NAXOS 8.555861
MASS OF TOURNAI / ST LUKE PASSION
TONUS PEREGRINUS
The earliest complete polyphonic settings of the Mass and the Passion
The earliest complete polyphonic settings of the Mass and the Passion that have come down to us are the 14th-century Mass of Tournai from what is now Belgium, and an English St Luke Passion from the early 15th-century ‘Windsor’ Manuscript. Both settings are anonymous and in three-voice polyphony, and the six movements of the Mass of Tournai reflect both the old-fashioned and the more up-to-date practices of ars antiqua and ars nova. The St Luke Passion displays characteristic English sweetness in its harmony, as well as unexpectedly dramatic responses to the events of the 24 hours from the Last Supper to Jesus’s short-lived entombment.
1. The Mass of Tournai
composed: Anonymous [several], early 14th-century
manuscript: Tournai Cathedral Library, A27 (anc. 476)/28r-33v
edition: Antony Pitts, 2001
2. St Luke Passion
composed: Anonymous, late 14th/early 15th-century
manuscript: British Library, Egerton 3307/20-24b
(plainchant according to Use of Salisbury, following pointing in The Use of Salisbury, Vol. IV, Antico Church Music ed. Nick Sandon)
edition: Antony Pitts, 2001
CD:
tracks 1-6: Mass of Tournai 22’03”
track 1 Kyrie
2’35”
track 2 Gloria
6’40”
track 3 Credo
6’12”
track 4 Sanctus
3’22”
track 5 Agnus Dei
1’41”
track 6 Se grasse/Cum venerint/Ite missa est
1’33”
tracks 7-13: St Luke Passion 47’43”
track 7 The first day of Unleavened Bread (Luke 22:1-38)
12’46”
track 8 The mount of Olives (Luke 22:39-53)
5’16”
track 9 The high priest’s house (Luke 22:54-65)
4’46”
track 10 The council of the elders (Luke 22:66-71)
2’24”
track 11 Pilate and Herod (Luke 23:1-25)
10’53”
track 12 The place called The Skull (Luke 23:26-47)
9’31”
track 13 The tomb (Luke 23:48-53)
2’07”
total timing: 69’48”
TONUS PEREGRINUS
Joanna Forbes – soprano
Rebecca Hickey – soprano
Kathryn Oswald – alto
Alexander L'Estrange – countertenor
Benjamin Rayfield – tenor (Evangelist)
Alexander Hickey – tenor
Francis Brett – bass (Jesus)
Nick Flower – bass
Antony Pitts – director
24-bit recording made 15-17 May 2001
in the Abbey Church of St Peter & St Paul, Dorchester-on-Thames, UK
engineered by Geoff Miles
produced by Jeremy Summerly
edited by Antony Pitts
mastered with Apogee UV22
The Earliest Complete Polyphonic Settings of the Mass and the Passion
This recording brings together the earliest complete polyphonic settings of the Ordinary of the Mass, and the Passion narrative (from St Luke’s Gospel). Their appearance – one in mid-14th-century Tournai (on the Western border of present-day Belgium), and the other in early-15th-century England – marks a new stage in the development of Western music. For many centuries plainchant (so-called Gregorian chant), itself derived originally from Jewish chant and other sources, was the overriding musical vehicle for the sacred texts used in Christian liturgy. With the perspective of two long millennia, the emergence of notated polyphony in manuscripts seems to parallel human development from infancy to adulthood; on that scale, these late mediaeval pieces are like teenagers about to leave home – able to do many things with frequently striking individuality, but not yet endowed with the full-grown self-assurance of late 15th-century and 16th-century polyphony. If this seems a patronising 21st-century assessment, it should be remembered that the 14th Century was a time of musicological struggle between what could be sung and what could be written down. The harmonic implications of adding several extra voices to existing or pseudo-plainchant were both enticing and dangerously uncharted, and by the end of the 14th Century the levels of rhythmic complexity were pushed to extremes not heard again until the cerebral experiments of many a 20th-century composer.
