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Responsories for Holy Week

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Responsories for Holy Week

Responsories for Holy Week (Latin: Responsoria pro hebdomada sancta) are three sets of nine responsories, for Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday respectively, the three days of the Holy Week preceding Easter Sunday. They are also known as the Tenebrae responsories, and were set to music for instance by Carlo Gesualdo (Responsoria et alia ad Officium Hebdomadae Sanctae spectantia, 1611) and by Jan Dismas Zelenka (ZWV 55).

Contents

The Night Hours (preceding the Little Hours) of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday consist of matins (each with three nocturns) and lauds. The lessons of these matins (three for each nocturn) are referred to as the Lamentations of Jeremiah the Prophet, although only those of the first nocturn for each of these services are from Jeremiah's Book of Lamentations: those of the second nocturns are derived from Saint Augustine (his commentaries on the Psalms), and those of the third nocturns from the Epistles.

As in some traditions these services were held the preceding evening for each of these days, the 27 Tenebrae lessons (French: Leçons de ténèbres) are sometimes indicated by Holy Wednesday – Maundy Thursday – Good Friday rather than the Maundy Thursday – Good Friday – Holy Saturday based names. The responsories following each lesson of these matins (so also 27) were usually sung, and these are the Tenebrae Responsoria, or the Responsories for Holy Week. The name of a collection of such responsories may also refer to the Holy Triduum, as in Orlande de Lassus' Responsoria pro Triduo Sacro.

Responsories for Maundy Thursday

Maundy Thursday is the fifth day of the Holy Week (Latin: Feria V or Feria Quinta). In Latin the feast is also indicated as In Cœna Domini ("At the meal of the Lord", referring to the Last Supper). Thus the first nine responsories for Holy Week can appear under titles such as Feria V – In Coena Domini. When the naming is according to the preceding day, names like Les neuf répons du mercredi saint (The nine responsories of Holy Wednesday) can occur (Charpentier).

Responsories for the first nocturn of Maundy Thursday

The lessons of the first nocturn of Maundy Thursday are from Lamentations 1:1-14 (1:1–5, 1:6–9 and 1:10–14 respectively).

In monte Oliveti

The first responsory for Maundy Thursday sets the scene at Mount Olivet (in monte Oliveti), the episode referred to as the Agony of Christ at Gethsemane.

  • Free scores and text (Latin, translations) of "In monte Oliveti" in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)

    • Tristis est anima mea

    The text of the second responsory for Maundy Thursday refers to Jesus in the garden Gethsemane, addressing his disciples. The first two lines of the responsory are Matthew 26:38. The last two lines of are free anonymous poetry, predicting they will see a crowd, they will flee, and Jesus will go to be sacrificed for them.

    Settings of this responsory include a motet by Orlande de Lassus, appearing as No. 1 in the Drexel 4302 manuscript, a SSATB motet attributed to Johann Kuhnau, and a setting as part of Poulenc's Quatre motets pour un temps de pénitence.

  • Free scores and text (Latin, translations) of "Tristis est anima mea" in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)

    • Ecce, vidimus eum

  • Free scores and text (Latin, translations) of "Ecce vidimus eum" in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)

    • Responsories for the second nocturn of Maundy Thursday

    The lessons for the second nocturn of Maundy Thursday are from Saint Augustines Enarrationes in Psalmos

    Amicus meus

  • Audio:  "Amicus meus" by Tomás Luis de Victoria 
  • Free scores and text (Latin, translations) of "Amicus meus osculi" in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)

    • Judas mercator pessimus

  • Free scores and text (Latin, translations) of "Judas mercator pessimus" in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)

    • Unus ex discipulis meis

  • Audio:  "Unus ex discipulis meis" by Tomás Luis de Victoria 
  • Free scores and text (Latin, translations) of "Unus ex discipulis" in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)

    • Responsories for the third nocturn of Maundy Thursday

    The lessons for the third nocturn of Maundy Thursday are from 1 Corinthians II: 17-34

    Eram quasi agnus innocens

  • Free scores and text (Latin, translations) of "Eram quasi agnus innocens" in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)

    • Una hora

  • Free scores and text (Latin, translations) of "Una hora" in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)

    • Seniores populi

  • Free scores and text (Latin, translations) of "Seniores populi" in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)

    • Responsories for Good Friday

    Good Friday is the sixth day of the Holy Week (Latin: Feria VI or Feria Sexta). In Latin the occasion is also indicated as In Parasceve (Parasceve being Latin for Friday). Thus the first nine responsories for Holy Week can appear under titles such as Feria VI – In Parasceve.

