahealthypersonorinlargedosesproducesymptoms

13
likethoseofthedisease)piecesinthismodemightbeoffered
topatientswhoareagitatedandrestless.
ThemelodicstructureofIILamentatioRachelll isABABABfor
Rachel’sportionandAAAABAfortheangel’spart. Themelodic
structureofIIHeu,Heull isABCCD. Becauseoftherepetitive
linesofthesepieces,theymightalsoserveas”homeopathic
potentized rhythm,todissolve, loosen, andliberate.,,28
BothlamentsofRachelhavehighlydeveloped melodies.
Administered allopathically, melodycan”clarify andcalman
over-extended nervoussystemandalleviatephysical-neurological
pain.,,29
Thesepiecesseemtocontainboththeelementsof”planctus”
(crisis)andIIdiscourse” (order)described inthequotefrom
NewGroves,page2above. Thiscombination mightcreatea
balance, amarriageoftheoppositesofcrisisandorder. If
thispieceweretobeadministered toapatientinavigil
withtwoormoreChaliceworkers,onecouldsingthepartof
Rachelandanotherthepartoftheconsoling angel. Thissort
ofantiphonal offeringwouldfurtherenhancethe
planctus/discourse elements.
Especially ifharmonywereadedtoasetting,thepiece might
beappropriate foradministration allopathically to”stimulate
heartprocesses, repairfragmentation, andre-establish interior

14
relationships whichmayhaverigidified throughexhaustion in
illness.,,30 Orperhapsforfamilymembersexhausted fromcaring
foralovedonethroughalongillness.
Ihavechosentoset”Lamentatio Rachel”andthe”Heu,Heu”
fragmenttogether, startingwith”Lamentatio Rachel,”which
contains Rachel’soutcryfollowedbyanangelconsoling her.
Ihaveplaced”Heu,Heu”nextandendedbyrepeating theangel’s
consoling linesfrom”Lamentatio Rachel.”
Onthiscombined”Rachel’sLament”Irepeatedly employedopen
5ths,6ths,andoctavestopalliategriefallopathically. Larger
intervalsexpan, warm,andbrighten.31
Ihopetofindithelpfultoplaythecombined”Rachel’sLament”
forpatientssufferinglossofmanykindsandfortheirfamily
members. Kindsoflossesadressed mightbethelossofbody
parts,especially ofbreastsinwomen. Ifitisfoundthat
thepieceistooengagingfordyingpatients, itmightbeused
forwomenwhohavehadmiscarriages orotherparentswhose
childrenhavedie,helpingthelivingtogrievetheirlosses.
“FortzChausaes”
AppendixBcontainsalistofsources,themelody,andmy
harp-voice setting(preparedwithasenseofArabicinfluence
initsrhythm)of”FortzChausaes.”

15
Thispiecevacillates betweentheDorianandHypodorian modes,
fromAtoD(inaCtuning),withagravitational pullbetween
twoandthreeminorintervals (m3andm7inDorian; m3, m6,
andm7inHypodorian). Itis,therefore, aminor-sounding mode.
Minorintervals tendtobemoreintimateandcontracted than
majorones,whicharebrighter. Yettome”Fortzchausaes,”
inmusicandtext,seemstobeapublicexpression ofgrief
forapublicfigure. Althoughitiscalledaplanctus, itseems
tocontainmostlydiscourse. ThelamentsofRachel,written
inamajor-sounding mode,seemtobemoreprivateandintimate
expressions ofgrief,bothtextually andmusically, than”Fortz
chausaes.”ThiswouldseemtosupportFlood’scontention,
(citedabove,page12),that”manycaoinesanddirgesarein
themajorscale.”
AtfirstIexperimented withplaying”Frotzchausaes”outof
time,thewaymostdeathbedvigilmusicisplayed. Presented
inthiswaythethrough-composed melodylackslightandmovement.
TakingacuefromBriffault, IchosetouseMaillard’s
Arabic-sounding rhythmicpattern.32 Thisrendersthepiece
moremusically interesting andatthesametimelessappropriate
forthebedsidevigil. Musicoutoftimeisunbinding and
loosening, while rhythmicmusicisbindingandengagingin
life. IfIweretosetthispieceagain,Iwouldcontinueto
playitoutoftime,andletarhythmicpatternemerge. As
settoMaillard’s rhythm,thepiecesoundsalmostprocessional,
eventhoughitisin3/4ratherthanamoreusual2/4or4/4

