John Passion – Just the chorus bits?
  • GambaGamba
    Posts: 548
    Has anyone previously engraved only the "turba" portions of the Good Friday (John) Passion, in English, to the NAB text, in modern or square notes? We use the GIA books.

    Every year here when it is sung, whether straight through in chant or with polyphony, the congregation attempt to join in wherever "Chorus" is indicated in the missalette, despite having no notation before them, despite the high pitch, despite the leaflet clearly saying "Three cantors sing the Passion", etc. Testimonium enim perhibeo illis quod æmulationem Dei habent, sed non secundum scientiam....

    By the end, they can guess at the melody, and come close to moving to cadences at the right time, but it's always a hot mess. Short of 1) admonishing everyone to shut up before beginning or 2) throwing away the Missalettes or 3) singing in Latin, I think the best thing to do is to put "their" portions in the leaflet, with the parts of Christ and the Narrator only in text, to save space. I can do this myself, but if someone already has, it would save much time.
  • Richard MixRichard Mix
    Posts: 2,801
    Option 4) Polyphony.
    Thanked by 2tomjaw CHGiffen
  • GerardH
    Posts: 462
    Ah, to chant the Passion! There isn't an option to replace all parts with laymen, is there? Sadly our priest doesn't sing confidently.
  • a_f_hawkins
    Posts: 3,471
    Like it or not in the OF it is allowable for all parts of he Passion to be read/sung† by lay readers, but it is not encouraged.
    21. The narrative of the Lord’s Passion is read without candles and without incense, with no greeting or signing of the book. It is read by a Deacon or, if there is no Deacon, by a Priest. It may also be read by readers, with the part of Christ, if possible, reserved to a Priest.
    That's from Palm Sunday, Good Friday says "in the same way as the preceding Sunday"
    † there is a general rubric that read always means sung or read
    Thanked by 1GerardH
  • GambaGamba
    Posts: 548
    Richard Mix: My predecessors did Englished Victoria several years, and the same situation happened: people persisted in trying to sing along with Tommy.

    Our pastor is an excellent baritone, and he sings Christus beautifully. Last year our new assistant (a tenor) was S., and did very well. The permanent deacon is...not up for the task, so it is left to me to narrate, but 2/3 in stoles is not bad.


  • Richard MixRichard Mix
    Posts: 2,801
    It's very hard for me to imagine anyone attempting sing-along Victoria (at least the way I do it), but your option 2 sounds like a potential win. Or else throw them a curve by using Englished Schütz, or Guerrero with one of the Iberian passion tones.
    Thanked by 2tomjaw Gamba
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