All for Hymn: Apr 3, 2010

The Great Vigil of Easter: The Service of Readings

As the lights in the sanctuary are partially turned on, the Service of Readings is begun. Nine readings are appointed for this part of the service. They recount the history of the ancient people of Israel. Canticles are often found as part of the readings, and are typically chanted after said reading.

For instance, the history of God's People crossing the Red Sea is read. The Canticle of Moses, aka "Song of Moses" or "Song of Moses and Israel," is found at the end of the reading. It would then be sung by a cantor or choir. You can find the Canticle of Moses in Lutheran Service Book, Hymn 925. It is set with a refrain, so the congregation may sing just that in the dimly lit sanctuary, and a cantor can sing the verses.

Here is the Coptic Rite from Egypt singing the Canticle of Moses. Note: Western Rite churches would not yet sing "alleluia." They gave it up for Lent and are saving it for later in the service. We in the West are rarely treated to Coptic psalm tones. Enjoy!

Another example is the reading of the Three Men in the Fiery Furnace. In the apocryphal chapters of Daniel, we find the Canticle of Three Young Men, aka "The Song of Three Young Men." Look for setting of this canticle in Lutheran Service Book. The Jamaican version is Hymn 930, and a more traditional chant is found at Hymn 931. Both have a refrain that is easily learned. I happen to like the Jamaican setting!

You may already be familiar with the Jamaican tune. It is also sung to the text, "Let Us Talents and Tongues Employ." Here is the tune played by a handbell choir.

And here is a choral setting of the Canticle of Three Young Men.

The Great Vigil of Easter: The Service of Light

The Great Vigil of Easter is held on the eve of Easter Sunday. Properly done, it happens after dark. The Eastern Church has been known to meet at midnight and celebrate clear through til sunrise. This is because we know that Christ rose before sunrise, but we do not know exactly when.
The Great Vigil is four services celebrated as one...

The Service of Light (an expansion of the one used in Evening Prayer)
The Service of Readings
The Service of Holy Baptism
The Divine Service

The Great Vigil of Easter begins outside the church with a fire.

Here's the beginning of the service at a Roman Catholic church in Flushing, New York. Perhaps due to local ordinance, the fire is lit inside. The Lutheran Rite is very similar. The Pascal Candle is lit. There should probably be a post devoted entirely to the Pascal Candle. Perhaps next year.

After the candle is lit, it is processed into the darkened sanctuary. At the rear of the church the cantor chants, "The Light of Christ," or in this case, "Christ is our Light" and the people respond, "Thanks be to God." Those in the darkened sanctuary are holding candles that will be lit by the Pascal Candle as it passes by. The procession stops midway up the aisle and the responses are repeated. The procession stops a third time at the front of the church for the third repetition of "The Light of Christ - Thanks be to God!"

As the procession is finished, the cantor chants the Exsultet. This is Latin for "exult" or "rejoice." The first word of the English translation is "rejoice." The first word when it is sung in Latin is "exsultet."

Here's the procession with lighting of candles and Exsultet as celebrated in Brooklyn, NY, probably at a Roman Catholic parish. You can watch the spread of the flickering lights in the darkness. The timing of the responses is a little different than described above. At the end of the Exsultet the lights come up just a little, but not fully, for the Service of Readings.

Holy Saturday: St. John's Passion, Part 40

We have reached the finale of St. John's Passion. Here Bach uses the third and final stanza of Herzlich lieb hab ich dich, o Herr, or "Lord, Thee I Love With All My Heart." For more information on this particular hymn, check out Southern Lutheran Kantor here.

The Passion according to St. John
set to music by Johann Sebastian Bach
Part 40

~~~~~

Ach Herr, lass dein lieb Engelein
Am letzten End die Seele mein
In Abrahams Schoß tragen,
Den Leib in seim Schlafkämmerlein
Gar sanft ohn eigne Qual und Pein
Ruhn bis am jüngsten Tage!
Alsdenn vom Tod erwecke mich,
Dass meine Augen sehen dich
In aller Freud, o Gottes Sohn,
Mein Heiland und Genadenthron!
Herr Jesu Christ, erhöre mich, erhöre mich,
Ich will dich preisen ewiglich!

Lord, let at last Thine angels come,
To Abr’ham’s bosom bear me home,
That I may die unfearing;
And in its narrow chamber keep
My body safe in peaceful sleep
Until Thy reappearing!
And then from death awaken me,
That these mine eyes with joy may see,
O Son of God, Thy glorious face,
My Savior and my fount of grace!
Lord Jesus Christ, my prayer attend, my prayer attend,
And I will praise Thee without end!