Sept répons des ténèbres (Seven responsories for Tenebrae), FP 181, is a piece of sacred music composed by Francis Poulenc in 1961.
He wrote the work in seven movements on Latin texts from the Responsories for the Holy Week and scored it for soprano, choir, and orchestra.
Poulenc returned to sacred music first in 1936 when he composed his Litanies à la Vierge Noire, FP 82, followed in 1937 by his missa brevis Messe en sol majeur (Mass in G), and several other religious works.
The third and fourth movement are taken from the responsories for the third nocturn of Good Friday, "Jesum tradidit impius" (The wicked man betrayed Jesus) and "Caligaverunt oculi mei" (My eyes are darkened).
[2] A reviewer notes the music's "dark and extremely sombre character",[1] expressing a wide range of emotions, facing the crucifixion in sorrow and distress.