Good Friday

I knew it would be good to be here, but I had no idea HOW good.

I started by attending the Noon "Devotion" service at St. Peter's. It included a complete performance of Bach's St. Matthew Passion. The whole thing. In the context of a liturgy - prelude, opening sentences, scripture, Part one, Homily, and Part two, closing prayers and then singing the chorale "Lord Thee I Love". Wow. It was the church choir with local soloists - mostly from the paid quartet of the choir. They did a fabulous job - especially the Baritone (Jesus), and the Evangelist. He was especially fantastic - both sang from the heart, but not in a sappy over-emotional way. They are amazingly demanding roles but were both done extremely well. I can't imagine taking something like that on - the piece is about 2 hours 45 minutes - that's a lot of music to rehearse and study. Definately makes me think we have the opportunity to do more at Mount Olive. We're "that church" that would do something like this: a three hour liturgy on Good Friday, from 1 - 3 pm (the hours Jesus was one the cross), do something like a Bach Passion, and including having the chorales sung by all in the congregation (St Peter did not do that).

At 5:30 I went back to St. Thomas for their Good Friday service, led by the St. Thomas choir of men and boys. It was the traditional Good Friday liturgy, beginning with the chanting of the passion (using the GIA chant setting, but the crowd parts sung by the choir), followed by homily, bidding prayers, then adoration of the cross, then Eucharist (using the consecrated elements from Thursday's liturgy). Very powerful liturgy, again. But the choir again blew me away. Anthems (and motets) by Byrd, Gisualdo, Lotti - early music and chant. Very fitting. But I can't get over this choir: it truly is some of the finest choral work I've ever heard. Every note sounds fully prepared, rehearsed and unified to the point where if not paying attention to them, aren't noticed because it produces a whole effect that completely draws the listener into the essence of the piece. Each phrase has complete life, every pitch has life. Always a sense of direction - increasing (inflating) or decrescendo (deflating) - never, never, never static. Sounds automatic and natural, but I have a feeling this is drilled. Even their Gregorian chant was this way - always a sense of direction in the sentence being chanted, always the goal, important words stretched exactly together. Cadences floated into, and barely any sound for the final note as the room gathers the phrase into the cadence.

Lotti's Crucifixus (an 8-part piece) completely removed me from time and space. Each entrance discernable, and full of life. Long lines would soar out above others, then deflating as another takes over - inner lines, corporate dynamics - it built to a huge climax, then deflated to the point of a final cadence during which one could hear a pin drop, yet it was consistent, clean, clear and even tone at the quietest level possible - always total control and support. Astounding.

Then at 7:00 I went two blocks east back to St Peter's for their evening Good Friday service. I arrived as they were starting a dramatic telling of the Passion. More of a Theater production, but effective. It ended with one large wood cross in the middle of the room, lit with candles. Very Taize-like atmosphere. The reproaches were then sung, using the Orthodox Trisagian in the ELW. However, he had someone chanting the text in a style that sounded like a Russian Orthodox cantor - very powerful way to express these prayers.

Whew. This time, however, I ran into people I knew (Larry Long, Martin Jean, Thomas Schmidt) and had a very nice dinner afterwards. Will probably need sell a car to pay for that though.