3rd Sunday after Easter 2026
Processional hymn: Come, Ye Faithful, Raise the Strain, 844
Recessional hymn: At the Lamb’s High Feast We Sing, 848
Kyriale: Mass I, 696; Credo I, 768
Hymn at the offertory: Exsultemus et laetemur hodie, Chant
Hymn at communion: Ad cænam agni providi, Rev. Thomás Luis de Victoria
Ad Cænam Agni Providi by Rev. Thomás Luis de Victoria is a setting of the Vespers hymn during Eastertide dating back to the 500s. An English version of this hymn will be sung at the recession for Sunday. Victoria composed the even verses of this hymn alternating with the ancient chant melody for the odd verses—a technique he often employed for other hymns. In verse six, Victoria only composed for the Tenor, Alto, and Soprano voices as the text describes Christ rising from the grave and opening paradise so our ears hear only high tones. In the final verse, the Holy Trinity is invoked and the music changes to groups of three, while all voices sing the text in rhythm together making for a very effective three-in-one quality in musical form. This final verse in it’s entirety is shared with Rex gloriose martyrum, his setting for Martyr’s feasts.
Reverend Tomás Luis de Victoria (c.1548–1611), along with Palestrina and de Lassus, is one of the greatest composers of the 16th C., famous for its ethereal polyphony. Ordained a priest at age 27, he lived in Rome for years, and assisted St. Philip Neri as chaplain of San Girolamo della Carità.
2nd Sunday after Easter 2026
Processional Hymn: On This Day, the First of Days, 945
Recessional hymn: The King of Love, My Shepherd Is, 874
Kyriale: I, 696; Credo I, 768
Offertory Motet: O quam metuendus est, Tomás Luis de Victoria
Communion Antiphon: Ego Sum Pastor, Heinrich Isaac (c.1450–1517)
The motet O quam metuendus est by Tomás Luis de Victoria is a setting of the Magnificat antiphon for the day of the dedication of a church. Monday, April 20th marks the 108th anniversary of St. Lawrence’s dedication and that antiphon will be sung during Vespers. The text is taken from the description of Jacob’s Ladder in Genesis: “How awe-inspiring is this place! Surely this can be nothing else but the house of God and the gate of heaven.”
Tomás Luis de Victoria (c.1548–1611), along with Palestrina and de Lassus, is one of the greatest composers of the 16th C., famous for its ethereal polyphony. Ordained a priest at age 27, he lived in Rome for years, and assisted St. Philip Neri as chaplain of San Girolamo della Carità.
Low Sunday 2026
Processional hymn: Ye Sons and Daughters of the Lord, 849
Recessional hymn: Love’s Redeeming Work Is Done, 850
Credo I, 768
Kyriale: Missa Puisque J’aiy Perdu, Lassus
Motet after Offertory: Surge, Amica Mea, Giovanni Matteo Asola (c. 1532–1609)
Marian Antiphon: Regina Cœli, Cristóbal de Morales (c. 1500–1553)
Orlandus Lassus’s (c.1532–1594), Missa Puisque J’ai Perdu, is a polyphonic setting of the ordinary parts of the Mass. Lassus took the musical foundation for this setting from a chanson (song) by Johannes Lupi from which the Mass received its name.
In his four voice setting of Regina Cœli, Cristóbal de Morales uses this familiar melody with some ornamentation in the Soprano voice. The Alto voice echos much of the Soprano melody at a lower pitch while the Tenor and Bass voices have many moving notes throughout. He emphasizes the final alleluia by having each voice sing a series of ascending notes then drop to a lower pitch and repeat several times which lasts well over a quarter of the overall work.
Orlandus Lassus (c.1532–1594) is known for the mature polyphonic style in the Franco-Flemish school. He wrote over 2,000 works in Latin, French, Italian, and German both sacred and secular. Lassus along with Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina and Tomás Luis de Victoria are the most influential composers of the late Renaissance.
Easter Sunday 2026
Processional Hymn: Jesus Christ is Ris’n Today, 843
Recessional hymn: At the Lamb’s High Feast We Sing, 848
Kyriale: Mass in F major, K192, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Offertory Antiphon: Terra Tremuit, William Byrd (c. 1540–1623)
Motet after Offertory: Resurrexi, Msgr. Marco Frisina (b. 1954)
Communion Antiphon: Pascha Nostrum, William Byrd
Hymn at Communion: Ave Verum Corpus, Camille Saint-Saëns (1835–1921)
The Mass in F major by W. A. Mozart was composed in 1775. It is also called the Kleinecredomesse or “Little Credo Mass” because Mozart a two bar Credo figure throughout the titular movement of the Mass. As is common for Masses of this time, Mozart uses soloists in contrast to full choir to give variety to the composition and bring attention to the text of the prayer. The Agnus Dei uses this contrast by having a soloist introduce the first part of the prayer and the chorus sings the miserere nobis then the whole movement shifts character for the dona nobis pacem with a move to a vibrant triple meter and major key.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period and perhaps the most widely celebrated in the history of Western music. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition resulted in more than 800 works including Masses, symphonies, operas, and chamber works.
Palm Sunday 2026
Recessional hymn: O Sacred Head Surrounded, 837
Kyriale: Mass XVII, 762; Credo VI, 788
Hymn after Offertory: Christus Factus Est, a3, Rev. Giovanni Matteo Asola
Communion Antiphon: Pater, Si, Heinrich Isaac (c.1450–1517)
The Gradual chant Christus Factus Est is prayed incrementally through the Paschal Triduum with its text taken from Philippians 2:8–9: Christ became obedient for us even unto death, death on the cross. Therefore God exalted Him and gave Him the name which is above all names. The three voice motet by Rev. Giovanni Matteo Asola is set for men’s voices.
Pater, Si, set to music by Heinrich Isaac, derives the melodic material directly from the Gregorian antiphon. In the musical tradition of singing the Passion narratives, as we hear at Mass on Sunday, Jesus has the lowest voice. In this motet, which takes the text from Our Lord in the Garden of Gethsemane, the voices are all set lower than an average Communio by Isaac—perhaps as a connection to this tradition.
Rev. Giovanni Matteo Asola (c. 1532–1609) was ordained a parish priest in 1569 and held numerous music posts in Italy. In 1577 became maestro di cappella for Treviso Cathedral and subsequently moved to Venice directing at San Servio until his death. Despite living in Venice, Asola’s compositional style is closer to the Roman school.