Schola chanted Regina Caeli at all three Masses for Easter
Chanted sequence at both Masses today
Premiered a new setting of the ord in English Thurs and all Easter Masses/will post soon
Schola chanted Crux Fid & Stabat Mater Good Friday
Premiered "He Was Despised" on Good Friday for two part vocal and organ
http://www.romancatholicsacredmusic/seehear/heWasDespised.html
Played 10am organ postlude improv on O Filii Et Filae

Cantor sang the "Reproaches" during congregational veneration of a relic of the true cross.
The pastor chanted the entire Exsultet.
Choir sang the Mozart "Ave Verum" - in Latin, of course.
I survived 6 masses, and 2 para-liturgies in 4 days.
Played the devil out of Marchand for Easter masses.

Kevin -
If not Durufle's, whose??

Our Chant Schola sang the Good Friday service, for the second year - back by popular request!

This was my first chance to sing the Vigil Exsultet. A wonderful and challenging experience, to say the least. The Priest chanted several parts of that Mass, as did the Deacon.

Ten newly baptized and confirmed Catholics. (Even though the names Hayden, Kali and Cheyenne are not in the list of saints ... yet.)

Good Friday, ICRSS Oratory:
- Chanted the role of the Synagoga during the Passion for the first time(!)
- Sang Popule Meus (Victoria) for the first time; Crucem tuam (chant) and Crux fidelis (chant) in full
- Sang Vexilla Regis (chant) during the procession to the reserved Eucharist in full

Easter Vigil, ICRSS Oratory:
- Started outdoors under the stars, in almost total darkness (even the lights in the church's parking lot were shut off)
- Chanted all the propers as found in the Liber Usualis
- Played some simple Boyvin settings (from IMSLP.org) as interludes and postludes after accidentally discovering the mean-tune button on the digital organ

Easter Sunday, Parish Chapel:
- Played a serviceable organ improvisation on Victimae Paschali Laudes as a prelude...no fireworks in these fingers currently!
- Pastor, who didn't sing a single note before 2007, nailed the Vidi Aquam incipit and did a very good job on the Easter Dismissal (on short notice)
- Before homily, pastor acknowledged roles of parishioners, seminarian/MC, altar boys, and schola (and no one broke into applause)
- Pastor gave a most excellent homily, as we have come to expect (we are blessed!)
- Organ improvisation on Regina Caeli...again, no fireworks...
- SRO crowd in our chapel (there may have been some overflow into the hallway)

* Easter Sequence: first sections in traditional chant; from 'Dic nobis Maria' in setting by Francisco Lopez Capillas (c. 1615-1673).
* surviving Easter well despite having a musically-crucial prima donna singer storming out (permanently, as I have decreed) on Maundy Thursday
* larger attendance at all the 'choir' Masses of the week
* a visiting Jesuit scholastic commenting to the pastor, 'now THAT was the Roman Rite!'.

Our parish celebrated the Triduum for the first time in 51 years. Yes, *51* years. Our pastor decided to celebrate the Triduum on approximately 3 weeks notice. Yes, *3* weeks notice.Our six-man schola, which came into existence nine months ago, sang each service. We were *the* choir; the main choir didn't participate at all.

Our program:

Entrance. “Lift High the Cross.”
Kyrie. Mass VIII (de Angelis).
Gloria. Mass VIII (de Angelis).
Responsorial Psalm. Chant setting from Celebrating the Eucharist.
Washing of Feet. "Let these abide.” Chant adapt. from Sacramentary antiphons. [I think it was Mr. Tucker who posted this on the forum]
Offertory. “Ubi caritas.” (the setting in PBC).
Sanctus. Mass VIII (de Angelis).
Agnus Dei. Mass VIII (de Angelis).
Communion. “Adoremus te Christe.”
Transfer of the Blessed Sacrament. “Pange lingua/Tantum Ergo.” (the setting in PBC).

