Maundy Thursday: Pange Lingua, gloriosi

Written by St. Thomas Aquinas in the 13th Century, the hymn extols the Eucharist and Christ's sacrifice in giving it. Below are the words, in Latin and the glorious, glorious English translation by Edward Caswall, a 19th-Century Anglican clergyman and hymn writer (who later converted to Roman Catholicism).

Listen to a stunningly beautiful version of it here, an mp3 of the St. Thomas Fifth Avenue Solemn Maundy Thursday Eucharist, sung to the hymn tune Grafton. I love the plainsong version - but this is really so lovely and loving that it's difficult to listen to, in its context, without tears welling in the eyes. The hymn, with organ accompaniment, starts at around 1:43:30; at the moment I think it's the loveliest hymn ever written. There are long pauses between verses as the Sacrament is taken in procession to the Altar of Repose. (The whole service is very worth listening to; you'll hear the crotalus used at the consecration, and the sound of palm branches scrubbing the altar as it's stripped at the very end of the service, during the chanting of Psalm 22. Here's the service leaflet, in PDF; here's Coverdale Psalm 22, the version they're singing.)

Pange, lingua, gloriosi
Corporis mysterium,
Sanguinisque pretiosi,
quem in mundi pretium
fructus ventris generosi
Rex effudit Gentium.

Nobis datus, nobis natus
ex intacta Virgine,
et in mundo conversatus,
sparso verbi semine,
sui moras incolatus
miro clausit ordine.

In supremae nocte coenae
recumbens cum fratribus
observata lege plene
cibis in legalibus,
cibum turbae duodenae
se dat suis manibus.

Verbum caro, panem verum
verbo carnem efficit:
fitque sanguis Christi merum,
et si sensus deficit,
ad firmandum cor sincerum
sola fides sufficit.

Tantum ergo Sacramentum
veneremur cernui:
et antiquum documentum
novo cedat ritui:
praestet fides supplementum
sensuum defectui.

Genitori, Genitoque
laus et jubilatio,
salus, honor, virtus quoque
sit et benedictio:
Procedenti ab utroque
compar sit laudatio.

Amen. Alleluja.

NOW, my tongue, the mystery telling
Of the glorious Body sing,
And the Blood, all price excelling,
Which the Gentiles’ Lord and King,
Once on earth among us dwelling,
Shed for this world’s ransoming.

Given for us, and condescending
To be born for us below,
He with men in converse blending
Dwelt, the seed of truth to sow,
Till he closed with wondrous ending
His most patient life of woe.

That last night at supper lying
Mid the twelve, his chosen band,
Jesus, with the Law complying,
Keeps the feast its rites demand;
Then, more precious food supplying,
Gives himself with his own hand

Word-made-flesh, true bread he maketh
By his word his Flesh to be,
Wine his Blood; when man partaketh,
Though his senses fail to see,
Faith alone, when sight forsaketh,
Shows true hearts the mystery.

Therefore we, before him bending,
This great Sacrament revere;
Types and shadows have their ending,
For the newer rite is here;
Faith, our outward sense befriending,
Makes our inward vision clear.

Glory let us give and blessing
To the Father and the Son,
Honor, thanks, and praise addressing,
While eternal ages run;
Ever too his love confessing
Who from both with both is One.

Amen. Alleluia.

From Saint Thomas Church: The Office of Tenebrae

Saint Thomas Church will webcast the Office of Tenebrae this evening at 5:30; this is always a stunningly beautiful service.  [EDIT:  That link is from last year, but you can now listen to St. Thomas' 2013 Tenebrae, sung on March 27.]

This service anticipates the monastic offices for the last three days of Holy Week. Tenebrae means "shadows" and refers to the gradual extinguishing of candles and lights as the service proceeds, until only one candle remains.

As the people enter the church before the service begins, they see in the chancel seven candles glowing brightly. The altar candles, too, are lit, though the candles are made of non-bleached beeswax, just as we use at funerals.

The Order of Service proceeds as follows:

The ministers enter in silence and proceed to their places. Three acolytes, who at almost all other services would be carrying a cross and two torches, walk ahead of the ministers, empty-handed.


The choir and cantors then progress through a series of antiphons and Psalms. At the end of Psalm 69, the first candle is extinguished. At the end of Psalm 70, the second. At the end of the Psalm 74, the third. As each candle is snuffed out, the lights high above the congregation are dimmed a bit more.

Then comes a period where the lights remain as they are: the Lord's Prayer is said, and a series of three lessons and three responsories are sung.

This is followed by the Lauds, another series of antiphons and Psalms during which three more candles are extinguished (after Psalm 63, after the Song of Moses, and after Psalm 150). Now, the nave of the church is very near dark, as the lights have been dimmed even further.

Near the end of the canticle, acolytes emerge to extinguish the altar candles, leaving only the seventh candle lit.

During the repetition of the antiphon after the canticle, the Verger climbs a ladder, removes the candle, and as the choir sings the motet, she takes it toward the High Altar, through the Sanctuary gate, and then hides it in a small room hidden behind the door to the north side of the High Altar.

The congregation says the Lord's Prayer and the choir sings the Miserere.

The Officiant says a prayer and adds (whispering to himself under his breath): "...who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

A loud sound fills the church. Christ is dead. The organ is outraged; the choristers beat their books against their stalls.

Then, in complete silence, the candle emerges from its hiding place. It is returned to its place high above the chancel. By its light all leave in silence.

