Triduum Music

Holy Thursday--2008

Processional: Then Let us Glory in the Cross (Tietze--OLD 100th)

Kyrie: chant

Gloria: Community Mass

(Organ turned off)

Psalm: Weber

Gospel Acclamation: chant

Washing of the Feet: "A New Commandment I Give You" from By Flowing Waters

Offertory: Where Charity and Love Prevail

Euch. Accl.: chant

Communion: This is My Body--English, newly composed

O Sacrum Convivium (Polleri)

Transfer of the Holy Eucharist: Pange Lingua (chant)


As I mentioned in a previous post, our Holy Week coincided with the school's spring break, so I had limited resources. I was able to put together a small choir that did an admirable job. I did have a few folks that had little Latin exposure, so I had to do quite a bit of English to keep things manageable.


We were actually able to all the Proper texts in some form or another. The Tietze hymn is a paraphrase of the Introit text. The BFW tune was spruced up a bit by adding a couple drones in octaves to keep it interesting. "Where Charity" is an English paraphrase of "Ubi Caritas", and a fine melody to boot (I believe it's a modification of an office hymn melody, though it never gets credited as such). One of my previous student directors was kind enough to compose a re-working of "Hoc Corpus", put into English. He made it a bit more syllabic in some places, and made it easier to prepare in our short amount of rehearsal time. It's an excellent setting; I hope to modify a couple things and then (with his blessing) make it available on-line somewhere.

"O Sacrum" is a 3-part piece from the Ravenello collection over at the CMAA site. I put the tenors on the top line, basses on the bottom, and the ladies in the middle; dignified setting, and easy enough to put together in a couple short rehearsals. They did it quite well.


Good Friday--2008

Psalm: My setting, with Chabanel verses

Passion: chanted

Veneration: The Reproaches (Sacramentary refrain with Penkala Trisagion)
Adoramus te, Christe (Haugen)

Communion: O Sacred Head
Were You There


I was a bit nervous about the Passion, as I had lost my voice about a week prior. I did fine, I think, as it was at about 90% by then. My other two chanters are excellent musicians, and we didn't even have to give it a full run-through anytime prior to its performance.

I love the Sacramentary's setting of the Reproaches; the "My People" melody is very effective, and when coupled with the "Eastern-sounding" Trisagion by Gary Penkala, it's been quite moving both years that we've done it, in my opinion. The Adoramus te, Christe is Taize-like, and malleable enough to extend or shorten as the liturgical action requires. The Communion hymns were sung beautifully by the choir and the congregation from what I could tell.


(No Easter Vigil this year for a variety of reasons)


Easter Sunday--2008

Processional: Christ the Lord is Risen Today (LLANFAIR)

Kyrie: Mass for the City (Proulx)

Gloria: Community Mass

Psalm: Gelineau

Sequence: Victimae--English setting

Gospel Acclamation: O FILII ET FILIAE

Sprinkling Rite: "Springs of Water" from BFW

Offertory: Alleluia for Easter Sunday (English-set by Bruce Ford in The American Gradual)

Euch. Accl.: Community Mass

Agnus: Holy Cross Mass

Communion: "Christ Has Become . . . " (Weber)

Recessional: Jesus Christ is Risen Today (Lyra Davidica)


Only had four gents this morning, so we did mostly chant. I was a bit distracted throughout most of Mass by my overtired, whiny children (so much for a family Mass), but the "Schola" sang well and we had a nice crowd downstairs.