GOOD FRIDAY

Responsorial Psalm. Chant setting from Celebrating the Eucharist.
“This is the wood of the cross . . ./Come, let us worship.” Sacramentary.
“We worship you, Lord, we venerate your cross . . .” Sacramentary.
“Reproaches I & II.” English plain chant arrangement by a local choirmaster; beautiful.
Communion. “Jesu, dulcis memoria.” (the setting in PBC).

EASTER VIGIL

“Christ our light/Thanks be to God.” Sacramentary.
“Exsultet.” Sacramentary. I sang this using the chant notation janetgorbitz typeset after I innocently inquired on this forum whether such a thing existed. Amazing!
Reading I/Responsorial Psalm 104. Chant setting from Celebrating the Eucharist.
Reading III/Responsorial Psalm (Exodus 15) Chant setting from Celebrating the Eucharist.
Reading V/Responsorial Psalm (Isaiah 12) Chant setting from Celebrating the Eucharist.
Gloria. Mass VIII (de Angelis).
Alleluia. Parish Book of Chant, p. 154.
Responsorial Psalm 118. Chant setting from Celebrating the Eucharist.
Sprinkling. “Vida aquam.” Parish Book of Chant.
Offertory. “O Sons and Daughters.”
Communion. “Pascha nostrum.” Anglican Use Gradual (simple setting).
After Mass. “The Strife Is O’er, the Battle Done.” Sacred Song.

The pastor and the people were overjoyed. Had it not been for this site, or rather, all of the people who make this site possible -- with its thousands of pages of music and instruction and thousands of forum posts responding to every imaginable question -- we simply could not have done this. So, on behalf of my entire parish: Thank you!

WJA

WJA, I am in awe!

Good news: nobody was injured.

Actually, Good Friday liturgy went quite well:
Resp. Psalm as in Respond and Acclaim
Gosp. Acc/Gradual Christus Factus Est
Adoration Crucem Tuam and Reproaches (Grad. Simp.)
Communion Adoro Te

One inveterate parishoner said she had never attended a more beautiful Good Friday liturgy in all her years. God bless her!

WJA, great story. Talk about hussle- sounds like your group of six singers is the musical equivalent of the A Team!

At the church where I am the organist, the choir with added strings, timpani and a trumpet sang the Mozart Sparrow Mass (leaving out the Credo). The conductor, brought in at the last-minute because illness, electrified this choir and brought out of them music I haven't heard in the 8 months I've been on the bench. (They've been doing this for 30 years with their old conductor and lacked both verve and accuracy.) Even their Ave Verum was up several notches.

Other good thing - we didn't have time for Pan de Vida

Kevin in Atlanta, Carl D, MA, Singing Mum: I'm still amazed and grateful we were able to pull it off. We have one man who sang chant in seminary before dropping out, but the rest of us are true amateurs. In the interest of full disclosure, we've been singing Mass VIII since the Feast of the Assumption last year (we switched to the pro defunctis settings everyone knows for Advent and Lent), so we didn't have to learn that on the fly. Still, I think this has to be chalked up to Divine Providence. But Divine Providence works through people, and the people that run this site and contribute to this forum were all agents of that Providence, by providing the resources -- books and essays on how to sing, what to sing, when to sing -- that made our little schola possible. Deo gratias!

G: As to why our parish hadn't celebrated the Triduum in 51 years, it's located in the city's old urban core, which emptied out about 50 years ago as people moved to the new parish in the suburbs. Soon there were too few families to support the Triduum, so the pastor -- who had the care of both parishes -- moved the Triduum to the suburban church.

There was a sudden influx of new parishioners about five years ago, but our pastor -- who was pushing 80 by then and had been doing things the same way for 30+years -- just wasn't up to reviving the Triduum. However, he had kept our beautiful, traditional parish from being shut down by the diocese in the previous decades, and by his reverent celebration of Mass and sound preaching had drawn numerous new parishioners to the parish, so that when he retired last summer, a new, younger priest was able to come in and say, "How about we celebrate the Triduum?" And so we did. Deo gratias!

