Easter Sunday

8 April 2012

Entrance	Jesus Christ is risen today
Gloria	Wisdom (Steven Janco)
Psalm 117	This is the day (Marty Haugen)
Sequence	Praise to the Paschal Victim (mtgf)
Sprinkling	Acclamation (mtgf)
Preparation of Gifts	Christo resurgenti (Couperin)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Wisdom (Steven Janco)
Lamb of God	Wisdom (Steven Janco)
Communion	Sicut cervus (Palestrina)
	I have seen the Lord (Bob Hurd)
Final	Thine be the glory

On Easter Sunday the chapel is always packed and today we had two infant baptisms which always added to the numbers. Because we only have one Mass on the Sunday day I read the numbers as a shift away from Good Friday (which was full but not this full) to Easter Sunday. I suspect the reasons of are sociological and even commercial rather than theological. How it does present a challenge to participation. I am aware that with the Mass setting we are in for the long haul - though I think it is accessible, singable and can be easily picked up - it is not instant. My concern is however with the ordinary regular parishioner. Though we used this setting from January to the beginning of Lent I suspect that though it is becoming familiar they may not yet sing it with confidence. One of my tenets is that it is primarily the role of the congregation to lead the singing of those parts which belong to them and so invite and engage the visitor.

One of the decisions we took when preparing the liturgies of the Triduum was not to include the 'new responses' in the booklet (we have one booklet for Thursday, Friday and Vigil). The Order of Mass card was available for those who wished. Our expectation, and experience seemed to bear this out, was that as we do not recite the Creed nor were we going to use the first form of Penitential Act on Thursday people would know by now the remainder of the responses, which are much shorter.

Christo resurgenti is a delightful two part piece by Couperin which is part of a longer motet for Easter day. WIth its inegales (dotted rhythms) and syncopations it suggests the joy of Easter. I was struck that the melodies of both opening and closing hymn were about the same date. it would not be difficult to transform Jesus Christ is risen today to similar piece of French gracieusement.