Easter Vigil

19 April 2014

Procession	The Lord is my light (Taizé)
Exsultet	Missal
Psalm 103	Send forth your spirit (mtgf)
Psalm 15	Preserve me, God (Christopher Walker)
Exodus 15	I will sing to the Lord (mtgf)
Psalm 18	O Lord, you have the message (mtgf)
Psalm 41-42	As the deer longs (Palestrina/Bridge)
Gloria	Wisdom (Steven Janco)
Gospel Acclamation	Alleluia (chant/mtgf)
Baptismal Liturgy	Springs of water (mtgf)
Preparation of Gifts	For peace (Antoine Oomen)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Wisdom (Steven Janco)
Lamb of God	Lux et origo (mtgf)
Communion Antiphon	Christ our Passover
Communion	Sicut Cervus (Palestrina)
Final	Out of Darkness (Christopher Walker)

On average it takes us about 3 years to be confident with a piece.The first year is not disastrous but it can have the tension of possibility of falling apart. The setting of Psalm 41 As the deer longs is a case in point - it has settled into the familiar as though we never had problems. Whereas Sicut cervus is at that midway point - we know it is possible and will likely achieve it but it is not in our bodies yet. There were a number of new pieces this year (an implication of planning is that the choice will be for a few years). Psalm 117/Gospel Acclamation was written as an experiment - unaccompanied and with a little choral coda which I think worked. It was at year one performance - singers are not always sure when they singing a seventh in a chord - it may sound 'wrong' but can also be what gives interest.

Returning after a long absence was the final hymn Out of Darkness. As I had previously noted we had prepared for it on the Sundays before Lent but at the Vigil we sang the Easter verses and added the descant to the refrain. Apart from noting that the refrain is a Sarabande it is also one of those sections where I am not sure the choir parts add anything to what is a strong melody (but great choir parts in the verses).

Because of circumstances it was a less confident vigil liturgically - though I suspect I may have been the only one to have noticed where things did not go to plan. I was also struck by the need to have the first reading read well - to set the pace for what follows.

We had a Reception, which in my liturgical fundamentalist mode I might query, but in reality it added an atmosphere of delight to the whole Vigil.