16
marchtime. Thisadsanotherelementofengagement toits
publicquality.
“Dolorumsolatium”
AppendixCcontainsalistofsourcesandthemelodyfor
“Dolorumsolatium.” ThisAbelardplanctusisthelongestof
thepiecesexaminedhere,withsixdistinctsections. Like
“Portzchausaes,”itseemtolenditselftoameteredsetting,
.t .D k33
as1appearslnrone. Weinrichalsopointstoitsmetered
quality(seequoteabove,p.9).Alsolike”Portzchausaes,”
“Dolorumsolatium”seemsmoreinthenatureofpubliclament.
Becauseofitslengthandmeteredtendency,Ichosenottoset
itatthistime. Sectionsofitmightbeexaminedinthefuture
fortheirqualitiesinrelationtoChalicebedsidevigils,using
theguidelines outlinedbelow.
PromwhatIunderstand oflamentsandprescriptive musicat
thistime,Itwouldappearthattheefficacyoflamentswould
dependmoreontheirmusicalqualities, theskillofthe
musician, thesymptomsofthepatient,andthediseaseprocess
thanonthenatureofthegenreitself.

17
Appropriate MethodsforExploring PotentialAditions
totheChaliceRepertoire
Schroeder-Sheker stressesthenecessity oflivingdeeplywith
musicfordeathbedvigils. Thisisespecially trueforany
piececonsidered foradition totheexisting, proven
repertoire, whichislargelyGregorianchant, severallullabys
in3/4time, andafewJoaBolendaspieces.
Incontemplating thepossibility ofading “Rachel’s Lament”
asIhavesetit,oranynewpiece, totherepertoire, Ibegan
byoutlining guidelines which wouldassistintheprocess
–honoring thetradition, yetbreakingnewground.
Firstandforemost, eachpieceofmusicmustbeanalyzedfrom
aprescriptive basis. Whatareitsqualities? Howdothose
qualities relatetotheprocessofunbinding forthedying?
Playedout-of-time isthemusicbeautiful? Whatmovementdoes
ithave? Whatareitsmelodicqualities? Whatinternal
properties doesitexhibit? Isitenhancedbyrepetition?
Ifapieceappearstohaveunbindingqualities, thenthesecond
processinvolvesinnerwork. HerearequietwaysIlivewith
themusicandmakedecisions gradually:
oLivewiththemelody, outoftime,vocally, andthen
ontheharp.
oPlaythepiecerepeatedly andallowphrasingand
anarrangement toemergegradually

18
oWorkwithintervals inthearrangement.
oMeditateonthepiece,orfragmentsofit.
oPlayandsingthepieceatbedtimeandtakeit
intosleep.
Aftersuchinnerworkisfaralong, thenIre-examine thepiece
foritsprescriptive qualities. Ifitstillseemstohave
potential, Ithenlooktocolleagues fortheirreactionsand
insights:
oPlaythepieceforothermusicthanatologists–student
interns, seniorinterns, andteachers. Whenpossible,
itisinstructive toaskalistenertoliedown
toreceivethemusic, sincewereceivemusicdifferently
whenwellanduprightvs. vulnerable andlyingdown.
oOpenlyelicitfeedbackfromlisteners.
Ifafterthisprocessthepieceisstillconsidered potentially
appropriate forvigilusethenI:
oPlaythepiecefordyingpatientsforwhomthe
musicseemsmostappropriate, basedoninsightsfrom
theforegoingmethods.
oObservepatientscarefully duringvigils,
especially notinganyunexpected physiological responses
thatwouldrenderthepieceinappropriate.
oObtaininformation fromanycaregivers and/orfamily
memberswhomightnoticepossiblepatientresponses and
haveinsightsintotheirpossiblemeaning.
Forexample,inavigilateamofusattended, thepatient
vomitedduringthesilencefollowingapiecefromtheChalice
repertoire whichisinaminorkeyand3/4time. Thenurse
whohadrequested thevigilandknewthepatient’s historyand

