I went to the Easter Vigil Mass as just a member of the crowd this year, which was kind of nice. One of the other music groups was singing. It starts with the Easter fire being lit, and the Easter candle being lit from it. From there the servers light candles, and passed the flame to the people holding candles. And we kept them lit during the singing of the Exsultet.
The Exsultet is supposed to be chanted by a deacon, or the priest if a deacon isn't available. It is three pages of words in the missalette, and is a daunting challenge. We had an older deacon who was a good singer, and did an excellent job. But it had been several years since he was able, and unfortunately he passed away this fall. My husband isn't a singer. The priest isn't a singer. Both turned down the task. The younger deacon drew the short straw. He is a a good singer, but struggled through it, because he got a lung full of incense smoke a few minutes prior. We kept our candles lit during the duration, though I blew mine out because wax was dripping on my hand through the holder. Everyone was glad when the Exsultet was finally over. My modest proposal; they should let the choir do the singing of it, the shorter bracketted part, accompanied by soft keyboard or guitar chords. The chords would help with keeping time and staying on pitch. Probably not liturically correct, but less of a struggle.
In both my next door, legal parish, and the one twenty minutes down the road it can't remember the Exultet being done by a deacon on priest for the last several decades. A good cantor or two usually does it.
ReplyDeleteWe attended the livestreamed Vigil Mass at the Nation Shrine this year. Betty was amazed at the performance of the Exultet by the deacon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w46NbYNggkA
The National Shrine has an outstanding choir. I am sure many of them could have done a good job of singing it. They are surely spoiling us; not much motivation to go back to parish masses. In the last few years I had ceased going to the Easter Vigil especially in years when it started at 9pm and did not finish until close to midnight. I no longer trust me driving home in such a situation.
The only time I ever sang it was one time when I was acting as a music minister, not a deacon. I don't think I've ever seen a member of the clergy sing or chant the Exsultet - and for years, we had a deacon who was a genuine rock and roller.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.beyondthebeatgeneration.com/newcol.html
I could sing the Exsultet - as I mentioned, I've chanted it once before for the Vigil - but my voice isn't as good as our cantors' voices. So the parish would need to sacrifice aesthetic quality for liturgical correctness.