Example 1 — Puer natus est

The entrance chant (introit) of the Mass of Christmas Day. A luminous, welcoming chant, perfect for reading your very first neumes.

Genre: Introit (entrance chant / antiphona ad introitum)
Occasion: Mass of Christmas Day (in die), 25 December
Text: After the prophet Isaiah (Is 9, 6) and psalm 97
Mode: Mode VII (sol mode, called « angelic », bright and soaring)
Style: Rather neumatic : a few notes per syllable
In the Triplex: p. 47

Listen to the chant

Two interpretations, from the monastic style to a hands-on tutorial — ideal for comparison.

Choir of the Monks of Saint-Pierre de Solesmes Abbey

Tutorial : « How to sing the introit Puer natus est ? »

The text and its translation

Latin

English

Puer natus est nobis,
et filius datus est nobis :

A child is born to us,
and a son is given to us ;

cujus imperium super humerum ejus :

sovereignty rests upon his shoulder ;

et vocabitur nomen ejus magni consilii Angelus.

and he shall be called the Messenger of the great design.

What to look at first

Let us start gently, with the first word : Pu-er. It has two syllables, so at least two « packets » of neumes. The beauty of Gregorian chant is that a single syllable can carry several notes. Our job : for each syllable, to spot how many notes there are and which way they move.

Method in 3 steps

1) Find the syllable in the text. 2) In the middle (square notation), count the squares and follow them up and down. 3) Glance above (Laon) and below (St. Gall) : should you press on, settle, lighten ? That is all.

Syllable by syllable (start of the chant)

Pu- : the chant typically takes flight with a rising movement. Look here for a pes (two notes going up) — the voice « takes off ».
-er : the voice settles, often with a clivis (two notes going down) or a small group coming back down to the supporting note.
na-tus : listen to how the word « born » is brought out ; the neumes become more generous here (several notes), underlining the most important word of the sentence.

Reminder — accent and music

In chant the music follows the meaning of the text : important words (Puer, « the child ») often receive more notes or a slight leaning. This is not decorative : it is a way of proclaiming the text.

Seeing the three notations

Puer natus est in square notation in the Graduale Triplex — The introit "Puer natus est" in the *Graduale Triplex* (Solesmes, 1979), p. 47.

Laon, above (the rhythm) Square notation, centre (the notes) St. Gall, below (the gesture)

Key point for this chant

Puer natus est is a neumatic chant : small groups of 2 to 4 notes per syllable. It is the ideal training ground for recognising the pes, the clivis and the torculus without being overwhelmed. The next chant will multiply the notes…

The Graduale Triplex Example 2 : Viderunt omnes