Within the Anglican Communion, the first Sunday after Easter day is traditionally called Low Sunday. The origins of that name are at best obscure. It is often suggested that the name alludes to the relative inferiority of this Sunday to the Great Sunday that we celebrated last week.
The term “Octave of Easter” is used to designate the eight-day period that starts on Easter Sunday, so the “Octave Day of Easter” — Easter’s eighth day — is also used to designate the Sunday after Easter.
The Offertory for today is from St. Matthew’s Gospel:
The Angel of the Lord descended from heaven,
and said unto the women:
He whom ye seek is risen, as he said. Alleluia.
Angelus Domini descendit de coelo
et dixit mulieribus:
quem quaeritis, surrexit sicut dixit, alleluja.
Below is a recording of this text as set by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina.(1525-1594).
The Sixteen, Harry Christophers, conductor
The Communion proper for this Sunday from St. John’s Gospel contains the exchange between Jesus and St. Thomas after the Resurrection:
Stretch out your hand
and feel the place of the nails, alleluia.
and be not faithless, but believing. Alleluia.
Thou art my God, and I will praise thee:
thou art my God, and I will exalt thee.
Mitte manum tuam,
et cognosce loca clavorum, alleluia.
et noli esse incredulus, sed fidelis, alleluia, alleluia.
Deus meus es tu, et confitebor tibi;
Deus meus es tu, et exaltabo te.
James Macmillan (b. 1959) has set the first part of this text to music.
The Sixteen, Harry Christophers, conductor
Another text which we have sung on Low Sunday also includes words from Jesus to St. Thomas:
Because thou hast seen me, Thomas, thou hast believed:
blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. Alleluia.
Quia vidisti me, Thoma, credidisti:
beati qui non viderunt, et crediderunt. Alleluia.
The setting of this text that our choir has sung in the past is by Luca Marenzio (1553-1599).
Progetto Musica, Giulio Monaco, conductor
Here is a setting of that text by Hans Leo Hassler (1564-1612).
William Ferris Chorale