The Liturgical Designation of a musical setting refers to the function or place of that hymn in the scheme of liturgical services. Sometimes, the Liturgical Designation will serve to distinguish between two hymns that may begin with identical Liturgical Text Incipits, e.g., the Liturgical Designation of "Bless the Lord, O my soul" may either be the "Introductory Psalm at Vespers" or the "First Typical Antiphon at Liturgy."
The Liturgical Designation is also a useful way to search for hymns that may be known by a number of different translations. For example, the text of the Evening Hymn at Vespers has been variously translated as "Gladsome Light," "Joyful Light," "Gentle Light," "Serene Light," "Quiet Light," etc. Searching by the Liturgical Designation "Evening Hymn" would find all occurrences of this hymn in the database, regardless of the translation.
In order to facilitate searches in this category, a drop-down menu has been provided.