There were several things that were noteworthy about the music for this, the First Sunday of Lent. Probably the most remarkable is the length of the Tract. Sung briskly, it takes almost 13 minutes to complete. There is a similarly long Tract on Palm Sunday, but today’s edges that one out slightly in terms of overall duration. The Tract itself is drawn entirely from Psalm 90. This is the psalm that the devil speciously quotes from when he tempts Our Lord, as recounted in today’s Gospel (which, of course, immediately follows this Tract):
He hath given his angels charge over thee, and in their hands shall they bear thee up, lest perhaps thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Another interesting thing about the music today is that all of the propers (Introit, Gradual, Tract, Offertory and Communion) are all drawn from that same Psalm 90. This is one of the very few times throughout the year where all of the propers come from the same psalm. And of course, Psalm 90 also shows up in the Gospel.
Also noteworthy today, we begin singing Mass XVII for Lent, and the organ will be suppressed until it makes a brief appearance on Laetare Sunday, and again on Holy Thursday. We arbitrarily choose Kyrie A during Lent (and B during Advent). We pair Mass XVII with Credo I.
We sang Blessed Lamb at the processional. This is a thoroughly Lenten piece that speaks to Our Lord’s saving Blood.
At the Offertory, we sang O Quam Glorifica in honor of Our Lady.
At the Communion, we again sang Parce Domine, and included the previously omitted 4th verse, which speaks of the forty-day fast.
We concluded Mass with The Glory of these Forty Days before singing Stabat Mater during the distribution of ashes.