HELPINGYOURDEACON,PREIST,ORCANTORLEARNTHEEASTERPROCLAMATION•EXSULTET

EGENDHASITthatMozartwould gladly have tradedall his works if he couldclaim to have written thefirst line of theExsultet.Even Wikipedia states,

“Herethe languageofthe liturgyrisestoheightstowhichit ishardto findaparallelinChristianliterature.”But singing this can be intimidating!Sixpagesofendlessnotesandwords?As singing theExsultetis the rightfulroleoftheDeacon,itmayalsobesungby a priest or a cantor.What if yourdeacon, priest, or cantor is not aprofessional musician? Here is anopportunityformusicdirectorstoworkcloselywiththem.Meanwhile,let’sbreakitdownand“de-mystify”someofthisastobetterproclaimthemystery.

TOBEGIN•APRACTICEVIDEOsungbyFr.JonathanGaspar•Youcanseethewordsandmusicinthisvideo:

•• *YouTube•Fr.JonathanGaspar“Exsultet”o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVwuc_CNswY

SUNGONLYONCEAYEARattheEasterVigil,theEasterProclamation(Exsultet)isfoundintheRomanMissal.Itcanalsobedownloadedhere:http://www.icelweb.org/musicfolder/openpdf.php?file=ExsultetLong.pdfAdditionally,attheendofthisdocumentisacopywithsomecasualnotesIwroteinthemargins(withnon-technicalterms).Theyarereferredoftentointhefollowing:EXULT,LETTHEMEXULTThe first page, which evokes great rejoicing, consists of three “verses” or “psalmtones”(labeledinmynotes)thatareexactlyidenticalinform.Learnthe first twoand a half lines, and you have now learned nearly the entire firstpage!Furthermore, thecharacteristic leapofa fifth,uniquetothissection,evokesthe joyful fanfare of the trumpet—“…let the trumpet of salvation sound aloud ourmightyKing’striumph!”

INVOCATIONOFGOD’SBLESSINGNext(inparenthesis,whichisskippedifsungbyacantor—N.B.therubricsonPg.1)the deacon or priest invokes themercy of God so that hemayworthily proclaim“thiscandle’sperfectpraises.”ThisparallelstheOrate,FratreswhichpraysthatoureffortswillbeworthyandpleasingtoGod.Labeledinmynotesas“V1A”and“V2A”itusesthesamemelodicelementsofthepreviousthree“verses.”THENATUREOFAPREFACEHaveyoueversungthePreface?Haveyouhearditsung?Thentherestwillsoundveryfamiliar!ThenextsectionistakenverbatimfromthePrefaceDialogue.Itservesto introduce themain body of the proclamation, the “Praeconium Proper” whichtakes on the nature of a Preface. In fact it even begins“It is truly right andjust…”Again,theparallelstotheLiturgyoftheEucharistareunmistakableandpointtoheightenedsolemnity.Assuch,thissectionusesthesamemelodicformulaasaPreface.ThisPrefacetonecontinuesthroughouttherestofthechant.Jumpingofffrom“A”,therecitingtoneison“C”.There isanaccenton“B”,which is frequentlyusedasanalternaterecitingtone.ThissetsupthecharacteristiccadenceofthePrefacetone.Therefore,itmaybehelpfulforfornon-musicianstothinkof“A”asalandingspot—thechant’sstrongest gravitationalpull, alongwith “C”and “B”asadditionalpointsofgravity.(Seemynotesonpage2.)I’ve marked what appear to be three “verses” or phrases. Quite remarkably, thethird “verse”/phrase (page 3) describes Christ’s sacrifice as the Passover Feast—connectingtheOldCovenantwiththeNew:“ThesethenarethefeastsofPassover,inwhich is slain the Lamb, the one true Lamb, whose Blood anoints the doorposts ofbelievers.”THISISTHENIGHTHalfwaydownpage three, I’vemarkedwhat I like to call the “LitanyofThis istheNight.”This is the nightis referenced no fewer thanseventimes, often heightenedwithmelismaticphrases.Thisemphasisiswarranted,asthissectionconveyssomeofthemostextraordinaryimplicationsoftheExsultet.Again,theOldCovenantisconnectedwiththeNew,fromliberatingIsrael’schildrenfromslaveryinEgypt,topresentday:“Thisisthenightthatevennow,throughouttheworld, sets Christian believers apart…from the gloom of sin, leading them tograce…..”In this light of the present day, be especiallymindful, that for Elect andCandidatesoftheChurch,thisindeedisthenightofgreatimportanceintheirlives!PerhapsthemostremarkableaspectoftheExsultetfollowsshortly:“Ourbirthwouldhavebeennogain,hadwenotbeenredeemed.”ThisleadstoadramaticadmissionofGod’smercythroughChrist’sredeemingpowerwiththisastoundingassertion:OtrulynecessarysinofAdam,destroyedcompletelyby theDeathofChrist!Ohappyfaultthatearnedsogreat,sogloriousaRedeemer!

ACCEPTTHISCANDLEAs a bookend to the invocation to worthily “sing this candle’s perfect praises,”theExsultet concludes with prayers that God may“accept this candle, a solemnoffering…thisgift fromyourmostHolyChurch.”In conclusion, there is a prayer forperseverance for the candle, that it may serve to“overcome the darkness of thisnight”and that“this flame be found still burning by the Morning Star: The oneMorningStarthatneversets…”

SOME FINALRECOMMENDATIONS:Mostevery line isagem.Butwhile trying toconcentrateonthenotes,makesureyouallowtheboundlessblessingsofthistexttosupersedeallthatyoucommunicatetothefaithful.Here’show:•Patience.Revel in the textanddonotworryaboutmistakes.Make themandmoverightpast them.Eventhebestofsingerswillmakeplentyoferrorsonthisholiestofnights.•Sing ita few times for themusicdirectorwho should listen invariouspartsof thechurchforpacinganddiction.Dictionwillbemuchmoreimportantthansingingeachnote perfectly. If you feel yourpacing is too slow, yourdictionover-enunciated, it isprobablyjustright!•Take the long view: The Easter Vigil comes around every year. You may haveopportunity to sing thisagain in the future. Itwill getbetterandmore comfortableeachtime.Moreimportantly,thetextwilltakeholdholdofyourheartfortherestofyourlife!Itisanhonortosingthis.Anyonewhodoeswillbeindeliblychangedinspirit.Forthosewholisten,allowitsbreathlessbeautytostealyourheart!

SoliDeoGloria

IfanyonehasquestionsormightevenliketomeettosingthroughtheExsultet,emailmeatrichard_clark@rcab.org.

RichardJ.ClarkDirectorofMusic&OrganistArchdioceseofBostonCathedraloftheHolyCross

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