Submitted by Val Hiscock on
The London Commandery is attending the Office of Tenebrae at The Guild Church of St Dunstan-in-the-West, Fleet Street, on Wednesday 5th April 2023 as its act of devotion in Lent this year. The service starts at 7pm.
Members are invited to wear their Church Mantles and to enter the church in procession to a section of reserved seating for the Order. You will be able to robe before the service in the Church Vestry.
Given the nature of the service it will not be possible to hold a reception in the Church afterwards but Members may wish to adjourn to a local pub.
The principal Tenebrae ceremony is the gradual extinguishing of candles upon a stand in the sanctuary called a hearse containing fifteen candles, which are extinguished after each of the psalms of matins and lauds. The six altar candles are put out during the Benedictus, gradually reducing also the lighting in the church throughout the chanting of the canticle. Then any remaining lights in the church are extinguished and the last candle on the hearse is hidden behind the altar ending the service in total darkness. The strepitus ("great noise") symbolizes the earthquake that followed Christ's death, although it may have originated as a simple signal to depart. After the candle has been shown to the people, it is extinguished, and then put "on the credence table". All rise and then leave in silence.