Against this background, the Mass of Tournai can be seen for what it is: a collection of anonymous mass movements by a number of composers in older and more up-to-date styles, compiled for use in the huge spaces of Tournai Cathedral in the first half of the 14th Century, and antedating Machaut’s masterly setting of the Mass for Rheims Cathedral by a generation or so (recorded by the Oxford Camerata on Naxos 8.553833). The Cathedral at Tournai was at that time the focal point of a large diocese and was clearly in touch with important musical establishments elsewhere (versions of the Credo and Ite missa est are both found in manuscripts associated with the émigré papal court at Avignon). It was near the back of one of the Cathedral’s manuscripts – full mostly of plainchant in different scribal hands – that the Mass of Tournai was rediscovered in 1862. The Mass has since been linked with various supplicatory services that were held in response to the terrible events of the 1340s: the siege by the English king Edward III and his allies (soon after the start of the Hundred Years’ War) and the arrival of the Black Death in 1349. In that same year, the Bishop of Tournai, Jean des Prés instituted a daily sung Mass that called for six trained singers – perhaps the Mass of Tournai was thus called into regular service.
The six movements of the Mass of Tournai are surprisingly diverse (on this recording they are heard side-by-side without intervening plainchant in order to aid comparison): the Kyrie is relatively archaic and presents some intriguing questions about musica ficta; while the Gloria displays the characteristic intricacy of the ars nova (the ‘new art’ of the early 14th Century), and with its immense ‘Amen’ is at least as ambitious as the corresponding movement in Machaut’s Mass. The Credo is a mostly note-against-note setting that conveys the text modestly but very effectively; the Sanctus and Agnus Dei are bell-like settings that hark back to the old rhythmic modes, but seem to push forwards in terms of harmonic colour. The Ite missa est is (unlike Machaut’s setting) a polytextual motet with a lovesong in a French dialect on the top line and a moralistic Latin poem for the motetus part – quite how it was performed in the context of the liturgy is not clear, but the psychological effect is one of release and an inescapable connection between spiritual and worldly matters.
Despite the superficial fact that both the Mass of Tournai and the St Luke Passion are in three-voice polyphony, they are cultural worlds apart. This recording seeks to show off those geographical and historical differences, partly by using specific local pronunciations for the Latin texts, and partly by varying the ensemble colour in the Passion to reflect the expressive demands of the music and the momentous text it carries.
Settings of the Passion are part of an ancient tradition within the Church in which all four Gospel accounts of the Passion are sung to plainchant in Holy Week (St Luke’s account on the Wednesday). Over the centuries the three main elements of the story were separated out onto different reciting tones, and later given to different singers. This increasing dramatisation is further enhanced in the 13th-century Rationale Divinorum Officiorum where there is a directive to differentiate between the ritual Gospel tone of the Evangelist and the words of Jesus (to be sung sweetly) and those of the crowd (correspondingly harsh and loud). Whether that had any direct effect on the composition of this St Luke Passion is immaterial; the depth of response to the drama of the story in its newly-composed polyphonic sections is undeniable.
The anonymous St Luke Passion is found in the “Windsor” Manuscript (Egerton 3307), probably written or compiled for St George’s, Windsor in the early 15th Century. The first part of the collection is liturgical music for Passiontide and Easter (interestingly, it includes a three-voice setting of part of the Mass on the pages just before the St Luke Passion – which itself contains a detailed account of the Last Supper); the second part of the manuscript is mainly made up of Latin and English carols for Christmas, along with a drinking song. Although the music of the St Luke Passion is relatively old-fashioned, most striking is the characteristic sweetness of the English-style harmony, particularly set against the bare recitation tones of the Evangelist and the words of Jesus. This sweetness – given the poetic description “la contenance Angloise” by Martin le Franc – was noted and absorbed by continental musicians throughout the 15th Century and saw its ultimate late-mediaeval flowering in the glorious euphony of England’s Eton Choirbook.
It was in the Eton Choirbook that the Passion tradition reached another milestone, with a composer’s name attached for the first time: Richard Davy’s St Matthew Passion. The Passion settings of J.S.Bach are well-known; in our own time, composers (such as Arvo Pärt in his St John Passion – recorded by TONUS PEREGRINUS on Naxos 8.555860) have once again returned to the traditional Latin text and the ritualistic framework of the mediaeval Passion.
