Novus Ordo Adoration of the Cross
  • bkenney27bkenney27
    Posts: 444
    There is SO. MUCH. MUSIC. assigned to the adoration of the Cross on Good Friday. (Crucem Tuam, Improperia, Crux Fidelis). Question: Do you sing all of it, even if you don't need it? Or do you abbreviate the Crux Fidelis since it is only verse 10 that may never be omitted? In my last parish, the congregation was finished after three verses verses of the Improperia. Suggestions?
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,986
    I have a cantor sing the Reproaches while others venerate the cross. We have one with a relic of the true cross, so only one cross is used for all to venerate. That takes some time. After the entire "Reproaches" - no shortcuts or abbreviations - the choir sings an appropriate hymn such as "O Sacred Head" or "My Song Is Love Unknown." Then we may have a bit of silence - nothing ever wrong with that.
  • Liam
    Posts: 5,116
    The music accompanies the action, so when the action is done, the music should not be prolonged thereafter. If memory serves, the Missal doesn't require that all the assigned music actually be sung.
  • MatthewRoth
    Posts: 2,367
    The problem is that Pius XII moved the Crux Fidelis from the Sacrament procession back from the altar of repose; now the deacon, the same as in the 1969 rite, carries the Sacrament only accompanied by acolytes.
  • ClemensRomanusClemensRomanus
    Posts: 1,023
    I thought that was Vexilla Regis.
  • MatthewRoth
    Posts: 2,367
    Yeah, you’re right. That’s what I get for not checking. The point of it being crazy still stands...just with a sifferemt hymn. Gulp.
  • smvanroodesmvanroode
    Posts: 1,000
    The Graduale Simplex only has the Impropria II with a simpler (but not less beautiful!) antiphon and the Crucem tuam. This at least hints a the core repertoire.
    Thanked by 1bkenney27
  • rarty
    Posts: 96
    The 1908, 1961, and 1974 Graduals all indicate to sing all or some of the chants, according to the duration of the Adoration of the Cross.

    I don't think the rubric in the current Missal, to never omit the doxology of Crux fidelis/Pange lingua, means the hymn itself must always be sung in some fashion, since clearly there are options to not sing any of the given texts.

    However, this rubric surely derives from the 1955/1961 Missal, which does explicitly state this doxology must be sung in all circumstances... so presumably, when the rite is done, cut short whichever chant is in progress, then sing just the doxology (with the response Dulce lignum).

    In the old unrestored/unreformed rite, the ministers recited all of the texts independently of the choir, which would simply sing from the given chants until the adoration was finished.

    (As an aside, the wording of the hymn Crux fidelis/Pange lingua and its doxology, are different in each of the 3 Graduals!)
    Thanked by 1bkenney27
  • Richard MixRichard Mix
    Posts: 2,815
    the 1955/1961 Missal, which does explicitly state this doxology must be sung in all circumstances
    Really? The wording in the Gregorian missal is "this hymn always concludes with the following stanza:" which to me seems a commonsense hint to skip ahead to the doxology when things are ready to end.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
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