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Views from the Choir Loft

Palm Sunday Outline • Extraordinary Form

Jeff Ostrowski · March 29, 2015

10a. The singing the Antiphon “Hosanna Filio David” begins the ceremony, as the celebrant walks to a table:

Ant. HOSANNA FILIO DAVID   •   PDF Score   •   1st Video   •   2nd Video   •   Organist


12a. Then comes the blessing of the palms.

Dominus vobiscum. etc.

The celebrant sings a Collect beginning with Oremus.


14a. Celebrant sprinkles with Holy Water the palm branches—those on the table, as well as those in the hands of the people (unless branches will be distributed to them after the blessing).

“Two methods of blessing the branches are offered in the restored Ordo Hebdomadae Sanctae. First, the branches may be prepared by the faithful and brought by them to the church, where they are blessed before the procession. Or the branches may be prepared in the church, blessed, and then distributed to the faithful for the procession. In any case the branches for the clergy and servers are not distributed to them until after the blessing.”


16a. Celebrant incenses the branches on the table and those held by the people (unless branches will be distributed to them after the blessing).


18a. Having kissed the Altar, the Celebrant distributes palm branches to the servers and people (unless the people have theirs already). During the distribution, the following antiphons & psalms are sung:

Two antiphons w/ psalms: PUERI HEBRAEORUM   •   First Antiphon   •   Second Antiphon

If these chants are not long enough, they are repeated until the distribution of palm branches is finished. If, on the other hand, the distribution ends first, the “Gloria Patri” is sung at once, followed by the antiphon.

Therefore, this PDF SCORE will be useful where the people are already holding the palm branches—since the only distribution in that case will be to the Altar Servers, which takes a very short time.


20a. After a Gospel (Mt 21: 1-9) is sung or read, the procession begins, when the Deacon (or Celebrant) sings:

101 Procedamus in pace


22a. During the procession—wherein the people process holding palm branches—all or some of the following selections may be sung:

First Antiphon • Occúrrunt turbae

Second Antiphon • Cum ángelis et púeris

Third Antiphon • Turba multa quae convénerat

Fourth Antiphon • Coepérunt omnes turbae

Hymn to Christ the King • “Glória laus et honor”
Vocal Score   •   Organist Score   •   1st Video   •   2nd Video

Fifth Antiphon (Version A) with Psalm • Omnes colláudant nomen tuum

Fifth Antiphon (Version B) with Psalm • Omnes colláudant nomen tuum

Sixth Antiphon • Fulgéntibus palmis prostérnimur

Seventh Antiphon • Ave Rex noster

The faithful may also sing the hymn CHRISTUS VINCIT or any other chant in honor of Christ the King.


24a. When the procession enters the church, that is, as the celebrant goes through the door, a Responsory (Ingrediénte Dómino) is begun, which is found at the GoupilChant Website, along with the rest of the Mass chants for Palm Sunday.



HELPFUL RESOURCES for PALM SUNDAY in the EXTRAORDINARY FORM:

1   Msgr. Frederick R. McManus • RITES of HOLY WEEK (1956). Courtesy of RARTY.

2   St. Peter’s Abbey, Solesmes • REVISED PALM SUNDAY with MUSIC (1957).

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Palm Sunday Extraordinary Form Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Jeff Ostrowski

Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004). He resides with his wife and children in Los Angeles.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

Quick Thoughts

For the Upcoming Choir Season!

Last week, I posted an SATB choral setting of the SANCTUS in a ‘contemporary’ style. You might want to consider this piece for two reasons: (1) It’s extremely brief; (2) Free rehearsal videos are available for each individual part. The piece is by Father Lhoumeau.

—Jeff Ostrowski
PDF Download • “Sunday Vespers” (22 pages)

When an organist accompanies Vespers, there is no time to think. It’s one thing after another: Bam – Bam – Bam. And that’s what makes Vespers difficult to accompany; there’s hardly even time to check the key signature for each piece! Therefore, although it’s far from perfect, I’m releasing this 22-page booklet:

PDF Download • SUNDAY VESPERS ACCOMPANIMENT

As time goes on, I will explain why I believe this booklet is important, my hopes for it, and why I selected the official edition, directly from the Vesperale Romanum. In spite of its imperfections, creating this (draft) booklet required much more effort than I had anticipated.

—Jeff Ostrowski
11 July 2022 • FEEDBACK

Someone who heard the CCW plainsong recordings with NOH accompaniment says: “For years I have travelled the continents and crossed the oceans of Gregorian chant in search of a composition and interpretation as sublime as this. The text and the melody are interwoven in a game of mirrors with the interpreters, the singer and the instrumentalist, so as to confer delicacy on the jubilation. The organ is soft, humble. This is what we hear from the singer. These artists have come together to produce beauty. In 1903, Pope Pius X, by motu proprio, restored Gregorian chant in the Latin Church. In his words: Sacred music must possess, to an eminent degree, the qualities proper to the liturgy, and notably the sanctity and delicacy of form, whence another characteristic spontaneously results, universality. I stress: the holiness and delicacy of forms result in universality, time and place. That is to say, sometimes the beauty of human hands gently caresses the face of the Eternal.”

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“At the hour for the Divine Office, | as soon as the signal is heard, | let them abandon whatever they may have in hand | and hasten with the greatest speed, | yet with seriousness, so that there is no excuse for levity. | Let nothing be preferred to the sacred liturgy.”

— Rule of St. Benedict (Chapter 43)

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