Palm Sunday Reflection & Resources from St. Alban's Music Director

Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week, and this year the Gospel readings (yes, plural) are taken from St. Matthew. The first Gospel reading ( Mt. 21:1-11) is the account of Christ’s entrance into Jerusalem, which we read before the Distribution of Palms. This account of the royal entrance gives us the text of the  Benedictus we sing at Mass each week ( "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!"). Orlando Gibbons (1583-1625) was an English composer who has a wonderful setting of this joyful text full of cascading fanfare figures, which I have attached a recording of below (sung by the Choir of Clare College). The second Gospel reading we hear on Palm Sunday is the account of Christ’s Passion ( Mt. 26:14-27:66). While there are countless musical settings of the Passion, none are more well known than Johann Sebastian Bach’s settings of the St. Matthew and St. John Passions (which coincidentally are the Gospel accounts we hear this week on Palm Sunday and Good Friday). Both settings consist of a combination of Scripture, chorale settings, and devotional poetry which allows the music to pause the narrative and reflect on events as they unfold. Bach’s St. Matthew setting is longer and more contemplative than his St. John setting, and is the source of the Passion Chorale which most churches sing on Palm Sunday and Good Friday, “O Sacred Head Surrounded.” I have attached recordings below of both the Passion Chorale (sung by the Choir of King’s College) and the complete St. Matthew Passion with English subtitles (performed by Collegium Vocale Gent under the direction of Philipp Herreweghe). While this German setting is somewhat outside of the Ordinariate’s Anglican Patrimony, I would still encourage you to take the time to listen to the full St. Matthew Passion, as it is a truly beautiful reflection on our Lord’s Passion to contemplate during Holy Week. 

Wishing you all the best, 
Gil Donohue