WJA

This was my first Triduum singing in a choir. I'm a convert and held off joining my parish choir while my children were young. So, the whole gruelling, wonderful experience of singing at all the liturgies was a memorable experience. This was also our pastor's first Triduum as a pastor, and he brought a very solemn sense of liturgical tradition (though he is a young priest) that I noted.

My personal highlight was chanting the Synagogue part of the Passion on Good Friday with my pastor and a fabulous young singer (sophomore in high school).

Thank God we all survived!

Holy Thursday:
Lift High the Cross
Kyrie & Gloria from Mass for two choirs and two organs (Widor)
Ubi caritas (Duruflé)
Ave verum corpus (Byrd)
Sanctus, Mortem tuam, Agnus Dei XIII (chant)
Communion proper

Good Friday:
Christus factus est (chant)
Passion according to John (Victoria)
Miserere mei (Lotti)
Adoramus te Christe (Dubois)
Popule meus (Victoria)
Christus factus est (Bruckner)

Easter Vigil:
Exultet chanted
Gloria & Agnus Dei from Mass for two choirs and two organs (Widor)
Gospel chanted
Vidi aquam (Victoria)
Salvation is Created (Tchesnokoff)
Communion proper

Easter Sunday:
Kyrie, Gloria & Agnus Dei from Mass for two choirs & two organs (Widor)
Vidi aquam (Victoria)
Salvation is Created (Tchesnokoff)

For me the most positive thing is that it happened at all: the third consecutive year of the only traditional Triduum in New York City. The ceremonies were beautiful and the music glorious. It was humbling and gratifying to be a small part of it. We were blessed to have with us Monsignor Mauro Cionini, Second Secretary of the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations, as well as Father Michael Barone of Newark and our own parochial vicar, Father Louis Van Thanh, who chanted the Exsultet so beautifully. The musical programme:

Church of the Holy Innocents, New York City
Missal of Blessed John XXIII (1962)
All propers sung from the Graduale Romanum (1961)

Maundy Thursday 7:30 p.m.
Ordinary: Missa super Adieu mes amours by Adam Rener (c. 1485–c. 1520)
Motet at the Offertory: Caro mea by Mathieu Gascongne (fl. early 16th c.)
Motet at the Communion: O salutaris Hostia by Pierre de la Rue (c. 1452–1518)
Communion Hymn: Adoro te devote

Good Friday
Office of Tenebrae 12:00-2:15 a.m.
Sung according to the Antiphonarium Romanum (1961 Breviary)
Vigil continuing until 5:00 a.m.

Solemn Afternoon Liturgy 3:00 p.m.
Passio secundum Johannem (turba parts) by Tomás Luis de Victoria (1548–1611)
Improperia by Victoria
Crux fidelis by Guillaume-Gabriel Nivers (c. 1632–1714), arr. Pedro d'Aquino (alternating with chant hymn Pange lingua gloriosi lauream)
Motet: Crux fidelis attrib. King John IV of Portugal
Hymn Vexilla Regis prodeunt (alternate verses) by Guillaume Dufay (1397?–1474)
At the Communion: Psalm 21 (tonus in directum and Vere languores nostros by Victoria

Easter Vigil 9:30 p.m.
Ordinary: Mass for Five Voices by William Byrd (c. 1540-1623)
Motet at the Offertory: Dum transisset Sabbatum by Thomas Tallis (c. 1505-1585)
Motet at the Communion: In resurrectione tua by Byrd
Lauds for Easter Morning
Marian Antiphon: Regina Caeli (tonus simplex)
Hymn: Jesus Christ Is Risen Today (Easter Hymn)
Postlude: Toccata from Symphonie V by Charles-Marie Widor (1844-1937)