Apart from the questions of interpretation already noted above, there remain the important matters of performance pitch and tempi. As with the question of which accidentals should be added by the singers – sometimes to avoid the awkward melodic outline of a tritone, and sometimes to underline the cadential effect of two parts moving by contrary motion onto a perfect consonance (such as a fifth or an octave), truly satisfactory answers can be suggested only by repeated rehearsal and performance. We hope our solutions on this recording make sense to both the erudite and the unsullied ear.
Antony Pitts
February 2003
This recording is dedicated to Luke Warren who was born during (but not at) the recording sessions.
Kyrie
Kyrie eleison. [three times]
Christe eleison. [three times]
Kyrie eleison. [three times]
Kyrie
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Gloria
Gloria in excelsis Deo
Et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis.
Laudamus te, benedicimus te,
adoramus te, glorificamus te,
gratias agimus tibi propter magnam gloriam tuam
Domine Deus, Rex celestis, Deus Pater omnipotens.
Domine Fili unigenite, Jesu Christe
Domine Deus, Agnus Dei, Filius Patris
Qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis.
Qui tollis peccata mundi, suscipe deprecationem nostram
Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris, miserere nobis.
Quoniam tu solus Sanctus
Tu solus Dominus
Tu solus Altissimus, Jesu Christe
cum Sancto Spiritu,
in gloria Dei Patris.
Amen.
Gloria
Glory be to God on high,
and in earth peace, good-will towards men.
We praise Thee, we bless Thee,
we worship Thee, we glorify Thee,
we give thanks to Thee for Thy great glory,
O Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father Almighty.
O Lord, the only-begotten Son Jesu Christ;
O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,
that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.
Thou that takest away the sins of the world, receive our prayer:
Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father, have mercy upon us.
For Thou only art holy;
Thou only art the Lord;
Thou only, O Christ,
with the Holy Ghost,
art most high in the glory of God the Father.
Amen.
Credo
Credo in unum Deum,
Patrem omnipotentem factorem celi et terrae,
visibilium omnium, et invisibilium:
et in unum Dominum Jesum Christum,
Filium Dei unigenitum,
et ex Patre natum ante omnia saecula,
Deum de Deo, lumen de lumine,
Deum verum de Deo vero,
genitum, non factum,
consubstantialem Patri,
per quem omnia facta sunt.
Qui propter nos homines, et propter nostram salutem descendit de celis,
et incarnatus est de Spiritu Sancto
ex Maria Virgine,
et homo factus est,
crucifixus etiam pro nobis sub Pontio Pilato
passus, et sepultus est.
Et resurrexit tertia die,
secundum Scripturas,
et ascendit in celum,
sedet ad dexteram Patris.
Et iterum venturus est cum gloria,
iudicare vivos et mortuos:
Cuius regni non erit finis.
Et in Spiritum Sanctum
Dominium, et vivificantem,
Qui ex Patre Filioque procedit,
Qui cum Patre et Filio simul adoratur, et conglorificatur,
Qui locutus est per Prophetas.
Et in unam sanctam catholicam et apostolicam Ecclesiam;
confiteor unum baptisma in remissionem peccatorum;
et exspecto resurrectionem mortuorum,
et vitam venturi saeculi.
Amen.
Credo
I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth,
and of all things visible and invisible:
and in One Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of His Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father,
by whom all things were made:
Who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven,
and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost
of the Virgin Mary,
and was made man,
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried.
And the third day He rose again
according to the Scriptures,
and ascended into heaven,
and sitteth on the right hand of the Father.
And He shall come again with glory
to judge both the quick and the dead:
Whose kingdom shall have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Ghost,
the Lord, and Giver of life,
Who proceedeth from the Father and the Son,
Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified,
Who spake by the Prophets.
And I believe One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church;
I acknowledge One Baptism for the remission of sins;
and I look for the Resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come.
Amen.
Sanctus
Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus,
Dominus Deus Sabaoth;
pleni sunt caeli et terra gloria tua.
