The Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus (+ Corpus Christi)

 This Friday 12 June is celebrated the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. It comes with one of the most sublime and melismatic Gregorian Alleluias in the canon "Tollite iugum". You can find this beginning on page 385 of the Graduale Romanum of 1974:

The Drome Choir will of course be singing this in its exquisite, inimitable style (twice, apparently - tomorrow of course, and also at tonight's Vigil of SS.MI Cordis Iesu).  

Here we have an excellent rendition: 

Of course this comes after last Sunday's feast of Corpus Christi, with another of the most exquisite of the Alleluia verses, "Caro mea". The Drome Choir sang this to the world during Pope Benedict's Mass there in 2010:

As found here in the Graduale:

By the way, you will see the clear instruction that the Sequence for Corpus Christi follows the Gregorian Alleluia. It is optional, and I note that the Drome tends to opt out of this Sequence. Bring it back, I say!

Over in the Colonies, St. Mary's Cathedral (which as I have said is arguably more Drome than the Drome these days), they managed part of the Sequence, beginning from Ecce Panis, as allowed by the rubrics. But contrary to said rubics, which state that the Sequence comes "post Alleluia", not "ante Alleluia", the sequence is Sequence, Alleluia. Must be a Southern Hemisphere thing! See video below from last Sunday. I think this is the first time the girls have sung Corpus Christi. They are learning on the job, and while there is room for improvement, the base sound is impressive. Keep up the good work!