19
processwasconvinced thevomitingwasnotanegativeresponse
tothemusicbutratherareleaseofapsychological blockas
wellasthephysicaldisgorging.
Afterdevotingconsiderable timetoassessing anewpieceof
musicforitsvigilpotential, itwouldbealltooeasyto
succumbtobelieving ithaspromisewhetherornotitactually
does. Ifapiecethatwasnotappropriate wereactuallyaded
totherepertoire itcould inteferewiththeunbindingprocess
fordyingpatientsandfurthercloudthemusicthanatologist’s
capacitytoassessotherpiecesforinclusion intherepertoire.
Therefore, ateverystepinthisprocess, onemustguardagainst
beinginvestedintheoutcome. Ifatanypointapieceis
considered inappropriate forvigil work, onecanstillfeel
thatvaluablelessonshavebeenlearnedfromtheprocessabout
whatisandisnotappropriate; andthisinformation caninform
futureeffortstoexamine apiece ofmusicforpossibleinclusion
inthevigilrepertoire.
Onlyaftersuchagradualprocess, with positiveresultsat
eachstep,woulditbeappropriate toadapiecetothevigil
repertoire.
Atthiswriting,myversionof”Rachel’sLament,” withall
currentcolorchanges(seeAppendixA)isatthestageofhaving
beenplayedforothermusicthanatologists affiliated withthe
ChaliceofReposeProject. ThusfarIhavereceivedthe

20
following feedback: “Themusicisprotective andtender,
especially theconsoling angel’s partwhenplayedinthelowest
octaveontheharp.” “Therepetition isrelaxingandvery
comforting.” “Rachel’sportionandtheAngel’sresponseare
likeweavingorbreathing, backandforth, inandGut.”
NowIwillcontinuetolivewiththepiececontemplatively and
engageindialoguewithDirectorThereseSchroeder-Sheker about
ourinsightsandintuitions. Afterthisexamination, ifshe
andIfeelitisappropriate, Iwilloffer”Rachel’s Lament,”
orportionsofit, atadeathbedvigil, observing thepatient
closely, andthendecidingonthe next step.
Conclusions
Basedonmyinitialresearchintolamentsingeneralandthe
fourspecificoneshere, Ihavereachedthefollowingtentative
conclusions:
First, theappropriateness oflamentsforinclusion inthe
Chalicerepertoire dependsmoreonthemusicalqualities
ofthecompositions themselves, theskillofthemusician, the
symptomsofthepatient, andthediseaseprocessthanonthe
natureofthegenre.
Secon, assessing thosemusicalqualitiesmustbeavery
gradualprocess, a)submitting eachpieceofmusictothe
‘

21
prescriptive guidelines IhavelearnedasaChalicestudent
andoutlinedabove;b)doingtheinnerworkoflivingwiththe
musiccomtemplatively; c)obtaining thecollaboration of
colleagues; andd)offeringthemusic, withcarefulobservation,
todyingpatients. Atevery steponemustguard againstbeing
investedintheoutcome.
Third, atthiswriting”Rachel’s Lament” appearstohavepossible
application forvigils: Theconsolingangel’s portion, from
“Lamentatio Rachel,” withitstender, protective qualities–
especially whenplayedinthelowestoctaveofthe harp–seems
toholdthemostpromise. Rachel’s sectionfromthesamesource
mayhaveapplication forpeoplewhoaredyingorgrievingother
losses–for example, parentswhoareatthebedsideofdying
childrenorwomenwhohavelostbreasts. The”Heu, Heu”section
ismoredramaticandengagingandthereforepossiblyleast
applicable fordeathbedvigils.
Ihopetoexploreotherlaments inthefutureasaveryconscious
thanatology focusinordertoassisttheprocessing ofgrief
ofmanykinds, inpatientsandtheirfamilymembers.

