Crux Fidelis

Extolling the triumph of the Cross, this piece alternates a prayerful Romantic refrain with a simple chant melody for the many verses of the hymn. Bohemian composer Reinhold Wilhelm Kuehnel (b. 1856) set the traditional text Pange Lingua by Venantius Fortunatus (c. 530-609) in the late 19th century. Suitable for Good Friday during the Adoration of the Cross, as well as for the Liturgy of the Hours during Holy Week and feasts of the Holy Cross, this adaptation includes both Latin and English texts and optional accompaniment.