A canticle (from the Latin canticulum, a diminutive of canticum, "song") is a hymn, psalm or other song of praise taken from biblical or holy texts other than the Psalms.
The Liturgy of the Hours uses one canticle from the Old Testament each day at Lauds, "each weekday of the four-week cycle [has] its own proper canticle and on Sunday the two sections of the Canticle of the Three Children may be alternated". The liturgy prior to the reform after the II Vatican Council used fourteen Old Testament canticles, having two weekly cycles. Prior to the 1911 reforms, a single cycle of seven canticles was used.
At Vespers according to the Liturgy of the Hours, a canticle from the New Testament is used. These follow a weekly cycle, with some exceptions.
Additionally, the following Canticles from the Gospel of Luke (also called Evangelical Canticles) occur each day:
In the Church of England, Morning and Evening Prayer according to the Book of Common Prayer makes extensive use of canticles. There are 21 different canticles listed and are recommended for use at various times including the below.
In the Eastern Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Churches there are nine Biblical Canticles (or Odes) that are chanted at Matins. These form the basis of the Canon, a major component of Matins.
The nine Canticles are as follows:
Originally, these Canticles were chanted in their entirety every day, with a short refrain inserted between each verse. Eventually, short verses (troparia) were composed to replace these refrains, a process traditionally inaugurated by Saint Andrew of Crete. Gradually over the centuries, the verses of the Biblical Canticles were omitted (except for the Magnificat) and only the composed troparia were read, linked to the original canticles by an Irmos. During Great Lent however, the original Biblical Canticles are still read.