Question about the Reproaches and Good Friday
  • canadashcanadash
    Posts: 1,499
    I ordered a copy of "The Reproaches" by Healey Willan. It seems attainable. It is long, so my worry is pitch, but if that isn't a problem, I'm looking forward to it. It was very reasonably priced too.

    In the introduction there is a note from Willan: After "The Reproaches" then follows the hymn "Pange Lingua" ("Hymns Ancient and Modern," 97). Is he referring to the simple chant "Pange Lingua" or a special setting for Good Friday. TYIA.

  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,704
    The Pange Lingua is an ancient Hymn written by Venantius Fortunatus d. 600. The metre is older originally? from Greek tragedy and was later used for the marching song of Caesar's legions (the lyrics are all what you would expect)

    Both St. Hilary c. 310 – c. 367 and Aurelius Prudentius Clemens d. 413? used the meter for Christian hymns.

    St Thomas Aquinas much later wrote an imitation of this hymn (found in many hymn books) with a different meter. On Good Friday we use the original Hymn of Fortunatus, (with some modifications to the text)
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen canadash
  • canadashcanadash
    Posts: 1,499
    So Willan is referring to the Crux for Good Friday? I know it has the Pange Lingua part but I wasn't sure if there was another one:

    https://imslp.org/wiki/File:WIMA.7265-Crux-fidelis.pdf

  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,704
    The first verse of the Hymn starts Pange Lingua, but for the version sung on Good Friday a later verse Crux Fidelis / Dulce lignum, is sung as a refrain. So it can also be referred to as the Crux Fidelis.
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen canadash