Here's a video of the Palm Sunday Offertory, from last year's Palm Sunday mass at St. Peter's in Rome. I'm very happy to have a video of the mass itself; it's so much better to be able to see how the chant fits in and works with what's going on in the liturgy.
Palm Sunday may be my favorite of all days on the Church calendar; it's so complex, and contains such an incredible range of events and emotions that it seems to me almost a comprehensive description of human life on earth - all encapsulated in a single day. The mass begins with the joy of Hosanna, filio David, and the triumphant hymn Gloria, laus, et honor tibi - and then the Tract takes a 180-degree turn with the Psalm 22-based Deus, deus meus. The rest of the chants for the day are pure mournfulness, the intimation of disaster everywhere.
This text, for instance, comes from the mourning Psalm (68)/69, vv. 20-21; here's my translation (with the help of Google Translate):
The Gradual continues the theme of mourning, with Christus factus est - the same Gradual sung on Good Friday. Finally, the Communio has the very last word on the day, again anticipating the Passion: "Father, if this cup cannot pass away, unless I drink it: your will be done."
Palestrina set the text of today's Offertory; it's here in the video below. The YouTube page says it comes from the same mass - Palm Sunday at St. Peter's, from last year - and it seems to be part of the Offertory rite as well. I'm not sure why; cups seem to be carried to the altar in both videos, so it would seem that the two pieces were sung back-to-back. I suppose in such a large place and with so many people in attendance, you would need more music - so perhaps that's it.
And of course, Handel used this text in Messiah, as well, as "Thy Rebuke hath broken his heart":
Here are all the chants for the day, from the Brazilian Benedictines:
I'm still looking for a complete sung Gregorian Passion of any of the synoptic Gospels; this year it's Luke. Haven't found anything yet, though.
Here's Duccio di Buoninsegna's Entry into Jerusalem, from sometime around 1310:
Palm Sunday may be my favorite of all days on the Church calendar; it's so complex, and contains such an incredible range of events and emotions that it seems to me almost a comprehensive description of human life on earth - all encapsulated in a single day. The mass begins with the joy of Hosanna, filio David, and the triumphant hymn Gloria, laus, et honor tibi - and then the Tract takes a 180-degree turn with the Psalm 22-based Deus, deus meus. The rest of the chants for the day are pure mournfulness, the intimation of disaster everywhere.
This text, for instance, comes from the mourning Psalm (68)/69, vv. 20-21; here's my translation (with the help of Google Translate):
My heart hath expected reproach and misery; I looked for someone to grieve together with me, but there was none to comfort me; I sought him, and found him not. And they gave me gall for my food, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
The Gradual continues the theme of mourning, with Christus factus est - the same Gradual sung on Good Friday. Finally, the Communio has the very last word on the day, again anticipating the Passion: "Father, if this cup cannot pass away, unless I drink it: your will be done."
Palestrina set the text of today's Offertory; it's here in the video below. The YouTube page says it comes from the same mass - Palm Sunday at St. Peter's, from last year - and it seems to be part of the Offertory rite as well. I'm not sure why; cups seem to be carried to the altar in both videos, so it would seem that the two pieces were sung back-to-back. I suppose in such a large place and with so many people in attendance, you would need more music - so perhaps that's it.
And of course, Handel used this text in Messiah, as well, as "Thy Rebuke hath broken his heart":
Here are all the chants for the day, from the Brazilian Benedictines:
Hebdomada Sancta Antiphona: Hosanna filio David (34.9s - 548 kb)
Dominica in Palmis de Passione DominiAd processionem Procedamus (8.3s - 133 kb)
Antiphona: Pueri... portantes (2m24.9s - 2266 kb)
Antiphona: Pueri... vestimenta (1m18.4s - 1228 kb)
Hymnus ad Christum Regem: Gloria, laus (2m43.7s - 2558 kb)
Responsorium: Ingrediente Domino (3m34.2s - 3350 kb)Ad Missam Tractus: Ps. 21, 2-9.18.19.22.24.32 Deus, Deus meus (1m54.7s - 1794 kb)
Graduale: Phil. 2, 8. V. 9 Christus factus est (2m19.3s - 2178 kb)
Offertorium: Ps. 68, 21.22 Improperium... et dederunt (2m40.2s - 2504 kb)
Communio: Mt. 26, 42 Pater, si non potest (3m28.0s - 3252 kb)
And here are some Palm Sunday posts on Chantblog:
- Palm Sunday: Hosanna, Filio David (included here are the other Liturgy of the Palms antiphons and the hymn Gloria, laus)
- The Palm Sunday Tract: Deus, Deus Meus
- Christus factus est (The Palm Sunday Gradual)
- Palm Sunday and sung Passion, from Trinity Wall Street
- The Passion Reading Chanted by the Trinity Choir
I'm still looking for a complete sung Gregorian Passion of any of the synoptic Gospels; this year it's Luke. Haven't found anything yet, though.
Here's Duccio di Buoninsegna's Entry into Jerusalem, from sometime around 1310:
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