Osanna in excelsis.
Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini.
Osanna in excelsis.
Sanctus
Holy, Holy, Holy,
Lord God of Sabaoth;
heaven and earth are full of the majesty of Thy glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
Agnus Dei
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi:
Miserere nobis.
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi:
Miserere nobis.
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi:
Dona nobis pacem.
Agnus Dei
Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world; Have mercy upon us.
Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world; Have mercy upon us.
Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world; Grant us Thy peace.
Ite missa est
[tenor]
Ite missa est.
Deo gratias.
[motetus]
Cum venerint miseri degentes
ad ostium vestrum succurrite
continuo domini potentes
vel adminus clamantes dicite
ne pereat quod quidam valentes
sibi forsan conferent cedite.
[triplum]
Se grasse nest a mon maintien contraire
et vraie amours garnie de desir
de plaisamment servir pour souscours faire
bien me deuist ma dame retenir
mes tant ne puis prijer ne requerire
sa grant valour que je li puisse plaire
ce mest avis or men estuet retraire
du tout en tout et mendre poursivir
u lessier ent boine amour convenir
avoech francise et pitie debonnaire
qui pooir ont de tous cuers adouchir.
Ite missa est
Go, the Mass is ended.
Thanks be to God.
[While the tenor sings the liturgical words, the motetus exhorts the rich and powerful to be merciful to those in need, and the triplum sings of his love for his lady.]
[text of Passion narrative – Latin]
Dominus vobiscum.
Et cum spiritu tuo.
Passio Domini Nostri Jesu Christi secundum Lucam
Luke 22
1 In illo tempore: adpropinquabat autem dies festus azymorum qui dicitur pascha
2 et quaerebant principes sacerdotum et scribae quomodo Jesum interficerent timebant vero plebem
3 intravit autem Satanas in Judam qui cognominatur Scarioth unum de duodecim
4 et abiit et locutus est cum principibus sacerdotum et magistratibus quemadmodum illum traderet eis
5 et gavisi sunt et pacti sunt pecuniam illi dare
6 et spopondit et quaerebat oportunitatem ut traderet illum sine turbis
7 venit autem dies azymorum in qua necesse erat occidi pascha
8 et misit Petrum et Johannem dicens euntes parate nobis pascha ut manducemus
9 at illi dixerunt ubi vis paremus
10 et dixit ad eos ecce introeuntibus vobis in civitatem occurret vobis homo amphoram aquae portans sequimini eum in domum in qua intrat
11 et dicetis patri familias domus dicit tibi magister ubi est diversorium ubi pascha cum discipulis meis manducem
12 et ipse ostendet vobis cenaculum magnum stratum et ibi parate
13 euntes autem invenerunt sicut dixit illis et paraverunt pascha
14 et cum facta esset hora discubuit et duodecim apostoli cum eo
15 et ait illis desiderio desideravi hoc pascha manducare vobiscum antequam patiar
16 dico enim vobis quia ex hoc non manducabo illud donec impleatur in regno Dei
17 et accepto calice gratias egit et dixit accipite et dividite inter vos
18 dico enim vobis quod non bibam de generatione vitis donec regnum Dei veniat
19 et accepto pane gratias egit et fregit et dedit eis dicens hoc est corpus meum quod pro vobis datur hoc facite in meam commemorationem
20 similiter et calicem postquam cenavit dicens hic est calix novum testamentum in sanguine meo qui pro vobis funditur
21 verumtamen ecce manus tradentis me mecum est in mensa
22 et quidem Filius hominis secundum quod definitum est vadit verumtamen vae homini illi per quem traditur
23 et ipsi coeperunt quaerere inter se quis esset ex eis qui hoc facturus esset
24 facta est autem et contentio inter eos quis eorum videretur esse maior
25 dixit autem eis reges gentium dominantur eorum et qui potestatem habent super eos benefici vocantur
26 vos autem non sic sed qui maior est in vobis fiat sicut minor et qui praecessor est sicut ministrator
27 nam quis maior est qui recumbit an qui ministrat nonne qui recumbit ego autem in medio vestrum sum sicut qui ministrat
28 vos autem estis qui permansistis mecum in temptationibus meis
29 et ego dispono vobis sicut disposuit mihi Pater meus regnum
30 ut edatis et bibatis super mensam meam in regno et sedeatis super thronos iudicantes duodecim tribus Israhel
31 ait autem Dominus Simon Simon ecce Satanas expetivit vos ut cribraret sicut triticum
32 ego autem rogavi pro te ut non deficiat fides tua et tu aliquando conversus confirma fratres tuos
33 qui dixit ei Domine tecum paratus sum et in carcerem et in mortem ire
34 et ille dixit dico tibi Petre non cantabit hodie gallus donec ter abneges nosse me
35 et dixit eis quando misi vos sine sacculo et pera et calciamentis numquid aliquid defuit vobis at illi dixerunt nihil
36 dixit ergo eis sed nunc qui habet sacculum tollat similiter et peram et qui non habet vendat tunicam suam et emat gladium
37 dico enim vobis quoniam adhuc hoc quod scriptum est oportet impleri in me et cum iniquis deputatus est etenim ea quae sunt de me finem habent
38 at illi dixerunt Domine ecce gladii duo hic at ille dixit eis satis est
39 et egressus ibat secundum consuetudinem in montem Olivarum secuti sunt autem illum et discipuli
40 et cum pervenisset ad locum dixit illis orate ne intretis in temptationem
41 et ipse avulsus est ab eis quantum iactus est lapidis et positis genibus orabat
42 dicens Pater si vis transfer calicem istum a me verumtamen non mea voluntas sed tua fiat
43 apparuit autem illi angelus de caelo confortans eum et factus in agonia prolixius orabat
44 et factus est sudor eius sicut guttae sanguinis decurrentis in terram
45 et cum surrexisset ab oratione et venisset ad discipulos suos invenit eos dormientes prae tristitia
46 et ait illis quid dormitis surgite orate ne intretis in temptationem
47 adhuc eo loquente ecce turba et qui vocabatur Judas unus de duodecim antecedebat eos et adpropinquavit Jesu ut oscularetur eum
48 Jesus autem dixit ei Juda osculo Filium hominis tradis
49 videntes autem hii qui circa ipsum erant quod futurum erat dixerunt ei Domine si percutimus in gladio
50 et percussit unus ex illis servum principis sacerdotum et amputavit auriculam eius dextram
51 respondens autem Jesus ait sinite usque huc et cum tetigisset auriculam eius sanavit eum
52 dixit autem Jesus ad eos qui venerant ad se principes sacerdotum et magistratus templi et seniores quasi ad latronem existis cum gladiis et fustibus
53 cum cotidie vobiscum fuerim in templo non extendistis manus in me sed haec est hora vestra et potestas tenebrarum
54 comprehendentes autem eum duxerunt ad domum principis sacerdotum Petrus vero sequebatur a longe
55 accenso autem igni in medio atrio et circumsedentibus illis erat Petrus in medio eorum
56 quem cum vidisset ancilla quaedam sedentem ad lumen et eum fuisset intuita dixit et hic cum illo erat
57 at ille negavit eum dicens mulier non novi illum
58 et post pusillum alius videns eum dixit et tu de illis es Petrus vero ait o homo non sum
59 et intervallo facto quasi horae unius alius quidam adfirmabat dicens vere et hic cum illo erat nam et Galilaeus est
60 et ait Petrus homo nescio quid dicis et continuo adhuc illo loquente cantavit gallus
61 et conversus Dominus respexit Petrum et recordatus est Petrus verbi Domini sicut dixerat quia priusquam gallus cantet ter me negabis
62 et egressus foras Petrus flevit amare
63 et viri qui tenebant illum illudebant ei caedentes
64 et velaverunt eum et percutiebant faciem eius et interrogabant eum dicentes prophetiza nobis Christe quis est qui te percussit
65 et alia multa blasphemantes dicebant in eum
66 et ut factus est dies convenerunt seniores plebis et principes sacerdotum et scribae et duxerunt illum in concilium suum dicentes
67 si tu es Christus dic nobis et ait illis si vobis dixero non creditis mihi
68 si autem et interrogavero non respondebitis mihi neque dimittetis
69 ex hoc autem erit Filius hominis sedens a dextris virtutis Dei
70 dixerunt autem omnes tu ergo es Filius Dei qui ait vos dicitis quia ego sum
71 at illi dixerunt quid adhuc desideramus testimonium ipsi enim audivimus de ore eius
Luke 23
1 et surgens omnis multitudo eorum duxerunt illum ad Pilatum
2 coeperunt autem accusare illum dicentes hunc invenimus subvertentem gentem nostram et prohibentem tributa dari Caesari et dicentem se Christum regem esse
3 Pilatus autem interrogavit eum dicens tu es rex Judaeorum at ille respondens ait tu dicis
4 ait autem Pilatus ad principes sacerdotum et turbas nihil invenio causae in hoc homine
5 at illi invalescebant dicentes commovet populum docens per universam Iudaeam et incipiens a Galilaea usque huc
6 Pilatus autem audiens Galilaeam interrogavit si homo Galilaeus esset
7 et ut cognovit quod de Herodis potestate esset remisit eum ad Herodem qui et ipse Hierosolymis erat illis diebus
8 Herodes autem viso Jesu gavisus est valde erat enim ex multo tempore cupiens videre eum eo quod audiret multa de illo et sperabat signum aliquod videre ab eo fieri
9 interrogabat autem illum multis sermonibus at ipse nihil illi respondebat
10 stabant autem principes sacerdotum et scribae constanter accusantes eum
11 sprevit autem illum Herodes cum exercitu suo et illusit indutum veste alba et remisit ad Pilatum
12 et facti sunt amici Herodes et Pilatus in ipsa die nam antea inimici erant ad invicem
13 Pilatus autem convocatis principibus sacerdotum et magistratibus et plebe
14 dixit ad illos obtulistis mihi hunc hominem quasi avertentem populum et ecce ego coram vobis interrogans nullam causam inveni in homine isto ex his in quibus eum accusatis
15 sed neque Herodes nam remisi vos ad illum et ecce nihil dignum morte actum est ei
16 emendatum ergo illum dimittam
17 necesse autem habebat dimittere eis per diem festum unum
18 exclamavit autem simul universa turba dicens tolle hunc et dimitte nobis Barabban
19 qui erat propter seditionem quandam factam in civitate et homicidium missus in carcerem
20 iterum autem Pilatus locutus est ad illos volens dimittere Jesum
21 at illi succlamabant dicentes crucifige crucifige illum
22 ille autem tertio dixit ad illos quid enim mali fecit nullam causam mortis invenio in eo corripiam ergo illum et dimittam
23 at illi instabant vocibus magnis postulantes ut crucifigeretur et invalescebant voces eorum
24 et Pilatus adiudicavit fieri petitionem eorum
25 dimisit autem illis eum qui propter homicidium et seditionem missus fuerat in carcerem quem petebant Jesum vero tradidit voluntati eorum
26 et cum ducerent eum apprehenderunt Simonem quendam Cyrenensem venientem de villa et inposuerunt illi crucem portare post Jesum
27 sequebatur autem illum multa turba populi et mulierum quae plangebant et lamentabant eum
28 conversus autem ad illas Jesus dixit filiae Jerusalem nolite flere super me sed super vos ipsas flete et super filios vestros
29 quoniam ecce venient dies in quibus dicent beatae steriles et ventres qui non genuerunt et ubera quae non lactaverunt
30 tunc incipient dicere montibus cadite super nos et collibus operite nos
31 quia si in viridi ligno haec faciunt in arido quid fiet
32 ducebantur autem et alii duo nequam cum eo ut interficerentur
33 et postquam venerunt in locum qui vocatur Calvariae ibi crucifixerunt eum et latrones unum a dextris et alterum a sinistris
34 Jesus autem dicebat Pater dimitte illis non enim sciunt quid faciunt dividentes vero vestimenta eius miserunt sortes
35 et stabat populus expectans et deridebant illum principes cum eis dicentes alios salvos fecit se ipsum salvum faciat si hic est Christus Filius Dei electus
36 illudebant autem ei et milites accedentes et acetum offerentes illi
37 dicentes si tu es rex Judaeorum salvum te fac
38 erat autem et superscriptio scripta super illum litteris graecis et latinis et hebraicis hic est rex Judaeorum
39 unus autem de his qui pendebant latronibus blasphemabat eum dicens si tu es Christus salvum fac temet ipsum et nos
40 respondens autem alter increpabat eum dicens neque tu times Deum qui in eadem damnatione es
41 et nos quidem iuste nam digna factis recipimus hic vero nihil mali gessit
42 et dicebat ad Jesum Domine memento mei cum veneris in regnum tuum
43 et dixit illi Jesus amen dico tibi hodie mecum eris in paradiso
44 erat autem fere hora sexta et tenebrae factae sunt in universam terram usque in horam nonam
45 et obscuratus est sol et velum templi scissum est medium
46 et clamans voce magna Jesus ait Pater in manus tuas commendo spiritum meum et haec dicens exspiravit
47 videns autem centurio quod factum fuerat glorificavit Deum dicens vere hic homo iustus erat
48 et omnis turba eorum qui simul aderant ad spectaculum istud et videbant quae fiebant percutientes pectora sua revertebantur
49 stabant autem omnes noti eius a longe et mulieres quae secutae erant eum a Galilaea haec videntes
50 et ecce vir nomine Joseph qui erat decurio vir bonus et justus
51 hic non consenserat consilio et actibus eorum ab Arimathia civitate Judaeae qui expectabat et ipse regnum Dei
52 hic accessit ad Pilatum et petiit corpus Jesu
53 et depositum involvit sindone et posuit eum in monumento exciso in quo nondum quisquam positus fuerat
(Vulgate)
[text of Passion narrative – English]
The Lord be with you.
And with thy spirit.
The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke
Luke 22
1 Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover.
2 And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill Him; for they feared the people.
3 Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve.
4 And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray Him unto them.
5 And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money.
6 And he promised, and sought opportunity to betray Him unto them in the absence of the multitude.
7 Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed.
8 And He sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the passover, that we may eat.
9 And they said unto Him, Where wilt Thou that we prepare?
10 And He said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he entereth in.
11 And ye shall say unto the goodman of the house, The Master saith unto thee, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with My disciples?
12 And he shall shew you a large upper room furnished: there make ready.
13 And they went, and found as He had said unto them: and they made ready the passover.
14 And when the hour was come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him.
15 And He said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer:
16 For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.
17 And He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide [it] among yourselves:
18 For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.
19 And He took bread, and gave thanks, and brake [it], and gave unto them, saying, This is My body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of Me.
20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup [is] the new testament in My blood, which is shed for you.
21 But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth Me [is] with Me on the table.
22 And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined: but woe unto that man by whom He is betrayed!
23 And they began to enquire among themselves, which of them it was that should do this thing.
24 And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest.
25 And He said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors.
26 But ye [shall] not [be] so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.
27 For whether [is] greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? [is] not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.
28 Ye are they which have continued with Me in my temptations.
29 And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as My Father hath appointed unto Me;
30 That ye may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired [to have] you, that he may sift [you] as wheat:
32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.
33 And he said unto Him, Lord, I am ready to go with Thee, both into prison, and to death.
34 And He said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest Me.
35 And He said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing.
36 Then said He unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take [it], and likewise [his] scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.
37 For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in Me, And He was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning Me have an end.
38 And they said, Lord, behold, here [are] two swords. And He said unto them, It is enough.
39 And He came out, and went, as He was wont, to the mount of Olives; and His disciples also followed Him.
40 And when He was at the place, He said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation.
41 And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,
42 Saying, Father, if Thou be willing, remove this cup from Me: nevertheless not My will, but Thine, be done.
43 And there appeared an angel unto Him from heaven, strengthening Him.
44 And being in an agony He prayed more earnestly: and His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
45 And when He rose up from prayer, and was come to His disciples, He found them sleeping for sorrow,
46 And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.
47 And while He yet spake, behold a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jesus to kiss Him.
48 But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?
49 When they which were about Him saw what would follow, they said unto Him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword?
