Easter Vigil

23 April 2011

Procession	The Lord is my light (Taizé)
Exsultet	simple (mtgf)
Psalm 103	Send forth your spirit (mtgf)
Psalm 15	Preserve me, God (Christopher Walker)
Exodus 15	I will sing to the Lord (mtgf)
Psalm 29	I will praise you, Lord (Paul Inwood)
Psalm 41-42	As the deer longs (Palestrina/Bridge)
Gloria	Coventry (Peter Jones)
Gospel Acclamation	Celtic (O'Carroll/Walker)
Profession of Faith & Sprinkling	Amen, Amen (mtgf)
Preparation of Gifts	For peace (Antoine Oomen)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Gathering Mass (Paul Inwood)
Lamb of God	(Berthier)
Communion	One in Body (Christopher Walker)
Final	Christ be our light (Bernadette Farrell)

One of the ironies of our vigil is that we seem to have more cantors than readers. We had 5 Old Testament readings and Psalms and could have in terms of voices sung a further two. It is fair to note that Exodus 15 is sung by the men and that Psalm 41-42 is sung by the whole choir (as are the psalm verses of the Celtic Alleluia). Psalm 41-42 was new last year and, as I said last year, is a slightly cheeky arrangement of Palestrina's Sicut cervus but it is effective. It also completed our hat trick with Byrd and Victoria. Part of its effectiveness is because it is unaccompanied and so provides a different texture.

And so farewell Exultet - the sadness is not new over old or styles and theories of translation it is familiarity. This is a component of ritual we can participate because we know and recognise or at least we are in the hands of those who know. Though looking at the above the list there will be five items that will need to be replaced by new or revised setting and so much, like the psalms, can remain the same. However we will someways need to learn how to participate anew.

We also sang farewell to the Coventry Gloria in at least its current form. Other current settings will last us the Easter season. The new this year were the fourth psalm - apart from the fact that the settings suited the cantor's voice it is also good not get to stuck with exactly the same readings. One in body was the other piece that suggested itself as I perused the choir library. I think it worked well liturgically (it accompanied the action appropriately) and musically (it suited our resources). Textually it was OK but did sing of the particular mystery being celebrated.