Tenebrae
Quick Summary
Tenebrae is a church service observed during the final part of Holy Week. It commemorates the sufferings and death of Christ. The service's name comes from the Latin word for "darkness".1
Historically, Tenebrae is the old choir office of Matins and Lauds, traditionally sung before dawn. A key element of the service involves the gradual extinguishing of candles, symbolizing the approach of darkness until the church is in total darkness. This practice is associated with the last three days of Holy Week: Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.23
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- canonical hours
…Week during the service of Tenebrae (“darkness”), in which 15 candles were individually extinguished until the church was in total darkness. In Matins, there are nine lessons, each concluding with a responsory. The first three lessons are taken from the Book of Lamentations in the Bible. Numerous polyphonic settings were…
Read More…Week during the service of Tenebrae (“darkness”), in which 15 candles were individually extinguished until the church was in total darkness. In Matins, there are nine lessons, each concluding with a responsory. The first three lessons are taken from the Book of Lamentations in the Bible. Numerous polyphonic settings were…
Read More - church yearLent
…century, is the service of Tenebrae, held on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, in the evening. It is the old choir office of Matins and Lauds, originally sung before dawn and marked by the gradual extinguishing of candles before the breaking of the light of day.
Read More…century, is the service of Tenebrae, held on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, in the evening. It is the old choir office of Matins and Lauds, originally sung before dawn and marked by the gradual extinguishing of candles before the breaking of the light of day.
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