March 31st - Good Friday Evening - Tenebrae of Holy Saturday

Tenebrae of Holy Saturday is sung on the evening of Good Friday. It is the shortest of three Tenebrae services. The choir altar is bare and just has the six candlesticks and unveiled Cross as at the morning celebration of the Mass of the Pre-Sanctified. Choir reverences are omitted this night and until the completion of None tomorrow. Otherwise the ceremonies are the same as on the previous two nights.

Mattins begins with the antiphon In pace is idipsum dormiam et requiescam. The psalms of the first nocturn are Pss. 4, 14 & 15. The first lesson from the Lament of Jeremy the Prophet is longer than that found in the later books and has three Caph verses from the third chapter absent in those books. The second lesson has a final verse Zain absent from the later books. The third lesson, the Prayer of Jeremy the Prophet, is also longer and continues Principes manu... nobis quia peccavimus, i.e. the inclusion of vv. 12-16 of the fifth chapter. In the second nocturn the psalms are Pss. 23, 26 & 29. The lessons are taken from St. Augstine's Tract on the Psalms. The fifth and sixth lesson are slightly longer than those found in the post-Clementine books. In the third nocturn the psalms are Pss.53, 75 & 87. The lessons are from the ninth chapter of Hebrews. These are considerably longer than those found in the later books. The text of the ninth lesson Necesse est ergo ... expectantibus se, in salutem, i.e. vv 23-28 is entirely absent from the later books.

Lauds follows immediately beginning with the antiphon O mors, ero mors tua, morsus tuus ero inferne. There are five antiphons sung with Pss. 50, 42, 62-66, Ego dixi & 148-149-150. The antiphon on the Benedictus is Mulieres sedentes ad monunmentum lamentabantur, flentes Dominum. The Benedictus is sung to the same tone 1 chant as the previous two evenings. After the antiphon has been repeated the choir kneels and sings the antiphon Christus factus est pro nobis obediens usque ad mortem. Mortem autem Crucis. Propter quod et Deus exaltavit illum et dedit illi nomen, quod est super omne nomen. After that follows the Miserere and the collect Respice.

March 30th - Mandy Thursday Evening - Tenebrae of Good Friday

During the late afternoon or early evening of Mandy Thursday Compline is sung followed by Tenebrae . Compline takes the bare form of the other Hours of the Triduum as this morning. Compline begins with the Hebdomadarius reciting the Confiteor followed by rest of the choir responding with Misereatur and then reciting the Confiteor. After Indulgentiam Psalm 4 is recited, without antiphon and without the Lesser Doxology at its conclusion. This is followed by the first six verses of Psalm 30 and Pss. 90 and 133. The Nunc dimittis follows at once, again without antiphon or the Lesser Doxology. After the Canticle the choir kneels and Christus factus est etc is recited, as at the Hours and Vespers this morning, ending with the Miserere and the collect Respice.

The choir altar is not vested and just has six candlesticks containing candles of unbleached wax and the altar cross veiled in black, preferably, or violet. The hearse is set up as it was yesterday evening. The candles on the altar and on the hearse are lit before Tenebrae begins. Mattins begins with the sign of the Cross is made as the cantors intone the first antiphon Astiterunt reges terrae. This is sung in full and then the first psalm Quare fremuerunt gents is intoned by the cantors. The ceremonial is the same as last night. In the first nocturn the psalms are Pss. 2, 21 & 26. The lessons of the first nocturn are from the Lament of Jeremy the Prophet. These are longer than those found in the post-Clement books. The first lesson begins with Aleph but continues with the addition of Lamed, from the second lesson in the later books, after Caph. The second lesson begins with Mem and continues with Phe, Ain and Sade after Samech. The third lesson begins with Aleph (Cap.3) and, has three verses of Daleth, i.e. vv 10-12. In the second nocturn Pss. 37, 39 & 43 are sung followed by lessons from a treatise of St. Augustine on the psalms. These are significantly longer than those found in the modern books. The fourth lesson contains the text of both the modern fourth and fifth lessons. The fifth lesson has the same text as the modern sixth lesson. The sixth lesson, Ut sagittarent ... quasi non praevise, is entirely absent from the later books. In the third nocturn Pss. 58, 87 & 93 are sung followed by lessons from St. Paul' Epistle to the Hebrews. These are longer than those in the post-Clement books. Most of the third lesson is absent from the later books.