APPENDIXA
“Rachel’sLament”: Sources,HarpSetting,
andEnglishTranslations
Theoriginalmusicfor”Lamentatio Rachelislocatedin”Paris
Bibliotheque Nationale, fondslatin1139,pp.32-33. Afacsimile
oftheoriginalandatranscription canbefoundinC.E.H.
deCoussemaker’s Histoiredel’harmonie aumoyenage,plates
12and13,andpagexiv,No.18,respectively. Coussemaker
alsoprovidestheoriginaltextandaFrenchtranslation, page
128.
The”Heu,Heu”fragmentandanEnglishtranslation islocated
inJohnCaldwell’s MedievalMusic,page85.Amodern
transcription oftheRachel’sentirelament,including the”Heu,
Heu”lines,canbefoundinThePlayofHero, performing
edition,pages60-65,editedbyNoahGreenberg andWilliamL.
Smolden. Itcanbeheardonacompactdiscofthesamename.
Thesources,originally monophinic; myharp-voice setting,and
Englishtranslations appearonthefollowingpages.
22

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AnEnglishtranslation of”Lamentatio Rachel”
Rachel:
osweetsons,whomnowIhaveborne,
Once(Iwas)calledmother,anamewhichIhavehel!
OncethroughchildrenIwascalledawomaninlabor;
ButnowIamwretcheddeprivedof(my)children.
Alas! wretchedme!SinceIamabletolive,
Whenbefore(myeyes)Isee(my)childrendestroye,
Andeventorntopieces, somebeheade!
UngodlyHero, filledupwithragingmaess,
Tooprou, destroyedmyyoung.
‘
Angel:
Rachel,donotweepover (your)children;
Youaresadened andyoustrikebreasts!
Donotweep,butratherrejoice,
(inhim) forwhom(your) childrenhavelife
morehappily
Therefor34 rejoice. Thesonofthesupremeeternal
father.
Englishtranslation of”Heu,Heu”
Rachel’soutburstafterthefirstintervention ofconsolers:
Ah! howshallIrejoice, whileIseethesedea~5Iimbs?
ogrief! 0changedjoyoffathersandmothers.
29

APPENDIXB
“FortzChausaes”: SourcesandHarpSetting
Historical examplesof”FortzChausaes”canbefoundinPierre
Bec’sAnthologie destroubadours, page387;inMedievalMusic,
pages64-65,editedbyThomasMarroccoandNicholasSandon;
andarhythmicversioninJeanMaillard’s Anthologie dechants
detroubadours, page18. MarroccoandSandonprovideanEnglish
translation, p.65.
Thesource,originally monophonic, andmyharp-voice setting
appearonthefollowingpages.
30

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33

APPENDIXC
"Dolorum solatium": Sources anda
Transcription
TheoriginalmusicforPeterAbelard's "Dolorumsolatium" appears
inParisBibliotheque Nationale, NAL3126, fol. 88.Afacsimile
oftheopeningappearsinLorenzWeinrich's "PeterAbealard
asMusician–I andII," page478.Weinrichalsoprovides
transcriptions fromParisNAL3126, VaticanCod. Regin. lat.
288, andOxford, MSBodl. 79, pages467-79, including theLatin
textandanEnglishtranslation.
Atranscription appearsonthefollowingpages.
34

