Good Friday at Centenary By Alan Keely
Holy Week traditions at Centenary have been many and varied. However, one service has held its place for more than half a century— the Service of Tenebrae – presented on Good Friday evening. This service is one of the most moving services of the church year. Our Service of Tenebrae is adapted from an ancient ritual of the Eastern Orthodox Church. The word “Tenebrae” is from the Latin for “darkness.” It represents the period Jesus hung on the cross. The service is designed to create an atmosphere of somber contemplation and pensive reflection. It should be a very personal experience as the word from the Holy Book is read and sung. There is no interpretation from the pulpit; the interpretation comes from within each of our hearts. The narration consists of passages from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible. The passages were carefully chosen by the late Reverend Dr. T. Ray Branton, the Minister of Music at Centenary from 1961 until his retirement in 1992, and across the years with few exceptions, the narration has remained unchanged. The music in the service has traditionally been the “Seven Last Words of Christ” by Théodore Dubois. Overtly dramatic in character, the music brings to life the story of Jesus’ Passion and death. Many will vividly remember “He is death-guilty! Take him!”; and “Vah! Thou wouldst fain destroy the temple!”; and the power of the “earthquake and storm” that follows Jesus’ death. First performed at Centenary in 1932, the Dubois “Seven Last Words” was regularly performed from 1968 to 2014 as part of this service. This year on Good Friday evening, the