Tenebrae

Structure of the service before liturgical reforms in the wake of Vatican II

The structure of Tenebrae is the same for all three days. The first part of the service is Matins, which in its pre-1970 form is composed of three nocturns, each consisting of three psalms, a short versicle and response, a silent Pater Noster, and three readings ("lessons"), each followed by a responsory. The pre-1970 Lauds consists of five psalms, a short versicle and response, and the Benedictus Gospel canticle, followed by Christus factus est, a silent Pater Noster, a devotional recitation of the penitential Psalm 50 (51), Miserere (suppressed in the 1955 revisions of Pope Pius XII), and the appointed collect. The Gloria Patri is not said after each psalm.^[12][13]

The principal Tenebrae ceremony is the gradual extinguishing of candles upon a stand in the sanctuary called a hearse.^[14] Eventually, the Roman Rite settled on fifteen candles, one of which is extinguished after each of the nine psalms of Matins and the five of Lauds, gradually reducing the lighting throughout the service. The six altar candles are put out during the Benedictus, and then any remaining lights in the church. The last candle is hidden beneath the altar, ending the service in total darkness. The strepitus (Latin for "great noise"), made by slamming a book shut, banging a hymnal or breviary against the pew, or stomping on the floor, symbolizes the earthquake that followed Christ's death, although it may have originated as a simple signal to depart.^[5] After the candle has been shown to the people, it is extinguished, and then put "on the credence table," or simply taken to the sacristy. All rise and then leave in silence.^[15]

Music

	Lamentation III for Holy Saturday The third Lamentation of Jeremiah the Prophet for the Tenebrae service on Holy Saturday (Lamentations 5:1–11), chanted in tonus peregrinus
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The lessons of the first nocturn at Matins are taken from the Lamentations of Jeremias and are sung to a specific Gregorian reciting tone.^[16] The Lamentations of Jeremias have been set to music by many composers, including Palestrina, Tallis and Lassus. Such High-Renaissance polyphonic choral settings of Lamentations at Tenebrae, culminating in those of Lassus (1584), share the same texts with, but in musical idiom are to be distinguished from, the French Baroque genre of Leçons de ténèbres, as composed by Marc-Antoine Charpentier and François Couperin. In the 20th century Ernst Krenek wrote a Lamentatio Jeremiae prophetae, Op. 93.

The lessons of the second nocturn are taken from the writings of St. Augustine, and the lessons of the third nocturn from the Epistles. These are chanted to the ordinary lesson tone and have been relatively neglected by composers, though there are a few settings by Manuel Cardoso. The Tenebrae responsories have been set by, among others, Lassus, Gesualdo, Victoria, Marc-Antoine Charpentier and Jan Dismas Zelenka. Gregorio Allegri's setting of the Miserere psalm, to be sung at the Tenebrae Lauds, is one of the best known compositions for the service. Also Gesualdo includes a setting of that psalm in his Responsoria et alia ad Officium Hebdomadae Sanctae spectantia, along with a setting of the Benedictus.

After the Second Vatican Council

The 1970 revision of the Roman Breviary, now called the Liturgy of the Hours, recommends public celebration of the Office of Readings (Matins) and Morning Prayer (Lauds)—what was formerly called "Tenebrae"—for Good Friday and Holy Saturday.^[17][18] The newer form of the Office of Readings and Morning Prayer has a total of only six psalms (three in either hour), not the older form's fourteen, after each of which a candle was extinguished. The readings are no longer three, divided into nine shorter sections, but two longer readings, and there is provision for extending the Office of Readings on more solemn occasions.^[19] In the older form, liturgical practice on those days differed from that on other days even during Lent: for instance, Gloria Patri was omitted at the end of psalms and responsories.^[20] The Office of Tenebrae was abandoned at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem in 1977, but had continued, although the rule against anticipation of Matins and Lauds to the previous evening was already in effect, at that location until then, because the timetable of Roman Catholic Holy Week services had to remain unchanged due to the established rights of other churches.^[21]

