Chanted Passion Resources - Palm Sunday/Good Friday
  • Does anyone have links or suggestions for a simple chant resource for Palm Sunday/Good Friday

    We have used the Batastini version from GIA before, and are looking for something simpler for three cantors (i.e. not as through-composed). Any ideas, or a re-direction to the appropriate thread would be much appreciated.
  • I'm just bumping my own discussion to say that after searching past threads and various publishers, I still haven't found a notated Passion available for sale or free download. There is the Batastini version through GIA, but I'm looking for something set to the solemn gospel tone. The Batastini seems too acrobatic to me (e.g. often the low voice ends on "do" and the high voice comes in on "ti" a major seventh higher, many jumps of sixths, etc.). Even with the trained singers we had last year, all the jumping between voice parts was disconcerting and awkward to the narrative, in my opinion.

    Anyhow, anyone have a lead for me before I settle down for many lengthy Gregorio sessions?
  • I've used Rev. Samuel Weber's St. John Passion on Good Friday for several years.

    http://media.musicasacra.com/pdf/passion_john.pdf
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • Thanks for the links!

    After looking through these I realized my own ignorance - Batastini is merely the editor of the GIA books, and only made a few slight alterations from the traditional tones.

    So my beef is with the traditional tones...and the often awkward jumps between low, medium, and high ranges. I suppose if I want the text set to the standard solemn gospel tone, I will have to point that myself.
  • Are there any resources with the required NAB text, the traditional passion tone(s), and square notation?
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,287
    I've begun transcribing the Good Friday Passion as arranged by myself for the NAB text and Dominican tone (already posted, in stemless notes, in another thread), but I don't expect to complete it before Holy Week, if that soon. My plan is (was) to make the square note edition available once final revisions have been made to my pointing and adaptation to the Dominican tone. Then, if I'm so moved, I might also set the Batastini 1999 version of the traditional setting (with some corrections) to square notes, but not before I'm finished with the Dominican tone setting.
  • vogelkwvogelkw
    Posts: 55
    Daniel,
    A couple years ago I took Fr. Weber's setting (mentioned above) and typeset it in square note notation so it would be easier for me to sing. I haven't looked at it in a while, so it could possibly have errors. I have also provided the gabc code in case someone wants to make a nicer looking pdf or needs to fix errors.
    PassionFinal.pdf
    288K
    passion.gabc
    21K
  • Earl_GreyEarl_Grey
    Posts: 929
    Here's my first attempt at notating this in Dorico. I attempted to transcribe Fr. Weber's version posted above but with the melody only since we don't use accompaniment. Still new to Dorico, so I am open to edits and suggestions especially with the layout. I decided to use a reciting tone which mostly matches the original, though individual notes would have made things simpler. I did correct a few minor text mistakes in the original score to match the Lectionary.

    I used a stemless quarter note for original eighth notes and a half note for the original quarters, which basically follows what the Missal does, but I'm sure there could be other editorial options.

    Last year I sang this with both scores open and flipping back and forth. There are some errors in the GABC, but I don't think I'll have time for that before Holy Week.

    [edit: a few typos and lyric alignment issues corrected 3/30/26]
    The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ According to John.pdf
    181K
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,287
    As mentioned above, for Good Friday, here is The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ According to John in the Dominican Chant Tone with the traditional New American Bible text as found in Lectionary for Mass (copyright © 1998).
    St John Passion-G clef.pdf
    422K
  • Xopheros
    Posts: 102
    We have sung many a capella settings on Good Friday, with the most impressive the St. John Passion by Schütz (although I personally find his St. Luke Passion even more touching). It requires some preparation, though. Moreover, unlike the other passions mentioned in this thread which do not set the meaning of the text but its grammatical structure, it is very closely closely connected to the meaning of the text and thus idomatically bound to a specific language and translation (by Luther in the case of Schütz).

    For choirs/scholas with limited resources, I therefore have written a three part a capella St. John Passion in the style of Schütz, but based on different public domain translations: the Douay-Rheims translation for the English version (the officially approved catholic version around 1900) and by Allioli for the German version (the officially approved catholic translation until about 1970).

    Although it will be too late for this year, just in case anyone might find it useful for next year, here it is: https://music.dalitio.de/choir/dalitz/johannespassion/.
  • Heath
    Posts: 993
    Thank you, Christoph! Typo on title page..."threee" (sic) :)
  • Xopheros
    Posts: 102
    @Heath Typo on title page..."threee"

    This typo is so funny (kind of text interpretation in writing), that I never corrected it. Nevertheless, I have just eventually done so, albeit without increasing the version number (which hopefully won't lead to confusion).