Easter Day 10:00 a.m.
Ordinary: Missa Regina coeli by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (c. 1525-1594)
Alleluia: Pascha nostrum by Ludwig Senfl (c. 1486-c. 1542)
Motet at the Offertory: Alleluia Surrexit Dominus vere by Jacquet de Berchem (c. 1505-1567)
Motet at the Communion: Regina coeli by Palestrina

Okay, heads up everyone, but especially you, tomboysuze. This is a love letter – not your usual sort of love letter – but a love letter, nevertheless:

You were there at our Lord's triumphant entry into Jerusalem, waving palms and olive branches along with everyone else, saying to yourself, "Who is this man, riding on a common donkey? a seer? a prophet? a king, as some are saying?" You saw something that reached to the core of your heart. As the crowds scattered, you saw a beggar standing silently, gazing ahead with his arms outstretched, his children nearby. Looking at him, you wondered how different this man is from the rider on the donkey, yet how utterly similar in countenance. You reached out and offered the beggar what little you had – of your money, your time, your talent.

You were there later that week at the Passover seder, helping to prepare for the feast of unleavened bread and serving the the same man who rode that donkey into the city as well as others gathered with him. The man smiled that you took aside a portion for the poor and homeless, which you later gave to the beggar and his family that, by some strange coincidence, you had taken in.

You were there the following day, when this man was hauled before the authorities and denounced, vilified, and ultimately condemned to suffer death by crucifixion, being forced to carry the cross that would be his destruction through the streets of Jerusalem. You saw this man struggle, bearing the horrid cross; and yet, beneath his obvious pain, the look on his face was a haunting amalgamation of the look he had on his entry into the city and that of the beggar when you first saw him. It struck you just as the man stumbled and fell, and, as others screamed at him while a man rushed up to carry the cross, you stepped silently forward and helped to steady the cross on this other man's shoulder – and the man condemned to die smiled at you as he took your hand and got to his feet and moved on towards the edge of the city.

Unable to do more, you followed the procession to the Mount of Olives and stood at a distance, falling on your knees and burying your face in your hands at the unfolding horrific spectacle, wondering in your own agony and despair, how can I help this man? It broke your heart, when you were told that this man's Mother standing nearby had to witness the abominations and atrocities being committed against her Son. You shook in terror when the man breathed his last, as a sudden storm swept over the scene and lightning tore through the nearly pitch-black skies, scattering most of those gathered there. Rising to your feet to hurry home, you saw the outline of the man's lifeless head hanging oddly to one side against his chest. You thought to yourself, "It is surely a blessing that he is already dead, unlike the other two on crosses who still live." Once home, you invited the beggar and his family inside for the Sabbath, knowing now that you must share and do whatever you could for this hapless family, if only as a token to honor in some small way the events concerning that dead man which you had witnessed the past several days.

All day on the Sabbath, your heart was troubled, for you could not get any of it out of your mind. It was a small but sad blessing that you were helping the beggar and his family, for each time you saw him, images of the king turned to villain filled your head. Thankfully, the beggar and his family were both gracious and kind in return for you help.

The next morning, with the Sabbath now passed by and the city returning to normal following the raucous Passover activities of the preceding week, you ventured out with your girls, to walk in the early sunshine and look for some flowers to brighten your home. You didn't quite understand the commotion of some men running about and saying something about a dead man being risen and seen for awhile – but you hoped ... you hoped and prayed that something like this could be true, even if it was not humanly possible ... but, who could it be? Your girls broke into song as you returned home, where, seeing the beggar standing outside, smiling broadly with his family nearby, you thought, "Could it be true? Could it be that man I saw? O, if only it could be true!"

You remembered then that one of your friends had mentioned that his man had made a cryptic comment once, to the effect that, anything one does for the least of men, that is what one does for him. Reflecting on this afterwards, you realized it might just be true, and, indeed, if anything amazing and wonderful and miraculous and beautiful could be true, this was it. You felt the warmth of the Lord's smile in your heart. You had at last the assurance that He loves you and that you love Him with everything in your being. And you love others as you love Him. There has been no other or greater love than this.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Susan, you were there, it was you, you saw it all, but you did more than just watch: you felt and heeded the call, the call of God's love for us, through the risen Christ, with the Holy Spirit working in you. God loves you, I love you, we all love you.

