Wow, a live report from the Vatican!!

Tonight, for us, it is chant, Vitoria, Obrecht, Franco, Allegri, Bach.

Claire H,

You might be interested in this adaptation of the Allegri, which can be sung at every Mass by just four singers!

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AUDIO SAMPLE

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PDF SCORE (Simple adaptation of Allegri's Miserere for the Agnus Dei)

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Taken from HERE.

Again, I'm very content with this year's Good Friday. The only part I'm iffy about is the choice for the communion, which is lifted from the Compline responsory. My thinking with the two added motets is that we were only repeating in Latin something that had already been sung in English.

[the organ is still OFF]
Psalm: 31 (Marier) [second half of each verse sung from the loft SATB]
Gospel acclamation: based on Kyrie / Ite from Mass XI (GIA)
Veneration of the Cross: Faithful Cross above all other (tune: Crux fidelis) from Plainchant Gradual [thanks for this!]
Special collection: Crux fidelis (Clemens non Papa)
Communion: In manus tuas (Pujol)
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Meditation on the Seven Last Words of Christ (excerpts from Gounod, adapt. for unaccompanied SATB voices)
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Stations of the Cross (each station includes a stanza sung to the tune STABAT MATER) [with improvised parallel organum at a fourth below from some member(s) of the congregation!]

Saint Edward Church, Newark, CA 1:00 PM & 7:30 PM Solemn Liturgy of Good Friday
Psalm 31 Set by Rev. Jeffrey R. Keyes, CPPS
Gradual "Christus factus est" ... Mode V
Passion sung to the traditional tone (in English) by Fr. Keyes, Dan Harris (tenor) & Matthew Gagliardi (Counter-tenor)
General Intercessions chanted
Adoration of the Cross: "Ecce lignum crucis", " Crucem tuam," "Popule Meus" ... de Victoria, "Crux fidelis" with
"Pange lingua" ... Mode 1
Communion: "Our Father" ... Snow, "Adoramus te" ... Mode 1, followed by Th. Dubois setting, 'Ave verum" ... Byrd,
"O Bone Jesu" ... Ingegneri

Serbian Orthodox Holy Friday Vigil
(Vespers and Holy Saturday Matins)

Serbian chant, some Obikhod tones, and lots of Serbian polyphony for the texts and hymns of the liturgy.
Procession with the burial shroud: Trisagion in Slavonic (holy God, holy Mighty, holy Immortal, have mercy on us)
Veneration of the shroud: the noble Joseph (Serbian melody, in English)

Aristotle's Psalm was definately the highlight of the service.. it worked especially well in our accoustics.

The only thing we did was "Sing, My Tongue, the Glorious Battle" (a cappella) during the Veneration of the Cross. No other music.

Psalm 31 - from By Flowing Waters

Veneration: Popule Meus, Victoria
Were You There
Alas and did my savior bleed, protestant hymn that I arranged
O Sacred Head Surrounded
God So Loved the World, Stainer

Communion: Draw Near, Steven Janco published by WLP
Anima Christi, Michael Burgo, published by WLP


All of this was ACappella, with a cello providing additional bass to support congregational singing and to give pitches.

There was not a note of music, save for a simple chant for the Gospel Acclamation and intoning of "This is the wood of the Cross...." This was the instruction of our priest, a wonderfully holy man who is still serving at age 82. After the liturgy, he remarked to me (I was the lector) he did miss the choir. I did reply that sometime silence is a wonderful thing, to which he agreed.

A note to my previous post. The regular scheduled Masses are conducted versus populum, so this was a great thing to see. It was reminiscent of old pictures I have seen of the Cathedral, prior to the 1980's.

Saint Francis de Sales Oratory
Institute of Christ the King
Saint Louis, MO

Solemn Afternoon Liturgy

Responsory - Domine audivi auditum (versicles in alternatim Men's Schola/ Ladies' Schola)
Responsory - Eripe me, Domine (versicles in alternatim)

Veneration of the Cross
Reproaches - Popule Meus - Victoria
Crucem Tuam mode 4
Crux Fidelis mode 1
Miserere - Allegri
Crucifixus a 8 - Lotti
Caligaverunt Oculi Mei - Victoria
Sequence - Stabat Mater mode 2 (We had a lot of people!)

Communion - Psalm 21

(silence)
Psalm: Respond & Acclaim
Collection: What Wondrous Love
Veneration of the Cross:
Reproaches
Psalm 51- Miserere (4-part chanted setting by Perosi, alternating with chant)
Were You There
Communion:
Pater, Si Non
Sing My Tongue (Picardy)
(silence)

Good Friday (2 PM) at St. Ignatius, Mt. Horeb, WI

Responsorial Psalm: plainsong, mode II
Gospel Acclamation: plainsong, mode II
Veneration of the Cross:
Antiphon & Verse: Crucem tuam, Roman Missal; Psalm 66(67):2 (Esguerra)
Reproaches (plainsong)
Hymn: Crux fidelis (plainsong, mode I)
Communion:
Psalm 21(22) (plainsong, mode II)
Psalm 130: I Place All My Trust (GC 128/RS 175)
“Christus factus est...mortem autem crucis” Philippians 2: 8–9 (Anerio)
Hymn after Communion: O Sacred Head Surrounded (GC 415/RS 569)

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Wyandotte Michigan

(All unaccompanied; the organ is silenced after the Gloria on Holy Thursday. At the sound of a "clacker" from the sacristy, the ministers enter, all kneel and the priest and deacon prostrate themselves at the foot of the altar.)

