Holy Week Music : Classical Selection

There is also a selection of Taize chants which you can access from here

UPDATED FOR HOLY WEEK 2013
 
Click here for a very varied and rich selection of videos of classical music for Holy Week from Chant Blog.


             Gregorian Chants including a redact of Ash Wednesday chant at the start.




This is a beautiful and moving video honouring the Priesthood of Jesus Christ for Holy Thursday, featuring Washing of the Feet and The Words of the Eucharist .





 Holy Thursday
Pange Lingua 

Written by St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) for the Solemnity of Corpus
Christi, this hymn is considered the most beautiful of Aquinas' hymns
and one of the great  hymns of the Church.

The rhythm of the Pange Lingua is said to have come down from a marching song of Caesar's
Legions: "Ecce, Caesar nunc triumphat qui subegit Gallias."

Besides the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, this hymn is also used on Holy Thursday.
The last two stanzas make up the Tantum Ergo (Down in Adoration Falling)
 that is used at Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.





Barber:  Agnus Dei (with still scenes of Christ's Passion by various artists.) 
To enlarge each video click on the icon in bottom right hand corner of its screen.





Pergolesi  :Stabat Mater : means "The mother was standing" .This relates to the first lines, which describe Mother Mary standing by the cross grieving. "Stabat mater dolorosa", 'the grieving mother was standing.Video uses modern images in the world.


Karl Jenkins : Benedictus ( Blessed): This sublime piece of music always brings me to tears.


Karl Jenkins Agnus Dei from Mass for Peace





Allegri - Miserere 
 Miserere, by Italian composer Gregorio Allegri (1582-1652), is a setting of Psalm 51 composed during the reign of Pope Urban VIII, probably during the 1630s, for use in the Sistine Chapel during matins as part of the exclusive Tenebrae service on Wednesday and Friday of Holy Week. It was the last of twelve misereres composed and chanted at the service since 1514 and the most popular: at some point, it became forbidden to transcribe the music and it was only allowed to be performed at those particular services, adding to the mystery surrounding it. Writing it down or performing it elsewhere was punishable by excommunication !!





Russian chant for Good Friday of the Holy and Great Week.
Title: "Видящи Тя висима, Христе" (Seeing Thee hanging, O Christ).
Performers: Moscow Sretensky Monastery Choir

What Wondrous Love is This using a photo montage of images of the Passion by James Tissot. From St. Luke's Episcopal Church Choir of Louisville, Ky at the Washington D.C. National Cathedral, May 21 2006 - Arranged by: Brench Boden, Choirmaster: Lisa Lewis



Mozart :  Ave Verum CorpusTranslation is on screen ; you will need to enlarge it !


Les Choristes: Music by Bruno Coulais : In Memoriam
Kyrie Eleison (Lord have mercy on us) 
Christe Eleison (Christ have mercy on us)


Alfred Deller "Jesu Salvator Saeculi"

 Jesus Saviour For Eternity / All Ages.

                                                                   Miserere Mei
Deus, Deus meus, quare me dereliquísti?
 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?




    

3 comments:

claire said...

I am so thrilled with your musical selection that I have shared it on FB. I am also bookmarking it so that I can return to this page. I learn so much from you, Phil.
Blessings.

Phil Ewing said...

Hey Thom; it's great to have you visit. Hope you are well.
Thank you for bringing the elusive title of the music here.
It is lovely and one I have not heard before.
All Blessings to you for the coming Holy week

Thom Curnutte said...

The first vid is an arrangement of "Softly and Tenderly," a very nice Prot. hymn. Lovely arrangement, best I've heard.