    Responsories for the first nocturn of Good Friday

    The lessons of the first nocturn of Good Friday are from Lamentations 2:8-15 and 3:1-9 (2:8–11, 2:12–15 and 3:1–9 respectively).

    Omnes amici mei

  • Free scores and text (Latin, translations) of "Omnes amici mei" in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)

    • Velum templi scissum est

  • Free scores and text (Latin, translations) of "Velum templi" in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)

    • Vinea mea electa

  • Free scores and text (Latin, translations) of "Vinea mea electa" in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)

    • Tamquam ad latronem existis

  • Free scores and text (Latin, translations) of "Tamquam ad latronem" in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)

    • Tenebrae factae sunt

  • Free scores and text (Latin, translations) of "Tenebrae factae sunt" in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)

    • Animam meam dilectam

  • Free scores and text (Latin, translations) of "Animam meam dilectam" in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)

    • Responsories for the third nocturn of Good Friday

    The lessons for the third nocturn of Holy Saturday are taken from Hebrews 4:11 – 5:10.

    Tradiderunt me

  • Free scores and text (Latin, translations) of "Tradiderunt me" in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)

    • Jesum tradidit impius

  • Free scores and text (Latin, translations) of "Jesum tradidit impius" in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)

    • Caligaverunt oculi mei

  • Audio:  "Caligaverunt oculi mei" by Tomás Luis de Victoria 
  • Free scores and text (Latin, translations) of "Caligaverunt oculi mei" in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)

    • Responsories for Holy Saturday

    Sab(b)ato Sancto is the Latin name of Holy Saturday, thus the Responsories for this day can appear under titles such as Sabbato Sancto.

    Responsories for the first nocturn of Holy Saturday

    The lessons of the first nocturn of Holy Saturday are from Lamentations, 3:22–30, 4:1–6 and 5:1–11 respectively.

    Sicut ovis

  • Free scores and text (Latin, translations) of "Sicut ovis ad occisionem" in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)

    • Jerusalem surge

  • Free scores and text (Latin, translations) of "Jerusalem surge et exue" in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)

    • Plange quasi virgo

    This responsory has some parallels with the Book of Joel, e.g. "plange quasi virgo" ("Lament like a virgin", 1:8), "accingite vos et plangite sacerdotes ululate ministri altaris" ("Put on sackcloth and mourn, you priests; Wail, you ministers of the altar", 1:13) and "magnus enim dies Domini et terribilis valde" ("for the day of Yahweh is great and very awesome", 2:11).

  • Free scores and text (Latin, translations) of "Plange quasi virgo" in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)

    • Recessit pastor noster

  • Free scores and text (Latin, translations) of "Recessit Pastor noster" in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)

    • O vos omnes

    The text is adapted from the Latin Vulgate translation of Lamentations 1:12. Some of the most famous settings of the text are by Tomás Luis de Victoria (two settings for four voices: 1572 and 1585), Carlo Gesualdo (five voices: 1603; six voices: 1611), and Pablo Casals (mixed choir: 1932).

  • Audio:  "O vos omnes" by Tomás Luis de Victoria (1585) performed by The Tudor Consort 
  • Free scores and text (Latin, translations) of "O vos omnes" in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)

    • Ecce quomodo moritur justus

    Based on Isaiah 57:1–2. A german version of the text of this responsory is set as Der Gerechte kömmt um.

  • Free scores and text (Latin, translations) of "Ecce quomodo moritur" in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)

    • Responsories for the third nocturn of Holy Saturday

    The three lessons for the third nocturn of Holy Saturday are Hebrews 9:11–14, 9:15–18 and 9:19–22 respectively.

    Astiterunt reges terrae

  • Free scores and text (Latin, translations) of "Astiterunt reges terrae" in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)

    • Aestimatus sum

  • Free scores and text (Latin, translations) of "Aestimatus sum" in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)

    • Sepulto Domino

  • Free scores and text (Latin, translations) of "Sepulto Domino" in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)

    • References

    Responsories for Holy Week Wikipedia
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