Question I'm afraid to ask about Tenebrae
  • AnnS
    Posts: 13
    Hi everyone,
    We are preparing for Tenebrae on the evening of Good Friday (anticipated for Holy Saturday), and we have been using the version put together by Fr. Weber titled "Good Friday at Tenebrae." ...I originally understood it as a Tenebrae Service for the night of Good Friday, but now I'm wondering if it's actually rooted in the prayers for Good Friday morning and would be more appropriate for the night of Holy Thursday. We have been using this version the previous two years and it has worked out beautifully with untrained voices - I am really hoping to not have to find something else.
    Any thoughts or recommendations for Tenebrae in English with chant notation would be greatly appreciated.
  • SalieriSalieri
    Posts: 3,177
    Here is a booklet which I put together for my parish. Currently, we are only doing tenebrae of Holy Saturday, on Holy Saturday Morning--you could anticipate this this night before. It begins on Pg. 32.
    DIVINE OFFICE OF THE SACRED PASCHAL TRIDUUM BOOKLET SIZE.pdf
    1M
    Thanked by 2AnnS CHGiffen
  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,782
    @AnnS
    Tenebrae is the night office at other times of the year called Matins, this would normally be said before dawn with Lauds starting at Dawn. Most people like their sleep, and so Tenebrae was anticipated to the evening before so that many more people could attend this devotion,
    So Tenebrae of Maunday Thursday was celebrated on the evening of Spy Wednesday, Tenebrae of Good Friday was celebrated on the evening of Maunday Thursday etc.

    With the many changes to the Liturgy over the last 100 years Tenebrae was moved in the 1950's to the morning, so depending on what book you use it can be very confusing!
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen AnnS
  • Incardination
    Posts: 832
    Ann, I'm guessing that those of us who typically do Tenebrae may not be familiar with Fr. Weber's version...

    The first antiphon of the Good Friday Tenebrae (either anticipated on the evening of Holy Thursday as Tom explains above or sung the morning of) would read "The kings of the earth stood up, and the princes met together, against the Lord and His Christ". (Astiterunt reges)

    The first antiphon of the Holy Saturday Tenebrae (either anticipated on the evening of Good Friday or sung the morning of) would read "In the selfsame peace I will sleep and I will rest." (In pace in idipsum)

    A previous question on the forum for resources for English Tenebrae (posted 2014) indicated that it is available through St. John Cantius in Chicago. The link was to Page Cannot be Found, but I'm betting you could look on their site for the resource or contact them directly.

    Best of luck!! (BTW, if you are doing it devotionally rather than as intended to fulfill the Office, you could do either version GF or HS on GF night, so that may help set your mind at ease about learning new texts / psalms!)
    Thanked by 1AnnS
  • AnnS
    Posts: 13
    Thank you everyone! That really helps to clarify things.

    Salieri - thank you for sharing your booklet! I hesitate to use it this year (I'm helping with a new parish, so I'm back to square one in cultivating an interest in chant/easing fears of Latin) ...but it looks like it is exactly what I am aiming to offer in the parish. I hope you will post if you end up putting together a booklet for Maunday Thursday.

    For as much as I would like to keep to the Office, I think this year will need to be a devotional Tenebrae. I am grateful your responses will help me to give an accurate explanation of what we're doing to those who participate.
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,216
    In case it might be interesting, here's a booklet I used a few years ago to sing Anglican Use Tenebrae with one other cantor: https://forum.musicasacra.com/forum/uploads/FileUpload/78/02ef182dbeabcaa7773893368b1929.pdf
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen AnnS
  • AnnS
    Posts: 13
    The booklet is very helpful - thank you chonak!
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