Officiant:	Fr Mead
Sung by:	The Saint Thomas Choir of Men and Boys
Psalms for Tenebrae:	Plainsong
The Lamentations of Jeremiah:	Plainsong
Christus factus est:	Felice Anerio, (c. 1560-1614)
Miserere mei, Deus:	Gregorio Allegri (1582-1652)

Here's the service leaflet, in PDF.

The Advent Prose, tonight at St. Thomas

You can listen to the Choir of Men & Boys sing it at Sunday Festal Evensong at this link.

They also sing some gorgeous responses by Michael Walsh, and "The Service on Plainsong Tones," (i.e., the Evening Canticles) by Arthur Wills.

Sing along, too, with the lovely Advent hymns, "Comfort, Comfort Ye, My People" and "Creator of the Stars of Night." Wonderful.

(P.S.: I was very surprised to hear a woman read the Gospel this morning at St. Thom's! And she is the preacher at Evensong, too, I believe. Both firsts, as far as I know....)

Saint Thomas Church - Worship - Worship Calendar

Saint Thomas Church - Worship - Worship Calendar

Highlights for the Week of July 31 -August 6

The Girls' Course

In 2005, music directors in the New York area expressed interest in joining together to form a chorister experience of the highest caliber for girls. The Saint Thomas Choir School was delighted to offer space, resources and experience to the endeavor. Since then, the Choir School has proudly taken full ownership of the course and developed a schedule and musical standard parallel to that of the boys during the academic terms. In 2008, the course expanded to nine days. In 2011, the Course begins on Saturday, July 30^th.

On Sunday, July 31, the girls will be in attendance in the pews with the congregation as the Gentlemen of the Choir sing the 11am Choral Eucharist for the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost. Then, things quickly transition over to the girls, who sing at two special summertime weekday Choral Evensongs at 5:30pm--Tuesday, August 2 and Thurday, August 4. Then, on Sunday, August 7, for the Feast of the Transfiguration, the girls will sing alongside the Gentlemen of the Choir at 11am. Over the years, they have been led by two distinguished organists and directors of music: Sarah Baldock, who directed the girls last year and the year before, and Sarah MacDonald, who was last with us for the course in 2008 and returns to direct this year. Both hold prestigious positions in the United Kingdom and are mentors and role models in every way for the young women who participate in the course. Additional information about Sarah MacDonald, as well as her music notes for each service, can be found by clicking on the individual dates of the services above. All four choral services will be webcast live and then available on-demand if you are unable to attend in person.

The Feast of the Transfiguration

You’ll notice on the schedule on the worship calendar that “The Transfiguration” is listed on both Saturday, August 6 and Sunday, August 7. The actual feast date in August 6. However, whenever a major feast day falls on a Saturday or Monday, we often translate it over to the adjoining Sunday so that the maximum number of people can celebrate it. So, in effect, this year we celebrate it twice. When you combine it with the fact that the Last Sunday after the Epiphany is also a celebration of the Transfiguration (the epiphany season being a series of epiphanies about Christ), we're actually celebrating it three times this year!

If you love music, do come on Sunday at 11am. However, if you are unable to come on Sunday, or if you prefer shorter, simpler forms of worship, consider coming on Saturday at 12:10pm or on Sunday morning at 8am. Either way, the Transfiguration is a glorious feast day, revealing Jesus as Christ, the Messiah.
There are several excellent sermons regarding the Transfiguration in the sermon archive on our website. Among them, consider reading (or listening to):


The Glory of God (2011) by Fr Daniels
Love We Can Hardly Bear to See (2010) by Fr Austin
A Sermon for the Last Sunday after the Epiphany (2009) by Fr Stafford
The Transfigured Cross (2006) by Fr Mead
A Glimpse into Glory (2005) by Fr Mead

Lovely to hear girls from that choir - I know some of them this year - and they are good, too.

The responses on Tuesday - MacDonald? - are gorgeous! Haven't listened to Thursday yet; will get back to you.

Saint Thomas Church - Music - Choral Services - The Office of Tenebrae

Saint Thomas Church - Music - Choral Services - The Office of Tenebrae

The one-evening version; very beautiful, and fresh tonight.  The PDF of the leaflet is here.

Advent 1 at St. Thomas

It's "An Advent Procession with Holy Communion," and here's what they will be doing for that:

Celebrant: Fr Mead
Preacher: Fr Mead
Deacon: Fr Austin
Subdeacon: Fr Spurlock
Sung by: The Saint Thomas Choir of Men and Boys

Prelude: Four Advent Chorale Preludes from the Orgelbüchlein, Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Nun komm' der Heiden Heiland, BWV 599
Gott, durch deine Güte, BWV 600
Herr Christ, der einge Gottes-Sohn, BWV 601
Lob sei dem allmächtigen Gott, BWV 602
Prelude 2: Fantasy on Veni Emmanuel, Kenneth Leighton (1929-1988)

Service: Mass for Five Voices, William Byrd (c. 1540-1623)
Works of: Palestrina, Philip Moore, Guerrero, Wood, Gabriel Jackson and Gibbons

Voluntary: Allegro Risoluto, from Symphonie no. 2 in E minor Op. 20, Louis Vierne (1870-1937)

Their Processions are always tremendous; no doubt the Palestrina will be the Advent Matins and Vespers Responsories. These are sung from the front doors of that amazing space - and the Matins Responsory (which is sung as the opening of the service, as an Introit would be) is usually followed by the Advent Prose in Procession. I love the worship here, maybe better than anyplace else anywhere - it's astonishingly beautiful and very reverent. St. Mary's is a much warmer and more friendly atmosphere, but this is really stunning; I'm always transported when I'm there.

If you're in New York on Sunday, you should definitely go.