Tenebrae & 'Spy Wednesday Dinner' traditions
  • Richard MixRichard Mix
    Posts: 2,799
    I was asked about putting together a Tenebrae service last Spring, unfortunately just after accepting another booking. Now it's time to start thinking about what 'OF tenebrae' might look like: as far as I have tried to understand the LotH, Matins are replaced by an Office of Readings, with none of the old Triduum lessons preserved, so there is considerable scope for making a home-cobbled devotion. Is anyone who has already done this sort of thing interested in sharing?

    Our parish has an existing tradition of Spy Wed. Dinner, which I've unfortunately never attended. But I would guess that a half hour service would fit around it, about the time to chant the three lamentations and responsories. I recall a Plainchant Society edition in English of Jeremiah, and perhaps I can get singers for Gesualdo. Or - calling Bruce Ford - are there English responsories to accompany Couperin? Have to make sure the choir is fresh for Saturday's Lessons and Carols.

    (Chonak, is there really no Gen. Disc. Liturgy category?)
    Thanked by 1chonak
  • Liam
    Posts: 5,093
    Does each guest get 30 silver dollar pancakes?
    Thanked by 7StimsonInRehab CHGiffen Adam Wood MatthewRoth Ben ClemensRomanus eft94530
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,216
    This past Holy Week I sang Tenebrae with one other cantor at the local Anglican Ordinariate congregation. Here's the booklet I prepared from his old sources. It went well, except at the end when there was not enough residual light left in the church for us to read the Christus factus est well. Maybe I should have printed that page on fluorescent paper.
    au-tenebrae.pdf
    526K
    Thanked by 4CHGiffen Richard Mix nun_34 bcb
  • mahrt
    Posts: 517
    I was happy to see the booklet for Tenebrae in English. My choir has sung Tenebrae on the Wednesday evening of Holy Week for quite a few years. It is almost the same as what you have given, except that it is in Latin and we sing all five psalms of Lauds. We also usually sing the Lamentations in the setting of Victoria as well as the Benedictus by Victoria. It is one of our favorite services of the year.
    Thanked by 2Richard Mix CHGiffen
  • eft94530eft94530
    Posts: 1,577
    Shrove Tuesday = dinner (only done one year).
    Fridays in Lent = Simple Supper followed by Stations of the Cross.
    Spy Wednesday = Confession Marathon.

    As for the Ordinary Forn (OF)
    of Tenebrae (i.e., Office of Readings (OR) and Morning Prayer (MP))
    on mornings of Holy Thursday (HT) and Good Friday (GF) and Holy Saturday (HS) ...
    the booklets have been on the parish office music computer hard drive
    since Spring 2003.
    The then-pastor nixed the idea.
    Current pastor too.
    Only HS MP happens ... with me flying solo under-the-radar
    and followed by out-of-own-pocket Continental breakfast.
    Thanked by 1Richard Mix
  • StimsonInRehabStimsonInRehab
    Posts: 1,933
    Maybe I should have printed that page on fluorescent paper.


    I thought that's what illuminated texts are for, Chonak.
    Thanked by 1chonak
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