with good expression, and when the accented note is reached, the first note of the chant, as written, is taken in strict time, the vertical lines corresponding to the bars in music. Each measure has two beats. Whenever three or more syllables have to be sung against the two half-notes often filling a measure, the measure must be divided so as to accommodate the increase of syllables. When three syllables are in a measure, it is an invariable custom to put a period after the first, or first two of them, thus:
"And to re | member • His | holy | covenant"
to show where the half-measure is. In this case, the two half-notes
being sung
the counter-effect is often marked
If there is no syllable after the accented note, it is held for two whole beats.
Benedictus:
![\relative e' { \key e \major \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f e1_\markup \left-align \tiny {[Lord: 2 beats] } | fis2 a | gis4 gis gis2 \bar ".." }
\addlyrics { "1. Blessed be the Lórd" God of Is -- ra -- el. }](http://upload.wikimedia.org/score/c/8/c8hozihagnxlp0tk60fc8yte09qqvoc/c8hoziha.png)
The length of accented note when other words or syllables follow it, is often left to discretion.
| Might be taken: |  |
 | |
 | |
 |
