We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

The Liturgy of Holy Week

by The Monks of Pluscarden Abbey

/
  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    Purchasable with gift card

      £7 GBP  or more

     

1.
2.
Collegerunt 05:44
3.
Parce Domine 02:11
4.
5.
Gloria Laus 02:56
6.
7.
Improperium 02:51
8.
9.
Nos Autem 03:02
10.
Kyrie IX 01:59
11.
Gloria IX 03:15
12.
Oculi Omnium 03:10
13.
14.
15.
Sanctus IX 01:30
16.
Agnus Dei IX 01:25
17.
18.
19.
20.
Eloi, Eloi 01:27
21.
22.
Crucem Tuam 01:59
23.
24.
O Crux 01:44
25.
26.
27.

about

Holy Week marks the central point in the liturgical year of the Catholic Church. In Holy Week each year, we recall and celebrate liturgically the last days of Jesus Christ on earth. Palm Sunday recalls his solemn entry into Jerusalem, when the crowds shouting Hosanna acclaimed him as the Messiah. Maundy Thursday recalls his institution of the Holy Eucharist at the Last Supper. The evening Mass on that day includes a ceremonial washing of the feet of 12 men, in imitation of the action of Jesus as recorded by St. John. At the end of that Mass the Blessed Sacrament is solemnly transferred to an Altar of repose. There the faithful watch in prayer until midnight: as Jesus said to his sleeping disciples in the garden of Gethsemani: “Could you not watch with me one hour?” The main Altar of the Church is then stripped; all decorations are covered or removed; and the memorial of Christ’s Passion begins. No Mass is celebrated on Good Friday. Its principal liturgy is held at 3.00 in the afternoon: about the time Jesus died on the Cross. After that the whole Church waits, silently recalling the time Jesus spent in the tomb; until on Holy Saturday night the Vigil of Easter begins, and at last the Alleluias of the Resurrection ring out.

The annual liturgical memorial of Christ’s Passion and Death, and the celebration of his Resurrection, is the most important event in the life of the monastery and of each individual monk. The liturgy at Pluscarden is celebrated in Latin, in full accordance with the current liturgical laws of the Catholic Church. The music we use is Gregorian Chant. Gregorian Chant was singled out by the Second Vatican Council as being the music “proper to the Roman liturgy”. The excellence of the chant, in the eyes of the Church, derives not just from its great antiquity, or its admirable beauty, or the nobility or purity of its form. Rather, this form of music is preferred before all others because it so perfectly fits with the sacred words being sung. Truly this is sung prayer, and as such a worthy sacrifice of praise to God.

The Gregorian music for Holy Week is justly regarded as outstanding in the whole repertoire. The constraints of time in our recording mean that we can offer only a selection from it all. Our hope nevertheless is that through this music, the listener will be drawn in some way into the great drama that is the mystery of our redemption, and that is at the heart of our monastic life at Pluscarden.

All the singers on this recording are monks. For some items we recorded the entire community singing, excepting nobody at all. If this results in a certain occasional roughness, it is at least the authentic sound of our monastic Choir. Most of the pieces though are sung by the Schola alone. This is the small group of monks who lead the singing at Mass daily. The use of the organ follows our usual custom. Singing in lent is nearly all unaccompanied, but the organ does feature for the Kyrie and Gloria of Maundy Thursday Mass, and for the chants normally sung at Benediction.

credits

released September 15, 2017

license

all rights reserved

tags

Ffin Records recommends:

If you like The Liturgy of Holy Week, you may also like: