What we did: The Easter Vigil 2009

The Service of LightLumen Christi (chanted)
ExsultetPlainchant
After 1st reading (Genesis 1)Send forth your spirit (Dean)
After 2nd reading (Exodus 14-15)I will sing to the Lord (Boulton Smith)
After 3rd reading (Isaiah 55: come to the water)With joy you shall draw water (Hurd)
After 4th reading (Ezekiel 36: I shall give you a new heart)Like the deer (mcb)
GloriaMass of the Creator Spirit (Nowak)
Easter Alleluia + Psalm 117Plainchant, verses by Paul Inwood
Litany of the SaintsGĂ©lineau/Kelly
Blessing of the FontSprings of Water (Haugen)
SprinklingVidi Aquam (Victoria)
Preparation of the GiftsChristus Resurgens (Lassus)
Sanctus, Acclamation, AmenMissa Ubi Caritas (Hurd)
Agnus DeiMissa Ubi Caritas (Hurd)
CommunionHow can I repay the Lord (Dean)
DismissalGo in the peace of Christ, Alleluia (chanted)
Final HymnThine be the Glory

The Easter Vigil is a musical banquet, and I'd like to think we had something for every taste, from Victoria and Lassus to Paul Inwood and Bob Hurd. Christus Resurgens is a juggernaut of a piece, at least it was the way we did it: brimming with Easter joy, with the organ doubling the voices. The text is that of the New Testament reading from Romans 6: Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God.

Marty Haugen's Springs of Water, in tandem with Victoria's Vidi Aquam, seem to cover all the bases. We left out the verse mentioning bogs (in the Haugen; I don't think Victoria has any).

Bob Hurd's With joy you shall draw water sets the refrain from Isaiah 12, but has another text for the verses. So we used Bob's refrain, but had the cantor chant the text from Isaiah in between, using a melodic line that echoes the refrain. It worked well.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.