Tenebrae Service - Service of the Shadows

I appeared on page 3 of the Belfast Newsletter o n Friday afternoon. I was pictured in Portaferry Presbyterian Church with one of my drums – Prudence and Izzy McClure. I don’t have the photo however here is the article: -

A DRAMATIC Good Friday service will tonight feature an instrument not normally heard within the dignified serenity of a church.
The iconic Lambeg drum has had many a child clasping their hands over their ears on the Twelfth of July - but today it will be the centre of attraction on a completely different stage as the drum is set to play its part in the Tenebrae Service, also known as the Service of the Shadows, at Portaferry Presbyterian Church.

Lambeg drummer Mark Anderson will join the Rev David Gray and congregation for the traditional service which dates from the fourth century and, through readings from the Gospel of St Matthew, tells the story of Christ’s journey from the Mount of Olives to Golgotha, the Cross and the Tomb. The event will also feature community choir, the New Quay Singers; Walter Love as narrator; and organist Joe McKee.

Mark, who normally tours the country performing for the Ulster-Scots Agency, believes he could be set to make a little bit of history. “I’ve never heard of the Lambeg being played in a church before, so maybe I will be the first,” he said. “Normally I play the Lambeg for schoolchildren and other events, so it will definitely be a bit strange playing it during a service. “But I’m delighted to have been asked to perform, and playing it on Good Friday will make it all the more special.”

Each reading from St Matthew’s account of the Crucifixion represents a “shadow” - the shadows of the Agony of the Spirit, Betrayal, Desertion, Remorse, Accusation, Humiliation and the Crucifixion. As each reading ends, a candle is extinguished, bringing the church to the near total darkness that engulfed Golgotha at the Crucifixion.

As the narrator tells of Christ’s final moments, the Strepitus (Latin for “great noise”) will be sounded by the Lambeg drum, a reminder of the thunder and earthquake that accompanied His death. The idea for introducing the Lambeg was the brainchild of Neil McClure, who will lead the choir at tonight’s service. “It will be a sombre occasion, but we are really excited about hearing the sounds of the Lambeg drum, which is the perfect instrument to replicate the sound of the thunder which accompanied Christ’s death,” said Neil.

“We are slightly nervous about this, it is very unusual, but we are really looking forward to what will we hope will be a very special service. “This is all about bringing music to the young people across the community and it will be a very unique and hopefully a very memorable way of marking Good Friday.

“We have singers coming from Stewartstown in Tyrone and Broughshane in Co Antrim. It is a truly cross-community choir, and it is great that we can celebrate this most important date in the church calendar together.”

The Tenebrae Service at Portaferry Presbyterian Church gets under way at 7.30pm.

I will report later on the service, however none of ‘my quotes’ were ‘my quotes’ – made up by the Newsletters house reporter!

HMA