ABSTRACT
Responsories are the most elaborate type of song one could witness in the execution of the Divine Office. The traditional responsories stipulated in the service of Matins in both the Office for the Virgin and the Office of the Dead are reviewed. These chants followed individual lections and represented an ecstatic musical outpouring given in response to the word of God. Florid melodies infused responsories and their attendant verses, each part duly delineated in books of hours. This chapter demonstrates that scribes treated the customary vocal repetitions embedded in responsories with care, fulfilling liturgical prescriptions while remaining attentive to the user’s experience with the page. Among the responsories, Libera me Domine from the Office of the Dead is scrutinized for its unconventional appearance and performance tradition.