Summorum Pontificum (2007) permits clerics bound to recitation of the Divine Office to use the 1961 Roman Breviary, a permission availed of by several religious and secular institutes and societies of apostolic life. The 1955 and 1960 changes incorporated in that edition of the Breviary continued to exclude anticipation of Matins and Lauds to the previous evening, whether celebrated with or without the Tenebrae ceremonies. Tenebrae-like services however also continue in other forms:

• The Jesuit Institute provides a service, denominated Tenebrae, without psalms and not necessarily in darkness, in which a candle is extinguished after the reading of each of seven Scripture passages related to the Passion of Jesus.^[22]
• A modified form of the old-style Tenebrae that leaves the church in darkness is used by the Canons Regular of Saint John Cantius in Chicago.^[23]
• Several Catholic cathedrals and other churches arrange one-off services with Gregorian chant and polyphonic music from the traditional Tenebrae service, sometimes as an evening concert.^[24][25][26]

Anglican practice

Some Anglican churches celebrate the Tenebrae service. Anglicans, thereby preserving the importance of the Maundy Thursday and Good Friday observances.

The Episcopal Church in its Book of Occasional Services provides for a single Tenebrae service on Holy Wednesday in the evening. That service preserves the number of nine Tenebrae lessons, each followed by a responsory.^[30]

The majority of parishes within the Anglican Church of Canada do not routinely celebrate Tenebrae, and the Anglican Book Centre does not publish any service explicitly for Tenebrae. Parishes that do celebrate Tenebrae follow a variety of practices. The Church of St. Mary Magdalene (Toronto) is notable for the excellence of its music, of which the musical Tenebrae services are exemplary. At the Church of the Epiphany (Oakville) Tenebrae is described as the reversal of the Advent wreath: "starting Lent with the brightness of six candles, the darkness grows as a candle is extinguished each week in anticipation of Jesus dying on the cross on Good Friday." This abbreviated Tenebrae liturgy begins worship services on Sundays during Lent. ^[31] The Sisterhood of Saint John the Divine have their own liturgy, "The Order of Tenebrae", published in 1933. ^[32]

Lutheran practice

In Lutheran churches that observe the celebration, the Tenebrae service is typically held on Good Friday.^[33] There is a gradual dimming of the lights and extinguishing of the candles as the service progresses.^[33] Toward the end of the service, the Christ candle, if present, is removed from the sanctuary.^[33] A concluding Strepitus, or loud noise, typically made by slamming shut the Bible, is made, symbolizing the earthquake that took place, and the agony of creation, at the death of Christ.^[33]

Methodist practice

In the Methodist tradition, fourteen candles, along with a central Christ candle, are lit on the Tenebrae hearse after the Opening Prayer.^[34] They are consequently extinguished after each of the Tenebrae lessons.^[34] Prior to the reading of the sixteenth lesson, the Christ candle on the Tenebrae hearse is extinguished and then the church bells are tolled.^[34] The sixteenth lesson is read in darkness, followed by the conclusion of the liturgy.^[34]

Polish National Catholic practice

The Polish National Catholic service usually takes place on Good Friday, mostly at night. A standing cross is put on the altar with a black veil over it and 12 to 14 candles are placed behind it. The service has a combination of Bitter Lamentations, Matins, and Vespers. Several of the PNCC clergy, vested with cantors, are seated at the high place and the service is chanted. Gradually a minor cleric puts out each candle except for the top one that is taken around the sanctuary into the vestry. At that time a moment of silence is held for Christ's death. Then the candle is placed back; the lights in the church are turned back on; and the final hymns are sung.

Reformed practice

Congregationalist versions of Tenebrae service, particularly on Maundy Thursday or Good Friday, often contain readings from the gospels which describe the time between the Last Supper and the Passion of Christ.^[35][3]