Our Deacon sang the long form of the Exultet and it did not disappoint. I closed my eyes and enjoyed every moment.

We sang Franck's Dextera Domini for offertory for the Vigil and in the morning.

Over the entire Triduum there were very few hiccups. This is due to a pastor who moves and directs with grace and dignity.

My sons and a soprano sang the gregorian Resurrexit on Easter morning.

I did not have a voice, literally, from Thursday to Sunday. I think God is telling me something, but it all went well. I'm indebted to my young sons for stepping in when I needed help.

Happy Easter to all.

@Heath, sorry, I don't know; but I assume GIA sells everything he wrote.

The Durufle Ubi Caritas was sung beautifully by liturgical choir. The schola was fabulous on Good Friday, singing works of Tallis, Anerio, Powell, and Chilcott. We had brass at two Masses on Easter Sunday, complete with the Handl "Haec est Dies" and Richard Proulx's Psalm for Easter Day based on "O Filii et Filiae." It's a very straightforward, yet powerful setting. We did Jim Biery's English setting of the Sequence chant with refrain. We inserted Cochereau-esque interludes on full organ, including 32' reed. The best part about the Triduum, however was that this parish, for the first time since the Novus Ordo, got Introit and Communio throughout! It's now part of what we do. I'm so pleased at the positive reponse we've gotten. We also had a retired Cardinal as celebrant at our choral Mass, which wasn't too bad, either!

Children's schola singing Latin ordinaries, including Kyrie from Missa de Angelis.

Priest chanting the mass, OF, ad orientem.

SEP propers throughout.

Hey Heath, you've become a tradition! We sang "The Wisdom of God" for the Mandatum second year in a row, augmented by Richard Rice's second proper psalm.
And, unlike the Vatican, we seem not to have political issues with our own American composers: "Ubi caritas" by Jos. Gentry Stephens, "Tantum ergo" by Kevin Allen and an English "Ego sum panis vivus" by some local ignoble songsmith.
And, for the doubters, the revised J. Michael Thompson quasi-Byzantine/organum
"Exsultet" (how WLP spells it, would someone clarify this ala a capella for me?) was quite well-received, with the pastor chanting his portion (and a bit more!) very smooth.
You know my pastor's favorite portion? The unaccompanied chant of Crux fidelis during the veneration, which almost took up a half hour and only required about two minutes of Stainer's "Is it nothing to you..." to finish up.

Again, for any potential detractors, none of this is intended as crowing. Things aren't perfect here and I mean not to portray them as such. I am so grateful for all my musicians in this four parish merge, with all their knowledge and dedication.

This may be a little late, but here's some highlighs:

We had a lovely setting of the Ubi Caritas by Ola Gjeilo on Holy Thursday, as well as lots of latin polyphony and many other dignified motets, including Victoria's O Vos Omnes, Victora's Ave Verum Corpus, as well as a few modern choral works, including a lovely setting of John 3:16 (Chilcott). I wish I could find my program, and I could put up the entire list of what was sung. It was wonderful.

But one major piece of good news: We finally did away with that horid post baptismal ditty that is far to common in american parishes. I was suprised it stuck around this long, with the quality of the rest of the music. But alas, it's gone!

Would you be talking about "You have put on Christ..." No. 244 in Ritual Song by Howard Hughes? One of my choir members refers to it as, "The March of the Trolls." I would like to trash it, but can't as long as we are using this hymnal.

There were 9 baptisms at the vigil, so I had to play it nine times. I use the first half of it only, and tone it down, as well. I would like to find another and better version set to those words, but haven't run across a good replacement.