The Reproaches

We will be singing the Reproaches two times on Good Friday; during the Veneration of the Cross in the Liturgy (3pm) and during Tenebrae (8pm).  It will be sung with a cantor/all dynamic, which I think will help make it more accessible.  There are some difficult parts, but with a bit of practice, I do believe you will be able to sing along.

There are two sections:

1. verse/Trisagion (sung 3 times)
2. verse/My people… (sung 9 times)

Here are some audios to help prepare:

1. Holy is God. Holy and Mighty One. Holy and Immortal One, have mercy on us.

First, practice the melodies a couple of times slowly with solfege:

…and all together with the words at normal speed.  I included the Greek verses in the audio to help with simply memorizing the melody and rhythm.

2. This one is much easier, so I think it will be fine to become familiar with the words and the melody at the same time.

Practice these a couple of times and you will be able to sing it pretty easily on Good Friday.

And for a special treat:  here it is, sung beautifully in Latin by the Benedictine Nuns of Mary, Queen of the Apostles (if you would like to listen to more chant, I recommend any of their cds [along with the Norbertine Monks of St. Michael’s Abbey]).  You will notice that both the Latin and vernacular versions retain the Greek parts of the Trisagion.  Enjoy!