Responsorial Psalm: R & A
Gospel Acclamation: (From "People's Mass" by Vermulst)

At Veneration of the Cross: "Crucem tuam . . ." (antiphon and psalm verse appointed for the beginning of the Reproaches in the Gregorian Missal; sung by a single cantor. The people are not invited to venerate at this time; only the priest, deacon and altar boys venerate. The Faithful venerate at the conclusion of the service. I'm not sure why it's done this way, and you'll understand if I say it's not the ditch I care to die in.)

(Preparation of the altar and procession of the Blessed Sacrament from the Altar of Repose is in silence).

Communion: Bądźże Pozdrowiona (traditional Polish eucharistic hymn)

As a part of the concluding rites, the Polish tradition of reading together Psalm 116, followed by a prayer and the singing of Płaczcie Anieli at the tomb is observed. All are asked to come forward to venerate the Cross and depart in silence.

During the Veneration of the Cross the following hymns were sung: O Sacred Head, Surrounded; W krzyżu cierpienie

I should point out that the Triduum at Our Lady of Mount Carmel is perhaps the most intense celebration I've experienced in a post-conciliar parish church. For Good Friday the altar table at communion is set with a crucifix and two candles ad orientem (the only time this is done for the whole year. It suggests to me that ad orientem would be welcomed if introduced as a regular arrangement, if not the Benedictine arrangement versus populum). The service is well-done and simple; it lacks the "drama" that many progressive parishes attempt to infuse into the rites, and yet it remains intense and reverent. There are certain problems and weaknesses with the music (inherited from previous music directors), but the Pastor and people are very open to change and progress as long as it is slow, and respects the sensibilities of the people. I hope that next year we will be able to sing the entirety of the Reproaches and restore the veneration of the Cross for all to its proper place. Brick by brick.

Good Friday, April 22, 2011
St David of Wales Church, Richmond CA

Silent Entrance
Grad. ps. 22 Father, into your hands (Guil)
Gospel accl. (after orbis factor)
The Passion according to St. John (turbae by Victoria as arr. by Bud Clark)
chanted intercessions
Behold the Wood of the Cross (new- we'd gotten used to doing a Kiswahili version)
Crucem tuam & Improperia (solo, from American Gradual)
process. from altar of repose: When I Survey ROCKINGHAM (a short silence covered this instead)
Distribution hymns: O Sacred Head & Were you there (organ silent after first intro; the congregation only really took courage on the second of these)
Announcements, before the
Silent Departure

about 74' altogether

Charles, did you do alright juggling, or have you a pasted edition of the Reproaches?

Psalm/Gospel Acclamation: Respond & Acclaim
Veneration of the Cross: Behold the Wood
Communion: Sing, My Tongue

We had organ accompaniment (very quiet). We were going to do everything a cappela and even practiced for it but then the pastor changed his mind.

And that was it. Having most everything in silence was pretty nice. I wish we could do more Latin and stray outside the hymnal more, but it's limited either by the pastor, by lack of singers, and lack of the time to practice.

Psalm: Oost-Zinner
Crucem Tuam: Romanum
Improperia: Romanum
4 Responsories from Victoria Tenebrae
O Sacred Head

Charles,

That's not for me to say, but I do wear a pencil in place of St David's leek behind an ear, which avoids any confusion with EFT. I was curious because a polyphonic burden is very much in my three year plan. Now I might consider working it in bit by bit myself! I'm not familiar with the Handel, though.

Pittsburgh Oratory of St. Philip Neri

Resp. psalm: Aristotle Esguerra
Gospel acc.: Aristotle Esguerra
Veneration of the Cross: Crux fidelis
Communion received in prayerful silence

Identical to last year at St. Olaf (Bountiful, UT), the only music was the intoning of the Gospel Acclamation and at the Veneration of the Cross.

Jerónimos, Lisbon, Portugal
Psalm: Pai nas Vossas mãos, Manuel Luís (= In manus tuas Pater, in Portuguese)
Before the Gospel: Christus factus est pro nobis, Graduale Romanum
Adoration: Ecce lignum crucis, Graduale Romanum
Adoration: Popule meus, Tomas Luis de Victoria (verses from the Graduale Romanum, of course)
Communion: Psalm 21 (in a Gregorian tone, but sung in Portuguese)

benedictgal

You can tell the people of the music program that Mary was quite informed so they don't need to keep asking.

Our Lady of Victory Church, Rochester, NY

Service was completely a capella, no organ.

Responsorial Psalm - Sayles/Gertken, adapt. - from Living Liturgy Missalet, Liturgical Press
Gospel Acclamation - from Garnier Alleluias site
Collection for the Holy Land - hymn “O Sacred Head Surrounded” - choir in 4 part harmony
Veneration of the Cross - Improperia from Anglican Use Gradual, with additional verses from Gregorian Missal (there were a lot of people there)
Communion - Crux fidelis (Anglican Use Gradual) - choir sang refrain, cantor sang verses

I feel really bad for benedictgal. Mass for her is a weekly ordeal, the thing that makes her madder than anything else in her life. This is upsidedown. It should not be this way. God does not permit torture like this without also providing some way out, some means of salvation. She just has to find what it is.

O the pain of it all.