[Magdalen] Solemn Palm Sunday?

[Scott Knitter]

I was hired some years ago to sing Jesus' words in the (entirely in Latin)
Passion on Good Friday at Our Lady of Mt Carmel (RC) Church here in
Chicago. I guess it's my only real professional singing experience. Their
superb choir was way back in the distant loft and sang the congregational
responses to a modern setting by their director, Paul French, who had
auditioned me over the phone. (I said to him, "Just a second; I'll get my
Graduale Triplex." He responded, "I'm tempted to hire you just for having
that." :)

Rehearsal made me nervous, as the other two chanters were highly
experienced and the countertenor shows up as a soloist in many performances
of oratorios. The pace of the Latin turned out to be breakneck, and the
Evangelist cantor really blathered through the texts, even seeming to make
up words as he went. I figured Jesus should speak at a statelier pace, so I
used a speed more comfortable for me.

For some reason, the most memorable of my lines was "Mitte gladium tuum in
vaginum," "Put your sword back in its sheath." Welp, I guess I know that
etymology now.

Anyway, after the first rehearsal I felt like an amateur, so I asked Paul
French whether I should do anything differently. I was mightily encouraged
when he answered, "Don't change a thing; you're doing fine."

It was a neato experience: show up on Good Friday, enter the agreed
doorway, receive and put on robe, chant Passion when it was time to do so,
and exit via the same door, leaving robe over agreed table on the way out
and picking up envelope with paycheck. I continued walking to the nearest
Bank of America ATM, and the money was in my account just a few minutes
after the end of the Passion. Ah, the professional musician's life. LOL...

On Mon, Mar 26, 2018 at 9:13 AM, cantor03--- via Magdalen <
magdalen at herberthouse.org> wrote:

> The Latin Riters for whom I sang for about 25 years can't have
> the congregation shouting the crucifixion responses, even in Latin.
> Therefore the choir must sing choral polyphonic responses.  Their
> favorite in the local parish was the one by Byrd, the English
> composer at the time of Elizabeth I.  It was a positive nightmare
> because it was so difficult.  The choir spent an inordinate amount
> of time rehearsing it, so it was well done.  Usually by the
> conclusion, I was a mental wreck.  I guess that's appropriate for
> the season.
>
> In a message dated 3/26/2018 8:32:30 AM Eastern Standard Time,
> michaudme at gmail.com writes:
>
>
> I look forward to shouting “Crucify him! Crucify him!”
> It’s deeply cathartic, guaranteed to jump-start the period of
> self-reflection that is the Holy Week journey for me.
>
> We are also blessed with a great cloud of wonderful readers.
> And the rector has the good sense to unleash them.
> He takes no part whatsoever, just responds with the crowd.
>



-- 
Scott R. Knitter
Edgewater, Chicago, Illinois USA