Good Friday

14 April 2017

Psalm 30	Father, into your hands (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	Lenten (mtgf)
Adoration of the Cross	Reproaches (Peter Jones)
	O vos omnes (Victoria)
Communion	O Crux ave (Rihards Dubra)
	When I survey the wondrous cross

The list above does not always include everything which is sung, for example, the procession with the cross was sung to the simple Missal tone. We also sing a short acclamation during the Passion readings on Sunday and today. I think this a better option than the congregation being the crowd (which seems to me a false-participation). I also think that a short acclamation is better than a hymn for three reasons: it should be short and not stop the narrative, just punctuate it; ideally it should be something people know so that they can participate by heart, thirdly most hymns are general passion rather than specific to the narrative. For a number of years we have used John Bell's Behold the Lamb of God for both Sunday and Friday. I have been aware that John's Passion has a different emphasis and wanted to reflect this in the acclamation. This year we tried my For God so loved the world — a Johannine text.

I commented earlier in Lent about the desirability of a hymn as an authentic mode of participation.