Tenebrae
  • MCMLIV
    Posts: 7
    At Staff Meeting this morning, the Pastor suggested we begin the practice of singing Tenebrae on Good Friday (evening?). My experince with singing Tenebrae is limited....any suggestions? I am familiar with the booklet used st St Louis Cathedral-Basilica and I may utilize that resource....but I also have attended some "Tenebrae Services" that were, in reality, Lessons and Carols for Good Friday - not what we have in mind. Some direction on this would be helpful. Has anyone added hymndoy or a mix of chant and polyphony? Thanks so much.
  • marajoymarajoy
    Posts: 781
    try searching under the search tab on this forum for "tenebrae"
  • Steve CollinsSteve Collins
    Posts: 1,021
    I have done such a Liturgy - years ago at Our Lady of Walsingham. Are you looking at English or Latin?
  • MCMLIV
    Posts: 7
    English at the moment....
  • mahrt
    Posts: 517
    On the traditional model, psalms and lessons, especially the Lamentations of Jeremiah. As the most stripped-down office of the year, no introductory versicles, no hymn, only essentials. I would avoid hymns. Polyphony is part of the tradition, though; I have most often done the Lamentations of Victoria, but there are settings by a range of composers.
  • maestrodicapella
    Posts: 126
    I might be able to help you.

    Last year I spent ages editing the Tenebrae psalms and responsories in English, but based on the Gregorian melodies. Many I set alternatively with fauxbourdons. Half way through I changed my mind about the way I had typeset it and because of time constraints (and the lack of ANY interest in Scotland) I've not managed to re-do the stuff I did, nor finish the project I started. But I'm sure there is stuff you could salvage if you want.

    Also, the Canons Regular of St John Cantius in Chicago publish Tenebrae chant booklets which are limited, but very useful and in English.
  • MCMLIV
    Posts: 7
    I appreciate everyone's assistance.....researching like a fiend now...what did we do before the internet? :)
  • Bruce E. Ford
    Posts: 429
    Attached is my setting of the psalms and antiphons of the office of Tenebrae provided in the Episcopal Church's BOOK OF OCCASIONAL SERVICES.

    This office draws psalms from all three traditional Tenebrae services (Thursday, Friday, Saturday).

    If you must use a psalm translation authorized for liturgical use in the Roman Catholic Church, what I have done will be of little use to you. If you have some freedom respecting the translation, you may be able to use some of this material.

    The chant responsories of Tenebrae are not patient of satisfactory adaptation to English. I have tried to adapt them many times and always abandoned the effort. I suggest that if you cannot sing the responsories in Latin, you should sing the English texts to psalm tones. The psalms and antiphons, on the other hand, can be adapted quite nicely, I think.
  • Bruce E. Ford
    Posts: 429
    I forgot to attach the music. Here it is.
    Tenebrae psalms and antiphons.pdf
    185K
    Thanked by 2M. Jackson Osborn FKulash
  • MCMLIV
    Posts: 7
    Bruce, thank you so much for your insights and the link. I will use approved RC translations - but all resources are invaluable when undertaking this type of project. I am using your material as a reference....again...thank you!
  • maestrodicapella
    Posts: 126
    As promised...

    I created this little set of Lamentations in English for parish use. The most basic of choirs or cantors can use them. The polyphonic setting of the greek letters is all my own work, which is why it's very limited! I hope to re-typeset them and make them clearer.

    I may be right in saying (although if I'm wrong, I have no doubt I'll be put right on this forum!) that the lessons of the first nocturne (the Lamentations) were the only ones sung. The lessons of the other nocturnes were spoken.

    I have most of the psalms for the Holy Saturday Tenebrae (usually sung on Good Friday evening, I think) but I don't like the way I've typeset them either and haven't found the time to re-do them all.
    Lesson 3 (Holy Sat Lamentation).pdf
    15K
    Lesson 2 (Holy Sat Lamentation).pdf
    22K
    Lesson 1 (Holy Sat Lamentation).pdf
    25K
    Thanked by 2Jehan_Boutte M. Jackson Osborn
  • Ralph BednarzRalph Bednarz
    Posts: 489
    We use LOTH for Friday but pray this office Wednesday night. Meinrad Psalm tones, and Mundelein Tones. Easy to sing with one cantor. Some files need to be updated because if forgot the key signature. modern notation.
  • Chris Garton-Zavesky
    Posts: 6,902
    Where (I've used the site, but I can't for the life of me remember where!) are the prophesies for the Easter Vigil set to neumes in Latin?
  • Andrew_Malton
    Posts: 1,159
    I literally just this second printed them from here: http://www.windsorlatinmass.org/latin/chant.htm
    Thanked by 2Chris Garton-Zavesky tomjaw
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    Very cool lesson tones in here:

    https://media.musicasacra.com/books/laudes_festivae_1940.pdf
    Thanked by 1tomjaw
  • ClemensRomanusClemensRomanus
    Posts: 1,023
    We’ve used the Laudes Festivae tones before. This year the new Priest decided not to do Tenebrae.
  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,704
    This year Tenebrae was advertised in the parish newsletter, and was very well attended. We only do Wednesday and Friday night Tenebrae as Thursday is rather busy with the N.O. Mass and all night adoration.
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