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NOTES
1.TheNewGrovesDictionary ofMusicandMusicians, Vol.14,
StanelySadi,ed. (Washington, D.C.: GrovesDictionaries
ofMusic,Inc.,1980),pp.847-48.
2.Ibid.,p.407.
3.Ibid.,p.847.
4.Ibid.
5.JohnCaldwell,MedievalMusic(Bloomington: Indiana
University Press,1978),p.62.
6.ParisBibliotheque Nationale, fondslatin1139,prepared
byBryanGillingham (Ottawa,Canada: TheInstituteofMediaeval
Music,1987),pp.32-33.
7.C.E.H.deCoussemaker, Histoiredel'harmonie aumoyen
age(Paris,1852),p.126.
8.Ibid.,plates12and13;p.xiv,No.18;andp.128.
9.Caldwell, p.84.
10.ThePlayofHero, performing edition,editedbyNoah
Greenberg andWilliamL.Smolden(NewYork: OxfordUniversity
Press,1965),p.vii.
11.ZoltanFalvy,"Manuscripts, Origin,andOrnamentation in
theMusicoftheTroubadours," Studiamusicologica, Vol.XXVII/14
(1985),p.196.
12.Ibid.,p.201.
13.MedievalMusic,editedbyW.ThomasMarroccoandNicholas
Sandon,TheOxfordAnthology ofMusic(London: OxfordUniversity
Press,1977),p.15.
14.Anthologie desTroubadours, PierreBee,withthe
collaboration ofGerardGonfroyandGerardLeVot(UnionGenerale
de'Editions, 1979),andAnthologie dechantsdetroubadours,
editedbyJeanMaillard (Nice: GeorgesDelrieu&Cie,1967).
15.RobertS.Briffault, TheTroubadours (Bloomington: Indiana
University Press,1965).
38

39
16.L.Weinrich, "PeterAbaelardasMusician–I andII,"Musical
Quarterly, Vol.LV/3(1969),pp.304-05.
17.MichelHuglo,"Abelar, poeteetmusicien, Cahiersde
civilisation medievale, France,Vol.XXII/4(October1979),
p.353.
18.Weinrich, p.305.
19.Ibid.,p.307and468-74.
20.P.Dronke,PoeticIndividuality intheMidle Ages: New
Departures inPoetry,1000-1150 (Oxfor, 1970),pp.203-209.
21.SeeMaillard's Anthologie andChansonderTroubadours:
LiederundSpielmusik ausdem12.Jahrhundert, ThomasBinkley
Conductor. Soundrecording, performedbytheStudioderFruhen
MusikonTelefunken intheirseriesDasAlteWerk(SAWT95673).
ProgramnotesinGerman,withEnglishtranslation.
22.Conversation withThereseSchroeder-Sheker, Founder/Director
oftheChaliceofReposeProject,March17,1994,MIssoula,
Montana.
23.JamesMcKinnon, "MusicinEarlyChristianLiterature, in
Cambridge ReadingsintheLiterature ofMusic(NewYork:
Cambridge University Press,1987),citedinTherese
Schroeder-Sheker, "TheAlchemical HarpofMechtildofHackeborn,"
inVoxBenedictina, Vol.VI,#1,Jan.1989(Toronto,Canada),
p.119.
24.Schroeder-Sheker, "TheAlchemical Harp,"p.114.
25.MaryMcCall,nurseforPartnersinHomeHealthHospice
Program,Missoula, Montana;andRubyFinch,nurseforRainbow
Unit,VillageHealthCareCenter,Missoula,Montana,ina
lecture/dialogue sessionentitled"UseofProcessing Musicfor
PatientswithDementia," forChaliceofReposeStudents,February
17,1994,Missoula, Montana.
26.WilliamFloo, HistoryofIrishMusic(1905),p.34.
27.ThereseSchroeder-Sheker, "TheHomeopathic Pictureof
Music,"lecturegiventoChalicestudents,November4,1993,
Missoula, Montana.
28.ThereseSchroeder-Sheker, TheLuminousWoun, forthcoming
book.

