Singing it in Wisconsin

Yes.

This choir member is singing it in NH. And, agreed, love those Bach harmonies (which are also nice, since they're so good that no one ever re-arranges the hymn, so I never have to learn a new tenor line, just whatever - seemingly random - translation the hymnbook editors picked.)

BB:

I think almost all the hymnals sport the bach harmonization. however, if you don't have it, go here:

http://www.hymnary.org/media/fetch/96096

We're doing "O caput cruentatum" on page 230 (page 256 of the pdf) from the Laudes Festivae.

It's our recessional this weekend.

Ditto from CenCA

Offertory.

During communion.

Here in Strongsville OH

Offertory (It's definitely in my top 10 favorite hymns; I'll program it any chance I get!)

Closing hymn at St. John's Abbey.

I've found this effective: Start loud and get softer for each successive stanza. This is counter-intuitive, since hymns usually build to the end. But a quiet finish, and then ministers walking out in silence, is quite powerful.

awr

Closing hymn. Each successive stanza was softer.

Yep: recessional here in MA.

We've used "O SACRED HEAD" a lot during Lent. As many will know, the tune has an interesting history (seems to have been a waltz originally) but this seems like an example of what Dr. Mahrt and Dr. Skeris have talked about --- how what is originally a secular tune can be "elevated" over the centuries once it loses those associations.

Closing hymn, Mary Queen of Peace, Cleveland.
I wrote a chorale prelude on it.

I have used it, but the tune also has a different set of words in Ritual Song, "Our Father, We Have Wandered." I have used both, but singing, "O Sacred Head," is a many-years-old tradition at my parish on Good Friday.

As many will know, the tune has an interesting history (seems to have been a waltz originally)

Everybody knows Paul Simon wrote this song and that Bach stole the harmony from Garfunkel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oaaa_Ll20co

Check back with me in a few centuries about that.

Well, MT56, I've never been more convinced of the emasculation of the Passion acc. to Luke than after this weekend's recitations, but it does serve somewhat as a prequel to The Solemn Service of Good Friday. Like a lot of the comments above I've generally used the Hassler as an Offertory until this Sunday. And what made it even more of a powerful witness at the dismissal was an accident. Our organist had to leave after Communion as the Mass he leads at our sister church (of four) began in 10 minutes. It's been that way since the Scrutinies began. We've sung a capella dismissals virtually all of Lent, I'm loving it! Anyway, I motioned to the schola to sing vs. 1 unison, just to establish tonal center and focus. And then singing the chorale vs.2,3 in SATB a capella was a gift from God. We can do that all the time if necessary. But today, as all the bodies streaming to the parking lot walked by us as we sang the PASSION CHORALE reminded us of how the women stayed at the Cross, observing from a distance as the crowds fled.
That's, in a nutshell, why I don't get all worked up about congregational or even clerical respect for the dismissal hymn, the choir in the amen corner will always stay and witness. That's what we do.

"O sacred Head" - - great as far as it goes.
But is it "now wounded" or "surrounded" - - that's the question.
When I was Lutheran, it was wounded, but as a Catholic, it's just surrounded.

It's simply a matter of different translations. Neither is terribly close to the German.

Here's a version, and here's a version, and here's a version.

Well! (What more is there to say!) The English Hymnal (and The Hymnal 1940 [and 1982] in harmony with it) has 'wounded', as translated by Robert Bridges from Paul Gerhardt's original. 'Wounded' would seem (though I am not nearly a German scholar) to be the real translation of 'wunden'. Um, perhaps someone along the way thought he heard 'surrounded' when what he actually heard was 'sore wounded'???

A respectable conjecture, Chonak, except that 'sore wounded' isn't actually awkward, is it? And if it is meant to be smoothed out, this has been accomplished at the cost of the greater energy and pungent imagery both in Gerhardt, and Bridges' faithful translation. You don't really think that 'sore wounded' is awkward, do you? It is, it seems to me, far more powerful, more compelling.

The Catholic Hymn Book (The Oratory Hymnal) in England has 'sore wounded' as well.

Here is a little light: Worship III and Gather have 'surrounded', and seem to be translations of a Latin original ascribed to Bernard of Clairvaux, viz., Salve caput cruentatum. The 'wounded' ones all derive from Paul Gerhardt's O Haupt woll Blut und Wunden, which, we may posit without further research represents his translation of the Latin.

And there is this from The Hymnal 1940 Companion -
I. Salve mundi salutare (feet)
II. Salve Jesu, Rex sanctorum (knees)
III. Salve Jesu, Pastor bone (hands)
IV. Salve Jesu, summe bonus (sides)
V. Salva salus mea, Deus (breast)
VI. Summi Regis cor aveto (heart)
VII. Save caput cruentatum (face)

This is a seven part rhythmical prayer to the various members of Christ's body suffering on the cross. It is attributed to Bernard of Clairvaux.
Parts or all of the original were translated into German by several translators, most importantly Paul Gerhardt (1656). The most important English translation of the German is the one by Paul Bridges (early 19th century). Other translations with less familiar English texts, seem to have been made in reference to the original Latin.

To my 21st century ears, "O Sacred Head sore wounded" doesn't exactly make grammatical sense. What's a "sore?" A sore is a wound. So what the heck is "sore wounded?" (That's a rhetorical question. I'm just pointing out that the wording was likely modified for accessibility for the modern English-speaker.)