Sunday, April 5, 2020

Palm Sunday Music

I entertained myself this morning by surfing music on youtube.
This was after we watched the archbishop's Mass at the cathedral which they were live streaming.  Unfortunately there was an extreme amount of difficulties with the electronic transmission of it, and it kept looping over and repeating back. I said to my husband that it was like Groundhog Day. He said every day is Groundhog Day now.
So needless to say, things were kept pretty basic, and to get a music fix I went elsewhere.  Perhaps the best known Palm Sunday hymn is All Glory, Laud, and Honor, sung to the tune St. Theodulph, which is one I love. However I don't remember hearing this version of it before Vatican II.  I think it may have migrated from the Anglican tradition.  When I was a grade school kid in the parish children's choir we sung All Glory, Laud, and Honor out of the St. Gregory Hymnal, and it was the version by Johann Michael Haydn, Franz Josef's less famous younger brother. Unfortunately it seems to be absent from youtube and any current hymn books. Which is a shame, because it was lovely.  I have also heard All Glory, Laud, and Honor sung to the Fulda tune, which most of us know as O Sacrament Most Holy. That works also.
The choral groups I sang with in high school often performed religious music, even though it was a public high school.  This one, Pueri Hebraeorum, by composer Randall Thompson, was often used as a contest and concert piece. The English translation is, "The Hebrew children bearing olive branches, went forth to meet the Lord, crying out, and saying, Hosanna in the highest." Randall Thompson was a composer beloved of high school music teachers, don't know if that is still true.
This one, Blessings on the King, by Michael Lynch, is a little bit hippy-era, but I still like it. But apparently it is out of favor, because it isn't to be found in any current music editions.
One which isn't one of my favorites, but is often used on Palm Sunday is The King of Glory
Last year (that seems like more than a year ago!) our choir had a miscommunication with the priest. We thought he was going to use the simple entrance.  He used the solemn entrance.  I think we did ten verses of To Jesus Christ Our Sovereign King.  There aren't ten verses.
It feels really weird to be choir members not singing for Holy Week!


7 comments:

  1. I'm sorry in advance for this. I did get it from Cathleen Kaveny many years ago: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oASYa-Wkroc

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  2. Wow! I really like "Pueri Habraeorum", even making allowances for it having been recorded in a wonderfully resonant room which sounds it off so well.

    "All Glory, Laud and Honor" (St. Theodulph)seems to remain the default version for choir directors. ISTM that the Palm Sunday entrance ought to be eminently singable by the congregation, since that's the same congregation that will be shouting "Crucify Him!" in about a half hour. "The King of Glory Comes" works for that, but for heaven's sake it can't lose the back beat and absolutely cannot be dragged at typical organ pace. But if everybody can be induced to bellow it, it's no worse than "Happy Birthday" and serves approximately the same purpose.

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    1. I always did think the original Palm Sunday crowd got a bum rap for being fickle apostates. While there may have been some overlap, I don't believe they were the same people that shouted "crucify him!" I think the apostasizers would have been ones cowering in fear like Peter and swearing they knew not the man. The ones loud and proud howling for Jesus' blood weren't followers in the first place, IMO.

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    2. As I read John, he pretty much agrees with you. Jesus arrived in Jerusalem with a crowd of followers from Galilee. The Sanhedrin and is satellites, sycophants, church ladies and dependents were Judeans. The other Gospels don't hit that point very hard, if at all, and the Hollywood version always follows Matthew and misses it. But we moderns never did have a dog in the fight between the northern and southern kingdoms, and this is no time to get one.

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  3. I'm on a computer at the moment that blocks my access to Youtube, but I encourage you to Google "YouTube John Angotti Sing Hosanna" for a contemporary Palm Sunday processional. Angotti is brilliant - and this song doesn't really even showcase his singing voice, which is definitely showcase-worthy!

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