40
29.Ibid.
30.Ibid.
31.Ibid.
32.Maillar, p.
33.Dronke,pp.203-209.
34.Translation fromtheLatinbyLauraBrooks,Latinist,
ChaliceofReposeProject.
35.Caldwell, p.85.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Thefollowing sourceshavebeencited:
Anthologie dechantsdetroubadours. JeanMaillard, editor.
Nice: GeorgesDelrieu&Cie,1967.
Anthologie desTroubadours. PierreBec, aveclacollaboration
deGerardGonfroyetdeGerardLeVoteUnionGenerale
de'Editions 1979.
Briffault, RobertS.TheTroubadours. Bloomington: Indiana
University Press,1965.
Caldwell, John. MedievalMusic. Bloomington: Indiana
University Press,1978.
ChansonderTroubadours: LiederundSpielmusikaus dem12
Jahrhundert, ThomasBinkleyConductor. Soundrecording,
performed bytheStudioderFruhenMusikonTelefunken in
theirseriesDasAlteWerk(SAWT95673). Programnotes
inGerman, withEnglishtranslation.
Coussemaker, C.E.H.de. Histoiredel'harmonie aumoyenage
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Dronke,P.PoeticIndividuality intheMidle Ages: New
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Falvy,Zoltan. "Manuscripts, Origin, andOrnamentation inthe
MusicoftheTroubadours" [Manuskripte, Herkunftund
Verzierung inderTroubadour-Musik]. Studiamusicologica,
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Flood, William. HistoryofIrishMusic. 1905.
Huglo,Michel. "Abelard, poeteetmusicien. Cahiersde
civilisation medievale, France. Vol.XXII/4 (October1979)
349-61. Facsimile, musicexamples, bibiliography,
discography. InFrench.
McKinnon, James. "MusicinEarlyChristian Literature, in
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MedievalMusic. Ed.byW.ThomasMarroccoandNicholasSandon.
TheOxfordAnthology ofMusic. London: OxfordUniversity
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41

42
TheNewGrovesDictionary ofMusicandMusicians.
StanleySadieVolume14. Washington, D.C.:
Dictionaries ofMusic,Inc., 1980.
Editedby
Groves
ParisBibliotheque Nationale, fondslatin1139.Preparedby
BryanGillingham. ottawaCanada: TheInstituteofMediaeval
Music,1987.1)Veroffentlichung, 2)Publications of
mediaeval musicalmanusciprts, no. 14.
ThePlayofHerod. NewYorkProMusica, NoahGreenberg,
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disc, MCARecords, Inc., 1991 MCAD10102.
ThePlayofHerod. Performing edition, editedbyNoahGreenberg
andWilliamL.Smoldon. NewYork: OxfordUniversity Press,
1965.
Schroeder-Sheker, Therese. "TheAlchemical HarpofMechtild
ofHackeborn," inVoxBenedictina, VolumeVI, #1, January
1989(Toronto, Canada).
LecturetoChaliceofReposestudents, November
4,1993, st.PatrickHospital, Missoula, Montana.
TheLuminous Wound. Forthcoming book.
Weinrich, L."PeterAbaelardasf.1usician–IandII."Musical
Quarterly, Vol. LV/3(1969), 295, 464.
Thefollowingmaterials havebeenusedasbackground:
Anthologie desTroubadours. JosephAnglade. Paris: E.de
Boccard.
Dronke, P. MedievalLatinandtheRiseoftheEuropean
Love-Lyric. London: OxfordUniversity Press, 1965.
TheMedievalLyric. London: CambridgeUniversity
Press, 1968.
Gilson, Etienne. HeloiseandAbelard. Chicago: HenryRegnery
Company, 1951.
Machabey, A."Lesplanctusde'Abelard: remarques surIe
rythmemusicalduXIIesiecle," Romania'm Lxxxii(1961),
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Robertson, D.W.,Jr. AbelardandHeloise. NewYork: The
DialPress, 1972.