Lauds

I suppose all the work "paid off."
No, I don't mean the experience was particularly prayerful (what a concept! a prayerful Morning Prayer!) but participation was enthusiastic; most of the people caught on to the "patterns," and to the need to listen, follow, blend and maintain a regular pace, quickly, (not, alas, the presiding priest); the lay-out and appearance of the booklets was much admired; and TPTB announced themselves very happy.

I made a perfect hash of the pointing for the OT canticle and the second psalm, I'm not sure why.
Did I do them late at night?
Was I on crack?
Did I type out all the odd italics and CAPITALS and syl-la-ble breaks with the wrong tone in my head?

Did the computer, (or my fingers on the keyboard,) betray me? (it does happen, you know... in the nick of time, as I was about to run off 100 copies and the "special" paper for the outer sheet, of which I had just enough, I noticed that at all the reiterations of the antiphon for the Invitatory, the page read, simply "v." (What my pinkie was feeble on the "Ctrl" key?)

And of course, I missed re-typing an all caps "LORD" for Adonai to "Lord,", or two or three -- that wrought a certain confusion among people who had gotten into the "you change pitch when you get to an all caps words" groove.

The hymn was strongly sung, though I may have, in misplaced charity, begun in too low a key.

I will say, the "immersion" in the actual words of the psalms when done to a tone simple enough to require no attention from the singers after the first verse or two is a very powerful experience.

I had encountered it at Mundelein, and at St Meinrad's; at St John Cantius when I finally caught on, even sometimes when singing LotH by myself -- but I did not expect it this morning, distracted as I was by my "responsibility" for the innovations ("But we never did it that way before!")

I was joyfully surprised.

Tomorrow will be better.