Rolodex wrote: ↑Mon Mar 11, 2024 2:27 pm
We just got new cassocks for the choir and organist and bell ringers (me!). Our new choir director really wanted to change from our old choir robes to this more "high church" version. The folks were not accustomed to this combo and voted against the surplice (they thought it looked like our acolytes who are kids). I think now that we have the black cassocks and how bare they look, we may go on and get the surplice. I hope so. Since 2 big churches disaffiliated, we're now the largest United Methodist Church in our area and have a strong "traditional" service congregation. We've had a major Tenebrae (and Maundy Thursday) service for a while. Easter is big, but most stuff is "throw down" music, even if we do add horns or strings. Always gotta be fancy for the CEO* attendees!
*Christmas and Easter Only
Ah, the protestant way of Mandy Thursday, which is part Tenebrae. In the Episcopal world up here, Maundy Thursday is already such a large service (foot washing, the commemoration of the last supper, Agape meal, stripping the altar, the watch at the altar of repose) most do not do a Tenebrae service (though I created one for online worship during the lockdown). In most places I have seen they do Tenebrae on Wednesday or possibly Friday evening (with a normal Good Friday service at noon).
Holy Week is simple and small in my world. Palm Sunday (with a procession starting outside and the passion gospel during the service), Maundy Thursday, Good Friday (sometimes with a second stations of the cross in the evening), Holy Saturday morning which is a simple spoken one, the Great Vigil of Easter on Saturday night (this is the big one), and then one or two service Easter morning.