High mass.
At the end of the litanies, the Pope (if His Holiness were not present at the preceding ceremonies) enters the chapel, wearing a white cope and a mitre; at the foot of the altar he repeals as usual the beginning of the mass with the Card. Celebrant at His left hand: in the meantime the choir sings solemnly the Kyrie eleison etc. (as there is no Introit of the Mass, because the people were assembled in the church previously): the Pope goes to His throne, and receives the usual ubbidienza; and the other customary ceremonies of high mass in the papal chapel take place (see p. 19 and foll.) with such exceptions as we shall now mention. As soon as the Celebrant commences the Gloria in excelsis, the veil is removed from the tapestry over the altar; which represents Christ rising from the dead[123], the cannons of S. Angelo are discharged, the arms are no longer reversed and the bells of the city are tolled, to announce to its faithful inhabitants the resurrection of their Divine Lord.
Alleluja.
After the epistle, sung as usual by the subdeacon, another subdeacon (Uditore di Rota) wearing a white tonacella or tunic announces at the foot of the throne the joyful tidings to His Holiness[124] by chanting aloud; "Pater sancte, annuntio vobis gaudium magnum, quod est, Alleluja": having then kissed the Pope's foot he returns into the sacristy. This word of joy[125] Alleluja, (praise God) which had not been once uttered during the long season of mourning which preceded this solemnity, is now sung thrice by the Celebrant, gradually raising his voice to a higher tone. The choir reechoes it each time, singing it in contrapunto, and then chants the verse Confitemini, and the tract, which is ordinarily recited in penitential times. Throughout the mass the joy of the church is incomplete; for though Christ has risen from the dead, He has not yet appeared to His disciples, and the light of faith is still overclouded, as Alcuin remarks: hence lights are not carried at the gospel; the Creed, offertory, motetto and Agnus Dei are omitted, and the kiss of peace is not given[126]. Merati adds to the cause already assigned the wish to abridge service; particularly on account of the newly-baptised children, who communicated at this mass; and the unusual shortness of the Vespers confirms this opinion.
End of the mass.
After the Celebrant has communicated, Vespers are sung by the choir, in place of the communion and postcommunion. They consist of the anthem Alleluja repeated three times before and after the short psalm Laudate Dominion omnes gentes etc.; of the anthem Vesper autem sabbati, which the Celebrant commences and the choir continues; of the Magnificat[127] and in fine of the prayer which is chanted by the Card. Celebrant. While the anthem before the Magnificat is sung, the Pope puts incense into the thurible; the celebrant incenses the crucifix and the altar, and is incensed by the deacon, and the incensing continues as after the offertory at high-mass (See p. 21) At the Gloria Patri the deacon, having incensed the Card, priests, bows his head in the middle of the chapel, and then proceeds to incense the Card, deacons. After the prayer; Ite Missa est, Alleluja, Alleluja, is sung; and the choir answers, Deo gratias Alleluja, Alleluja: the Pope gives the usual blessing, the Celebrant publishes the indulgence of thirty years and this beautiful service terminates. In the sacristy His Holiness puts on a mozzetta of white (instead of red) damask, and wears it during the whole of Easter week: His shoes also are white. The Cardinals put on red mantellette and mozzette over their purple cassocks; these they afterwards change for others of scarlet.
Mass of Pope Marcellus.
The mass sung on this day is that of Pierluigi da Palestrina, called the mass of Pope Marcellus; not because it was composed during his pontificate; but because, according to Baini, Pierluigi had intended to dedicate a work to that Pope, to whom he was grateful and attached, but was disappointed by His Holiness' premature death; and therefore he persuaded Card. Vitellozzi to give it that name in honour of his former patron. This is the celebrated mass, which rescued ecclesiastical music from the dangers which surrounded it in the Pontificate of Pius IV (as we have related in The Papal Chapel, Rome, 1839), and not of Marcellus II, as Baini has proved. It is said, that when it was first sung in the papal chapel, the Card. dean Francesco Pisani was so enraptured with it, that he exclaimed with Dante, Paradise, Canto X.
Render è questo voce à voce in tempra