The Bugnini-Liturgy and the Reform of the Reform - MusicaSacra

of the Holy Week (particularly in the Office). These statements will be elucidated
by means of examples below. Particulars cannot be discussed in
greater length for lack of space but the examination of some important features
will suffice to demonstrate the whole procedure.
3.
On PALM SUNDAY the celebration of the high Mass begins with the blessing
of fronds and the procession. In the Middle Ages the procession
preceded the high Mass on each Sunday. The Palm Sunday procession was
a special, expanded form of the regular Sunday procession recalling and
representing the events of the day. By doing so the universal Church followed
the custom of the faithful of Jerusalem who wandered all over the
places of the one-time events and celebrated the memory of Christ's entry
into the Holy Town. The station of benediction and the procession are two
equally important parts of the rite. Nevertheless, because of the inserted
dramatic moments and the role of the children who represented the group
of pueri Hebraeorum the procession became the principal motive of the liturgical
action. The climax of the procession is when the children spread their
garments in front of Christ (represented by the processional Cross), when
they put the palm branches onto His path and finally, before entering the
church, as if it were at the gate of Jerusalem, they pay homage to Rex
Christe Kedemptor. Thus these dramatic moments turned the procession into
a chain of events and determined at the same time the exact place of
the various chants during procession (Pueri Hebraeorum vestimenta..., Pueri He-
braeorum tollentes ramos..., Gloria laus et honor..., Scriptum est percutiam..., Ingres-
sus Dominus).
In the Tridentine rite the emphasis shifted to the blessing and so the
procession became an unstructured wandering in which the chant had
to rest contented with the role of accompaniment and background music.
It is therefore small wonder that a great many chants were omitted at that
time already and what remained was either left out later or replaced by supplementary
material. Only the entry into the church was stressed by chanting
the Gloria laus and by a small symbolic gesture (a knock on the church
gate with the Cross). At the same time, the Tridentine rite gave a long ritual
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