This will be my third Easter in my present parish. Two years ago I was surprised to discover that the parish knew very few Easter hymns.
I was working on psalms for the Vigil, descants and brass parts for the acclamations etc and assumed that, as it was my first year, I could just pull some of the golden oldies out of the hat – until I discovered there weren't any in there!
They didn't know "Battle is o'er, hell's armies flee", "Christ the Lord is risen today" etc. The PP asked that, as there was such a clean (he meant empty) slate we could start with "Thine be the glory" which he loved – the assembly later described as "like an Orange Lodge march". Last year we added "Now the green blade riseth" and the Easter version of "Christ be our light" (from Resurrexit) as we already knew the tunes. This year we're looking at "We walk by faith". Bit by bit we're building up.
But, considering this is our big feast of the year, I don't think we're too good at it musically – great generalisation here so apologies if your assembly bursts into "Rejoice, rejoice Christ is in you" at the drop of a tract.
"We are an Easter people and Alleluia is our song…" Sorry to disagree but, as a priest friend said recently, "We are an Ash Wednesday people and Miserere is our song".
After all the deliciously lush music of Lent and the Triduum, I always find Easter Sunday morning a bit of a let down. Our evangelical cousins up the road will be jumping and clapping for joy – but much of their music doesn't work in our situation. (Again, great generalisation.)
Anyone else have similar problems?
Are we any good at Easter?
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docmattc
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We're not bad on Easter music, but I'm fighting against a desire for the Easter Vigil to be as minimalist as possible. To quote someone (ordained) last year "Its only a Saturday evening Mass".
In spite of my protests its starting at 7.30 (sunset in Sheffield 8.08pm ) because "any later will disrupt people's routine".
Personally I think that Christ rising from the dead should disrupt routine!
We'll only be good at Easter when its seen as the goal to which we're aiming throughout Lent and the climax of the entire church year. We're not an Easter people if the impact of Easter is to disrupt the Saturday night Mass routine on one Saturday of the year. We will only be that when we live for Easter and are known to be full of the Joy of the risen Lord
sigh, if only!
In spite of my protests its starting at 7.30 (sunset in Sheffield 8.08pm ) because "any later will disrupt people's routine".
Personally I think that Christ rising from the dead should disrupt routine!
We'll only be good at Easter when its seen as the goal to which we're aiming throughout Lent and the climax of the entire church year. We're not an Easter people if the impact of Easter is to disrupt the Saturday night Mass routine on one Saturday of the year. We will only be that when we live for Easter and are known to be full of the Joy of the risen Lord
sigh, if only!