Suffering With Joy

Good Friday Reproaches – Victoria

April 1, 2010

Tomás Luis de Victoria

The most spiritually impressive part of the Good Friday sacred liturgy for me as a child were the Reproaches, chanted during the adoration of the cross.  This is not to say the chanting of the Passion and the Great Intercessions were not equally impressive, but the music and words of the Reproaches took the prayers of the liturgy to a much higher level for me.

As I was always in the choir from first grade on, the Gregorian chant is well engraved in my brain.  However, some great composers have also written music for the Reproaches.  Tomás Luis de Victoria and Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina are two well-known names representing the kind of music the fathers of Vatican Council II wanted to preserve.

The Reproaches, otherwise known as the Improperia or Popule Meus are twelve in number.  I had intended to post each one with some commentary, but the death of my Mother last week intervened so the project will have to wait until next year.

Today I have the best partial recording (the first three Reproaches) I could find of Victoria’s composition with choir and cantor.  Two choirs are traditionally used to sing alternately in Greek first and then in Latin the words most people today associate with the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and which are repeated throughout the Reproaches:  O holy God!  O holy mighty One!  O holy immortal One, have mercy upon us! As was often done by composers of his time, Victoria alternated Gregorian chant with polyphony.

For those who are too ill to attend the traditional Good Friday liturgy, listening to Victoria’s Improperia and following along in a missal is a good option if you are able. In fact, carving out time to read the entire Good Friday liturgy and meditating on it would bring many graces to those who wish to join with Mary, the holy women, and John spiritually at the foot of the cross on this day.

A little about the composer: Victoria (c. 1548 – 27 August 1611) was one of the most important composers of the Renaissance along with Palestrina and Orlando de Lassus.  He is a glory of Spain, having written music for many feasts including Marian solemnities.  Victoria was ordained a priest in 1574 and served the Church in both Italy and Spain in various capacities.  He died in 1611 and was buried at the Monasterio de las Descalzas de Santa Clara at Madrid but his grave unfortunately remains unidentified.

Last week I posted Popule Meus by Jose Angel Lamas which is also very beautiful and appropriate for the sacred liturgy.

Tags: Catholic Church, liturgy, music

4 Comments to Good Friday Reproaches – Victoria

1. 

   Barb,
   My deepest condolences for your loss. I didn’t see the post about your mother or I would have responded immediately. Blogger has been giving me a lot of trouble lately. I will pray for you and for the repose of your mother’s soul. God bless you, my friend.
Mary333 on April 1st, 2010
2. 

   Thank you, Mary. I will have a novena of Masses said for her by the Benedictine monks at Clear Creek in Oklahoma. I appreciate all the prayers. Dad passed away last September so it’s been a tough six months.
barb on April 1st, 2010
3. 

   Thank you for this website.

   I’ll pray for you and yours.

   God bless.
Victor S E MOUBARAK on April 5th, 2010
4. 

   Welcome to my blog, Victor. Please visit often. I am reminded that the early Christians encouraged each other as they were led to the lions. Today Satan is about in many guises, prowling about as a roaring lion. As we stay alert we must encourage each other to stay faithful to the Lord. Thank you for your prayers and encouragement.
barb on April 5th, 2010