Lauds follow immediately. The psalms sung at Lauds are Pss. 50, 142, 62-66, Domine audive and 148-149-150. After each psalm of Lauds a further candle is extinguished so that after the last psalm only the candle on the summit of the hearse is still alight. After the last antiphon is repeated a versicle and response follow. The antiphon on the Benedictus for Good Friday is Posuerunt super caput ejus causam ipsius scriptam: Jesus Nazarenus, Rex Judaeorum. As last night the altar candles are extingished during the singing of the Canticle. The candle from the hearse is hidden. Christus factus est pro nobis obediens usque ad mortem with the addition of the clause Mortem autem crucis. This is followed by a sub-secreto Pater noster and then the Miserere. After the collect Respice the strepitus is made and the choir departs.

March 29th - Spy Wednesday - Tenebrae of Mandy Thursday

During the late afternoon of Spy Wednesday Compline is sung followed by Tenebrae . At Compline the psalms still have the Lesser Doxology at their conclusion. The Dominical preces are sung and after the conclusion of the Office Ave regina caelorum is said for the last time this year. Tenebrae is Mattins and Lauds, as usual anticipated, of the following liturgical day but the Office of the Triduum shows signs of antiquity and has developed a ceremonial extinguishing of candles that mimetically represent the desertion of the LORD by his disciples and the days of darkness - hence the name. The choir altar is vested in violet antependia and the Blessed Sacrament removed if It is present on the choir altar. The altar cross is veiled in violet and the candlesticks, the plainest set used on Good Friday, have six lighted candles of unbleached wax. In the sanctuary in about the place where the Epistle is sung is placed the Tenebrae hearse. The hearse, for the Roman rite, bears fifteen lighted candles of unbleached wax.

The choir enters, seniores ante inferiores, and take their places and kneel to say Aperi, Domine and the Triple Prayer sub silentio. When the choir rises the sign of the Cross is made as the cantors intone the first antiphon of Mattins, Zelus domus tuae. This is sung in full and then the first psalm Salvum me fac, Deus intoned by the cantors. In the last verse of the psalm, after the asterisk, the tone changes and the psalm ends, regardless of the reciting tone, with a drop of a fourth. The psalms of the first nocturn are Pss. 68, 69 & 70. At the end of the psalm (the Lesser Doxology is omitted for the Triduum) the lowest candle on the Gospel side of the hearse is extinguished. Then the next antiphon is sung with its psalm etc. After the first three psalms there is a versicle and response and then all stand for a silent Pater noster. During the Triduum there are no absolutions and blessings at Mattins. The lessons of the first nocturn are from the Lament of Jeremy the Prophet. These are longer than those found in the post-Clement books. The first lesson begins with Aleph but continues with the addition of Vau after He. The second lesson begins with Zain and continues with both Jod and Caph after Teth. The third lesson begins with Lamech and, after Nun has the addition of Samech and Ain. A responsory follows each lesson. In the second nocturn, Pss. 71, 72 & 73, the lessons are from a treatise of St. Augustine on the psalms. These are the same as those found in the modern books. In the third nocturn, Pss. 74, 75 & 76, the lessons are from St. Paul to the Corinthians on the foundation of the Holy Eucharist. These are the same as in the post-Clement books. At Tenebrae the Hebdomadarius does not chant the ninth lesson. At the end of Mattins the Tenebrae Hearse has five candles exstinguished on the Gospel side and four on the Epistle side with six remaining candles still burning.

Lauds follow immediately. The psalms sung at Lauds are Pss. 50, 89, 62-66, Cantemus Domino and 148-149-150. After each psalm of Lauds a further candle is extinguished so that after the last psalm only the candle on the summit of the hearse is still alight. After the last antiphon is repeated a versicle and response follow. Then the antiphon on the Benedictus is intoned, for Mandy Thursday this is Traditor autem dedit eis signum, dicens: Quem osculatus fuero, ispe est, tenete eum. The concept of the betrayal of Judas is key to the day. The plainsong for the Benedictus is the haunting tone 1g. During the last six verses each of the altar candles is exstinguished beginning with the outside candle on the Gospel side. All other lamps in the church are now also extinguished. During the repetition of the antiphon the MC takes the candle from the hearse and places it on the mensa at the Epistle corner of the altar. All kneel and the choir now sings Christus factus est pro nobis obediens usque ad mortem. During this antiphon the MC hides the lit candle behind the altar. A Pater noster is now said in a low voice by all and then psalm 50, the Miserere is chanted in a subdued voice. This has been adapted by many composers into polyphonic masterpieces, perhaps the most famous being by Allegri. The Miserere is of course part of the ferial preces of Vespers. After the Miserere the collect Respice is chanted by the Hebdomadarius, still kneeling. Then a strepitus, is made. After the strepitus the MC brings forth the candle and returns this symbol of the light of Christ to the top of the hearse. It either remains there, or is extinguished or, what seems the better practice, is taken by the MC ahead the procession as the choir retires.