Adam Bartlett
Mar 17, 2026
This is the first part in a 5-part series on the music of Holy Week.
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Holy Week is the most solemn and important week in the liturgical year. And as a parish music leader, it can also be one of the most challenging.
As most parish musicians know, it is far more than merely adding three additional liturgies to your weekly Mass schedule. The liturgies of Holy Week each have their own character, ritual structure, and musical requirements drawn directly from the Roman Missal. Choirs, cantors, clergy, and liturgy coordinators all need to understand how the pieces fit together.
Questions arise quickly: Are we starting inside or outside? Which form are we using? When do the lights turn on? Will the singers be able to see their binders? Who is singing the Exsultet? Where does the choir stand in the procession? When and what do we need to sing during the Baptismal Liturgy? How is Father supposed to sing the Easter Alleluia?
For parish musicians, the list can feel endless.
To help simplify these preparations, this article is part of a five-part series on the music of Holy Week, walking step-by-step through each of the major liturgies:
Together, these guides explain the structure of each celebration and offer practical advice to help parish music directors, choir leaders, cantors, and clergy prepare the chants and music that belong to each liturgy.
Throughout the guides, we also reference musical scores, recordings, and preparation tools available through Source & Summit, which many parishes use to organize the chants, readings, and rubrics of Holy Week so that you can have the right music at the right time.
Let’s begin with Palm Sunday.
Palm Sunday Music Preparation Guide
Palm Sunday Mass begins with the commemoration of Christ’s entrance into Jerusalem. According to the Roman Missal, the beginning of Mass may take one of three forms: the Procession, the Solemn Entrance, or the Simple Entrance. The Procession is the most solemn form and usually begins outside the church. The Solemn Entrance is a simplified version used at additional Masses. The Simple Entrance is used only when the other forms cannot be celebrated.
The three forms:
Procession – outside the church with palm blessing and chants
Solemn Entrance – simplified version at additional Masses
Simple Entrance – used only when necessary
Let’s unpack each of these in more detail.
The Procession
The first and most solemn form is the Procession, which typically occurs before the principal Mass on Sunday. While the Solemn Entrance can be repeated at several Masses, the Procession should only be done prior to one Mass on Palm Sunday.
The Procession begins outside, apart from the church, or even in a nearby chapel. While the Priest and Deacon approach the assembly, with palm branches in hand, the antiphon Hosanna to the Son of David is sung with psalm verses added as needed to cover the entrance of the ministers.
After the prayer and blessing of the branches with holy water, and following the conclusion of the Gospel reading, the Procession begins. The Procession, strictly speaking, is an extended procession toward the church. A more solemn form of this procession might involve a route that journeys through or circumambulates the parish grounds.
The Roman Missal provides two antiphons and a hymn to be sung during this procession, all with multiple verses. There is enough music here to cover a 15-minute procession at least. Each musical setting has a refrain that can be sung by all. Children who hear these chants year after year will certainly memorize them and internalize them as a symbol of the children of the Hebrews welcoming Christ into Jerusalem. The Church invites us to make this procession, along with its chants, an annual sign of our entry into Holy Week.
Once the procession enters the church, the chants for the procession conclude and the Entrance Chant As the Lord entered the holy city begins. It is a responsory that signifies Christ’s arrival into the holy city of Jerusalem where he has come to meet his death and to redeem the world.
Click here to view and listen to the chants of the Procession in an Ordo created on the Source & Summit Digital Platform:
Palm Sunday: The Procession
The Solemn Entrance
The second form is the Solemn Entrance, which may be repeated at several Masses on Palm Sunday. If the Procession has already occurred or if it is planned for another Mass, the Solemn Entrance should be used instead.
The Solemn Entrance, as a simplified form of the Procession, begins ordinarily outside the church, in front of the door, or even inside the church itself. The priest and ministers and some members of the congregation go to a place that is visible to all but apart from the sanctuary while the Hosanna to the Son of David chant is sung, just as in the Procession.
At the conclusion of the Gospel reading, instead of singing the chants for the procession, the Entrance Chant As the Lord entered the holy city is sung immediately as the Priest and ministers approach the altar.
Palm Sunday: The Solemn Entrance
The Simple Entrance
The third form for the beginning of the Palm Sunday Mass is the Simple Entrance, which is not intended for ordinary use and only for smaller gatherings outside of the principal parish celebrations of Palm Sunday. This form omits the introductory chants entirely as well as the Gospel reading.
It is important to remember that, while the General Instruction of the Roman Missal permits the use of the Simple Entrance in certain cases, it also underscores the importance of the Commemoration of the Lord’s Entrance into Jerusalem, saying:
“It is desirable that, where neither the Procession nor the Solemn Entrance can take place, there be a sacred celebration of the Word of God on the messianic entrance and on the passion of the Lord, either on Saturday evening or on Sunday at a convenient time.”
The Simple Entrance has its own Entrance Antiphon, Six days before the Passover, also a responsory, which illustrates Christ’s entry into Jerusalem in brief.
Palm Sunday: The Simple Entrance
Palm Sunday Preparation Tips:
If you are preparing music for Palm Sunday at your parish, the following practical tips can help ensure that the liturgy unfolds smoothly and that the chants prescribed by the Roman Missal are used correctly.
Confirm the Entrance Form for Each Mass
Be sure to determine ahead of time which Masses will use the Procession, Solemn Entrance, or Simple Entrance. Because the chants differ for each form, knowing this early makes music preparation much easier.
Use the Roman Missal as the Primary Reference
When questions arise about chants or rubrics, consult the Roman Missal. Many parish musicians rely on simplified rubrics provided in planning tools like Source & Summit Ordos, which organize the chants and readings for each liturgy.
“All Glory, Laud and Honor” is Tried-and-True
Many parishes sing All Glory, Laud and Honor as an opening hymn on Palm Sunday. However, this text properly belongs to the procession before Mass, and an official version of the hymn appears in the Roman Missal itself. Consider switching to the Entrance Antiphon when the ministers enter the church and approach the altar.
Prepare the Passion Reading in Advance
The Passion readings in the Lectionary do not include official speaking “parts”. The USCCB allows publishers to prepare their own arrangements, often in three or four parts, which can help readers proclaim the text clearly.
Help Your Choir Learn the Chants Early
Holy Week chants can be challenging for parish choirs. Practice recordings can help singers learn unfamiliar chants quickly and so they can approach the liturgies with confidence.
Prepare with Confidence
Careful preparation of these musical details helps ensure that the Palm Sunday liturgy unfolds with clarity, solemnity, and prayerfulness for the entire parish.
By determining which entrance form will be used and preparing the proper chants ahead of time, parish musicians can help the commemoration of Christ’s entrance into Jerusalem be celebrated with the solemnity the Roman Missal intends.
Palm Sunday also sets the tone for the rest of Holy Week. In the next guide in this series, we turn to Holy Thursday, where the Church celebrates the Mass of the Lord’s Supper and introduces several unique musical moments that require careful preparation.
Continue reading: Holy Thursday Music Guide →