50 And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear.
51 And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And He touched his ear, and healed him.
52 Then Jesus said unto the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and the elders, which were come to Him, Be ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and staves?
53 When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against Me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness.
54 Then took they Him, and led [Him], and brought Him into the high priest's house. And Peter followed afar off.
55 And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them.
56 But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with Him.
57 And he denied Him, saying, Woman, I know Him not.
58 And after a little while another saw him, and said, Thou art also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not.
59 And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this [fellow] also was with Him: for he is a Galilaean.
60 And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew.
61 And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny Me thrice.
62 And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.
63 And the men that held Jesus mocked Him, and smote [Him].
64 And when they had blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face, and asked Him, saying, Prophesy, who is it that smote Thee?
65 And many other things blasphemously spake they against Him.
66 And as soon as it was day, the elders of the people and the chief priests and the scribes came together, and led Him into their council, saying,
67 Art Thou the Christ? tell us. And He said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe:
68 And if I also ask [you], ye will not answer Me, nor let [Me] go.
69 Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God.
70 Then said they all, Art Thou then the Son of God? And He said unto them, Ye say that I am.
71 And they said, What need we any further witness? for we ourselves have heard of His own mouth.
Luke 23
1 And the whole multitude of them arose, and led Him unto Pilate.
2 And they began to accuse Him, saying, We found this [fellow] perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ a King.
3 And Pilate asked Him, saying, Art Thou the King of the Jews? And He answered him and said, Thou sayest [it].
4 Then said Pilate to the chief priests and [to] the people, I find no fault in this man.
5 And they were the more fierce, saying, He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place.
6 When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Galilaean.
7 And as soon as he knew that He belonged unto Herod's jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time.
8 And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see Him of a long [season], because he had heard many things of Him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by Him.
9 Then he questioned with Him in many words; but he answered Him nothing.
10 And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused Him.
11 And Herod with his men of war set Him at nought, and mocked [Him], and arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe, and sent Him again to Pilate.
12 And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves.
13 And Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people,
14 Said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and, behold, I, having examined [Him] before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse Him:
15 No, nor yet Herod: for I sent you to him; and, lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto Him.
16 I will therefore chastise Him, and release [Him].
17 (For of necessity he must release one unto them at the feast.)
18 And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this [man], and release unto us Barabbas:
19 (Who for a certain sedition made in the city, and for murder, was cast into prison.)
20 Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus, spake again to them.
21 But they cried, saying, Crucify [Him], crucify Him.
22 And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath He done? I have found no cause of death in Him: I will therefore chastise Him, and let [Him] go.
23 And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that He might be crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed.
24 And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required.
25 And he released unto them him that for sedition and murder was cast into prison, whom they had desired; but he delivered Jesus to their will.
26 And as they led Him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear [it] after Jesus.
27 And there followed Him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented Him.
28 But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for Me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children.
29 For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed [are] the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck.
30 Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us.
31 For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?
32 And there were also two other, malefactors, led with Him to be put to death.
33 And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.
34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted His raiment, and cast lots.
35 And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided [Him], saying, He saved others; let Him save Himself, if He be Christ, the chosen of God.
36 And the soldiers also mocked Him, coming to Him, and offering Him vinegar,
37 And saying, If Thou be the king of the Jews, save Thyself.
38 And a superscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on Him, saying, If Thou be Christ, save Thyself and us.
40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?
41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.
42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom.
43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with Me in paradise.
44 And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.
45 And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst.
46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, He said, Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit: and having said thus, He gave up the ghost.
47 Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man.
48 And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned.
49 And all His acquaintance, and the women that followed Him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things.
50 And, behold, [there was] a man named Joseph, a counsellor; [and he was] a good man, and a just:
51 (The same had not consented to the counsel and deed of them;) [he was] of Arimathaea, a city of the Jews: who also himself waited for the kingdom of God.
52 This [man] went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus.
53 And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid.
(King James Version)