Contributed by Ted Clarkson
Worshiping God at Transfiguration during Holy Week is a whole-body experience that requires everyone’s full participation. We worship with our feet and hands, our eyes and ears, our hearts and minds. The light and majesty that our eyes behold when we see the tryptich doors open at the Easter Vigil is matched by the weight of the darkness at Tenebrae when the last candle is removed from the church and our eyes suddenly become useless. We worship as we move together waving palms during the procession into the church on Passion Sunday, but kneeling alone and still before the Altar of Repose requires the same amount of energy.
This Holy Week, I want to draw special attention to the acts of worship that are meant for your ears. They range from plainchant to four-part hymns sung with organ, brass, and timpani; from silence to cacophony to one particularly jarring noise.
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Palm Sunday
Featured music: “Hosana filio David” by Victoria, “Agnus Dei” by Joel Martinson, “Drop, Drop Slow Tears” by Philip Stopford
As the Palm Sunday liturgy begins, it is hard to imagine that we are somehow in the penitential season of Lent. We cheerfully sing “Hosanna in the highest!” and “All glory, laud and honor” in the biggest, most festive procession we do all year. All that changes by the time we reach the Gospel. “Hosanna in the highest!” turns into “Crucify him!” For me, Holy Week begins when we sing “Who was the guilty? Who brought this upon thee? Alas, my treason, Jesus, hath undone thee. ‘Twas I, Lord Jesus, I it was denied thee. I crucified thee.”
Wednesday
Featured music: “Christus factus est” by Joel Martinson
Tenebrae is the most unique service we do at Transfiguration all year. As the lights are slowly extinguished in the church, we read the psalms for the Triduum as appointed in the Daily Office. The psalms have an unrelenting, driving rhythm that seems to make time stand still. The psalms are punctuated by antiphons chanted by the men of the Transfiguration Choir. Once the last candle is removed from view there is only darkness and silence, symbolizing Christ’s departure from this world. Then there is The Great Noise. The Great Noise cannot be described; it can only be experienced.
Maundy Thursday
Featured music: “Seek to Serve” by Lloyd Pfautsch, “It is a Thing Most Wonderful” by Philip Moore, “Tantum ergo” by Victoria
The Triduum begins. In place of our normal song of praise, a Kyrie or Gloria, we open with a very orthodox-sounding Trisagion. If you listen closely, you will hear the Transfiguration Bell from the bell tower slowly chiming; it is the last time you will hear a bell in church until the proclamation of Easter. Bells are not the only things that will be silenced at this service; after the Sanctus, the organ is turned off as well. After everyone has received communion, the consecrated elements are removed from the church in a procession to the Altar of Repose as the choir sings Victoria’s beautiful motet “Tantum Ergo.” Once again, darkness and the sound of psalms read in unison fill the space as we watch the sanctuary being stripped of its adornments. Finally the congregation softly sings a Taize chant as the Watch begins. Silence reigns as services continue throughout the night. Nothing has ended.
Good Friday
Featured Music: “Ave Verum Corpus” by William Byrd, “O Vos Omnes” by Pablo Casals and “Vere languores nostors” by Victoria
At noon, we pick up where we left off; the chant that drifted away the night before comes back from the silence and the liturgy continues. This time there are no bells; there is no organ. The music is all a cappella and stunningly beautiful. One change from years past will be in the reading of the Passion Narrative from John’s gospel; this year it will be chanted by a select group of men from the Transfiguration Choir. After the Good Friday portion of the Triduum ends, we dissolve again into darkness and silence. There is no blessing and no dismissal because the work of the Triduum is not finished yet.
Holy Saturday
There is no music on Holy Saturday. There is a short, spoken liturgy in the morning. This is a day of rest and preparation for our celebration of the Lord’s resurrection.
Easter Vigil
Featured Music: “An Anthem for Easter” by William Billings, “Magdalen Cease from Sobs and Sighs” by Philip Hurford
The first service of Easter is actually on Saturday night when we gather in silence and darkness (again) to light a new flame, symbolizing Christ’s re-entry into the world, to re-tell the great story of salvation, to baptize the newest members of the church, and celebrate the Holy Eucharist for the first time (again). This is the only service where you will hear the Exsultet. (You can go back to my first Figuratively Speaking post to read more about it.) After we have baptized our newest members, everything changes: life, light, resurrection! You will hear shouting, hundreds of bells ringing, full organ, a brass choir, timpani, and 400+ Episcopalians singing “Alleluia!” because Christ is alive! Instruments that have remained silent come roaring back to life! This moment is literally and figuratively life changing.
Easter Day
Sunday morning is very similar to our traditional Sunday service, but with all the joy and exuberance from last night’s vigil. One thing that is added on Sunday morning is the ancient hymn “Victimae paschale laudes” which tells the story of Mary returning from the tomb to say that Christ has risen from the dead.
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This is only a partial overview the sounds of Holy Week at Transfiguration. As a member of the choir, these are the services that I am most familiar with and passionate about. There are many more offerings and services to take part in, particularly those geared towards families with small children. The most important thing is that you attend as many services as you can and open your hearts, minds and ears to the voice of God and be ready to make your own joyful noise unto the Lord!
