Adoramus te Christie

Josephian presentation of sacred songs to mark Holy Week and Easter:

A presentation of sacred songs including Gregorian chants, polyphonic compositions, choruses and popular hymns will be held at the newly renovated chapel of St. Joseph’s College, Colombo.

It will commence at 6.30 pm on March 17, Monday in the Holy Week. Organised and presented by the 75 strong St. Cecelia’s choir of St. Joseph’s College, it will also feature Good Shepherd Convent, Kotahena, St. Lawrence’s Convent, Wellawatte, as well as the Choir of Scola Cantorum which includes lay people as well as priests and is based at St. Joseph’s College.

This unique spiritual event of a rare combination of a range of sacred music and meditation will commence with the Palm Sunday antiphon in Latin - “Pueri Hebreorum” and will be followed by the majestic chorus “Lauda Jerusalem” sung by the combined choirs to commemorate Christ’s defiant entry into that city.

This will be followed by “Miserere Mei Deus” - an exquisite Polyphonic composition by Gregori Allegri sung by St. Cecelia’s choir of St. Joseph’s College. They will also render Mozart’s “Laudate Dominum”, featuring a boy Soprano soloist.

Thereafter, the scene will change to commemorate the institution of the Holy Eucharist with the choir of Good Shepherd Convent, Kotahena singing Caeser Frank’s “Panis Angelorum” followed by “Gethsamane” to highlight the betrayal of Jesus.

The Shepherdians will continue to provide a choral representation of the crucifixion with the enchanting “Harken My People” composed by the late Chilaw Bishop Edmund Peiris. Thereafter the Josephians will sing Mozart’s “Ave Verum” and the Marian hymn for Good Friday. “Stabat Mater” in which the congregation will join.

The newly assembled Choral outfit, Scola Cantorum will sing the popular spiritual “The Old Rugged Cross” followed by Palastrina’s Adoramus te Christe. The congregation will then join in singing “Softly and Tenderly”. The majestic Easter hymn “Regina Caeli Laetare - Rejoice, O Queen of Heaven” will follow. This choir is lead by Rev. Fr. Indika Joseph.

The Senior Choir of St. Lawrence’s church Wellawatte will take up the Easter theme by rendering “Rex Admirabilis - Alleluia” (Nun’s Chorus from The Sound of Music). This will be followed by the intricate polyphonic version of “Cantate Dominum” and the Peace Song - “Dona Nobis Pacem”.

They will also sing the rousing “Jesus Christ is Risen Today” accompanied by the Josephian Chamber Orchestra which will also be featured in selected renditions.

The choir of St. Joseph’s College will offer the final segment with Bach’s “Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring”. Thereafter, the congregation will join in singing the “Pater Noster”. It will be followed by Handel’s two choruses from Messiah - “Worthy is the Lamb” and the “Hellelujah Chorus”

The program will conclude with a blessing and the Italian Millennium Jubilee Anthem “Gloria a Te” with the participation of the congregation.

This is the third successive occasion that such a Lenten cum Easter program of sacred songs is presented at St. Joseph’s College. Rev. Fr. Rector Sylvester Ranasinghe invites all those who wish to experience the final events of the Holy Week through songs and meditation to be present at this program. It is presented free and all are cordially welcome.