Our choir will be singing at the Good Friday Service this Friday, April 19th at 3 PM. Since I haven't been organized enough to put together a practice earlier in the week, we will be practicing before Mass, starting at 1:15 PM to set up the choir area, and then run through the music we will be doing. I hope to be finished running through the music we will be doing by 2:30 PM, or 2:40 PM at the very latest. Since it's Good Friday, I think it's appropriate that the choir not be practicing immediately before the beginning of the service.
The songs selected for the service are listed below.
CBW - Catholic Book of Worship III
GP - Glory and Praise III
Kyrie: No Kyrie
Gloria: No Gloria during Lent
First Reading: Isaiah 52:13 - 53:12
Psalm: Psalm 31 - link
Response: Father into your hands I commend my spirit.
Second Reading: Hebrews 4:14-16 to 5:7-9
Christ became obedient for us to death, even death on a Cross.
Therefore God exalted him and gave him the name above every name.
Gospel: During the Gospel of John we will be singing GP 99 Save Us Savior of the World twice. I'll be handing out Living With Christ booklets with the Good Friday Service spelled out in it.
Solemn Intentions: The cantor and the priest will be singing the 10 solemn Good Friday intentions. After the priest finishes singing, the choir and the congregation will respond with a simple sung Amen. An example is found at the end of page 135 of Guidelines for Liturgical Music published by the Canadian Catholic Bishop's Conference - link.
Veneration of the Cross
Father Mitch will be coming in with the cross. He'll be singing "This is the wood of the cross, on which hung the Savior of the world." We respond, "Come let us worship." The music is #72 in the CBW hymnal.
After the cross is placed up in front of the altar, veneration of the cross will take place. My suggestion to the choir is that the choir venerates the cross after Mass - it will still be there for a period of time after the service. If you feel strongly about venerating the cross during the service, please feel free to go up and get in the front of the line like we do for Communion.
During veneration of the cross, we will sing the following hymns:
CBW 378 O Sacred Heat Surrounded
CBW 373 Tree of Life
GP 300 Were You There (When They Crucified the Lord)
CBW 379 Behold the Wood
Preparation of the Gifts: There is no hymn here since there is no preparation of the gifts.
Holy Holy: No Holy Holy
Memorial Acclamation: No Memorial Acclamation
Amen: No Amen
Lamb of God: No Lamb of God
A simple Communion Rite concludes the Good Friday liturgy. The altar is prepared and the Blessed Sacrament is brought from the chapel of reservation and placed upon it. All stand for the Lord’s Prayer. The sign of peace and Lamb of God are omitted. (from page 63 of the Guidelines previously mentioned - link)
Communion: CBW 610 Taste and See
CBW 432 Jesus, The Lord
Recessional: No Recessional Hymn
There is no dismissal or concluding hymn since the Triduum liturgy continues on Holy Saturday night with the celebration of the Easter Vigil. Following the Prayer after Communion there is a Prayer over the People, then all leave in silence. (from page 63 of the Guidelines previously mentioned - link)
