I don't know how to answer that question. Is Cantius a person or a place?

Fr. Weber has a version of Tenebrae on his website. English & square note. Click on the title Tenebrae for the download. https://sacredmusicus.wordpress.com/?s=tenebrae

Thank you all, I was able to print what I needed. These are very clear square note versions of what we already had to work with.

I still am curious to know if Cantius is a person or a place.

Thank you for the info, Incardination. I was doing a bit of teasing of Stimson who enjoys dishing it out, and also I really did not know.

I don't know the specifics of what our parish does for Tenebrae, sorry. We have mostly spoken readings, some of which are done alternating sides of the church, and the Lessons are chanted. Some of the Lessons are chanted by women which may not be correct and everything is done in English. We have this at 9 am on Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday mornings instead of morning Mass. I have no idea how much of this is correct, but if it is not our new pastor will be certain to correct it ASAP!

For any who like 'Old Church English', Palmer-Burgess made English versions of tenebrae for Holy Week.

Thank you for the further clarification. I did not know that Holy Thursday would not technically be a Tenebrae service. It makes sense, though, if you think about it liturgically since the Mass on Holy Thursday occurs, chronologically speaking, before the Passion and crucifixion of the Lord.

To be clear:

THE SACRED TRIDUUM

Sundown on Holy Thursday to sundown on Easter Sunday is considered the most solemn part of the liturgical year. This three-day period is referred to as the Easter Triduum, also known as the Sacred Triduum, or Paschal Triduum.

And, concerning Tenebrae:

• Up to 1955 the three consecutive Tenebrae services for Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday, including the typical ceremonies such as the extinguishing of candles, and each of these three services anticipated on the previous day, were widely celebrated as an integral part of the liturgy of Holy Week in churches with a sufficient number of clergy wherever the Roman rite was followed. A rich tradition of music composed for these central occasions had developed.
• From 1956 to 1970 the practice largely declined:

• The 1955 papal document restored the celebration of Matins and Lauds of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday to their original timing as morning services, with only a little allowance for anticipating any of them on the evening before. On these three days attention shifted from what became morning services to the services that were now to be held in the afternoon or evening. Communal celebration of Matins and Lauds became limited generally to communities that observed the full Divine Office in congregational form. Matins and Lauds, having lost their exceptional character, provided composers with little incentive to produce new music for them and there was no demand for grand performances of the existing music earlier composed for Tenebrae.
• The Roman Breviary, as updated in 1961, did not mention any specific Tenebrae ceremonies to accompany the no longer anticipated Matins and Lauds of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday.

• Finally, in the wake of the Second Vatican Council, Matins and Lauds throughout the year were completely reformed. Matins, for instance, no longer had the nine psalms and Lauds the five psalms that determined the number of candles extinguished in the Tenebrae celebration.

Matins, for instance, no longer had the nine psalms and Lauds the five psalms that determined the number of candles extinguished in the Tenebrae celebration.

Matins 9 + Lauds 5 = 14

INVITATORY
HYMN
OFFICE OF READINGS
Antiphon and Psalm 2
Antiphon and Psalm 2
Antiphon and Psalm 2
Verse
Reading and Responsory
Reading and Responsory
MORNING PRAYER
Antiphon and Psalm 2
Antiphon and Canticle 2
Antiphon and Psalm 2
Reading and Responsory
Antiphon and Canticle of Zechariah 2
Intercessions and Lord's Prayer
Concluding Prayer
Dismissal

(2+2+2) + (2+2+2+2) = 14

http://smcs.on.ca/files_docs/content/jubulee_hymns_and_tenebrae/Tenebrae Booklet.pdf
This is our musical setting of the Tenebrae, which happens every year on the Wednesday of Holy Week, and of course at many locations elsewhere around the area at different times. It's fun if you gather some SMCS alumni or even just a TB choir to sing this. It's not musically spectacular but it's fun and has deep roots with SMCS. It has a guide in the back for a possible scripture service but I don't think it would necessarily help with Carol's questions.

Re: the ceremonies of the EF Tenebrae -

The ceremonies of the Tenebrae were largely contained in two books: the Breviary and the Ceremoniale Episcoporum. In the 1955-6 revision of the breviary and Holy Week, the breviary rubrics with altered. The ceremonies of the Ceremoniale were modified by the 1957 Ritus Pontificalis Ordinis Hebdomadae Sanctae Instaurati.

The changes made in 1956/7 and 1961 were as follows:

1. Matins and Lauds were no longer allowed to be anticipated - they had to be celebrated in the morning of the day. The Matins of Holy Thursday could be anticipated on Wednesday because of the Chrism Mass, but (under the 1961 rubrics) Lauds could never be anticipated.

2. The rubric of the Breviary referring to the hiding of the candle and the strepitus was suppressed. Thus the last candle was simply left lit until the end of the service.

3. The Miserere was removed from the conclusion.

4. The candles on the altar were modified to account for the ceremonial changes to Holy Week. While pre-55 had 6 candles on the altar for all 3 days, the reformed rite called for 6 candles were used on Holy Thursday, none on Good Friday, and 4 (surrounding the Cross) on Holy Saturday.

For a scholarly overview of historical ceremonies (and the history of Tenebrae in general) I would recommend "Fire and Light in the Western Triduum" by A.J. MacGregor. He shows the evolution of some ceremonies (e.g. restriction of candle extinguishing to only psalms, instead of psalms and responsories) and debunks some widespread, commonly-heard theories (e.g. candles were extinguished because dawn was approaching).

Casavant - Msgr. Ronan did some quality stuff. It's a shame he isn't better known.

The settings as linked by Jennifer Donaldson above are what we have used as far as I can tell. The Holy Thursday settings look exactly like what we already had, except they are cleaner and easier to read! We especially need video or mp3 of the Lesson 2 of Holy Saturday. I think it is the most challenging and also most beautiful when done well.

If the newly typeset Lamentations were done using a music program, does the program allow the creation of mp3 files with that fake "wa-wa" sounding voice midi? If yes could those be shared?

Thank you again everyone!

eft94530, the 15th candle was the candle in the center of the hearse, called the Christ Candle. It was never extinguished. So there were 14 candles which were extinguished during the service, and one which was not.

I am bumping this because it may be of use in another current discussion. Sorry to those who will be annoyed.