Liturgy 2

The Divine Office

The Divine Office, or the Liturgy of the Hours, constituted the principal activity of the clergy.  Eight times a day the clergy would assemble in the choir stalls to chant the Psalms.  In ancient practice all one hundred and fifty psalms were to be sung each day; this was modified by Dean Jean d'Abbeville c.1220 who assigned each canon around four or five psalms following a schedule displayed in the choir. An individual canon would lead off by chanting the first verse of the psalm and then his colleagues would join him.   The canons of the cathedral sitting in the high stalls were joined by chaplains, choir boys and vicars (often chosen because of their musical skills) and musicians in the lower stalls: on special feast days clergy from the surrounding churches might also participate.   Forming a left choir and a right choir, the gathered clergy might sing the verses antiphonally, alternating verse-by-verse from side to the other.  Special musical performances took place at the central eagle lectern in the choir where small groups might sing polyphonic music.

Eagle Lecturn
Eagle Lecturn