Limited supply of Psalmists for the Easter Vigil

[Southern Comfort]

One PP once asked for a version with responses that he'd heard elsewhere (can't remember who it was by) IIRC there was an instruction in it that the cantor raised an arm when they reached the phrase that the assembly were supposed to repeat. I seem to remember that it went quite well, although I was uneasy as the text incorporated Alleluias - which of course should not feature at that point in the Vigil liturgy.

That was a setting by Paul Inwood in the St Thomas More Centre collection Lord, by your cross and resurrection (1977). The reason it had Alleluias was because it was designed for use in a re-ordered Vigil where the fire was blessed, the readings and chants between them took place in the light of the fire, then the Paschal Candle was blessed just before the Gospel, so the A-word had already been heard by the time the Exsultet was sung after the Gospel.

Back then, the rationale for moving things around was a perception that we have all that wonderful symbolism of fire, grains of incense, the candle, etc, and then, in effect, we say "Now let's sit down and find out why we did all that". Having salvation history in the readings and then an explosion of light and joy associated with the Resurrection Gospel seemed like a more logical progression.

While we might not do that kind of thing today, the idea of having assembly responses to enhance participation in an otherwise lengthy sung monologue where everyone is standing, trying not to drip candle-wax on their neighbours, is perhaps not entirely dead.

[Southern Comfort]

Has anyone else had to accompany the missal tone for the Exsultet because the priest who insisted on sing it (the long version at that) was so musically challenged that he was likely to set off somewhere in the alto register and end up like a Russian contra bass?

Yes, but only when the priest himself requested it (which happened several times in different parishes). One such occasion was 2012, the year after the texts and setting changed, when clergy who had felt confident previously now found themselves at sea again.

[Hare]

One PP once asked for a version with responses that he'd heard elsewhere (can't remember who it was by) IIRC there was an instruction in it that the cantor raised an arm when they reached the phrase that the assembly were supposed to repeat. I seem to remember that it went quite well, although I was uneasy as the text incorporated Alleluias - which of course should not feature at that point in the Vigil liturgy.

That was a setting by Paul Inwood in the St Thomas More Centre collection Lord, by your cross and resurrection (1977). The reason it had Alleluias was because it was designed for use in a re-ordered Vigil where the fire was blessed, the readings and chants between them took place in the light of the fire, then the Paschal Candle was blessed just before the Gospel, so the A-word had already been heard by the time the Exsultet was sung after the Gospel.

Back then, the rationale for moving things around was a perception that we have all that wonderful symbolism of fire, grains of incense, the candle, etc, and then, in effect, we say "Now let's sit down and find out why we did all that". Having salvation history in the readings and then an explosion of light and joy associated with the Resurrection Gospel seemed like a more logical progression.

While we might not do that kind of thing today, the idea of having assembly responses to enhance participation in an otherwise lengthy sung monologue where everyone is standing, trying not to drip candle-wax on their neighbours, is perhaps not entirely dead.

Ah! That was it! We had a PP for one year only who "re-ordered" the Vigil in this way (but he would not allow the Exsultet to be sung - we had no deacon then, he didn't sing, and wouldn't allow a layperson to do it) but it was his successor who wanted to use Paul Inwood's setting a few years later - but with the Exsultet in its proper place - hence my unease!

[organist]

In a discussion forum a father mentioned "clericalism" from a parish choir member who resisted his daughter taking any part in the Vigil - she was back in the parish from university. I do think this can be a problem if we are not open to others coming in to help out. His daughter did sing in the end! Any thing is better than a Vigil without singing!!! But God preserve me from hymns sung too slowly!