Exsultet - Book of Common Prayer - The Great Vigil of Easter

This is my first rehersal for the Easter Vigil.
This is the version used by The Episcopal Church in conjunction with the 1979 Book of Common Prayer. The Easter Vigil is held the Saturday night before Easter Sunday. The Exsultet is chanted as the pascal flame is kindled prior to the Pascal Candle being lit and processed into the sanctuary.

Marlene, who was nice enough to give me the pitches and to record this, is new to Anglican music and kept wanting to play a note for every word. This is a chant, however, and will be chanted without accompaniment. Thanks Marlene for you help!

We will see if we can record parts of the service and post it after Easter Sunday.

This is realy just to help me practice but CONSTRUCTIVE comments are welcome. Please remember this is but a rehersal "tape".

[paxmaniac]

I'd also suggest absolutely minimal practice with piano accompaniment. It really gets in the way of the flow of the text, but you are aware of that already.

When you get to the service, I'd suggest that you warm up really thoroughly - at least twenty minutes of vocal exercises to get your voice ready for one of the most challenging tasks in the Catholic liturgy.

[LambdaZetaTeke]

I agree about the piano. This was just to get me used to the intervals. Now that I have it down I don't even use it.

And yeah, warm up is esential. I tried practicing last night and just could not do it. After an hour of singing during today's Palm Sunday service I had no problems in chanting the peice.

You can tell from the closed mouth singing in the video that I was embarased to be taped. I have really only be able to sing a solo for the last 10 years or so.

[paxmaniac]

Hi, I'm also singing the Exsultet this Easter (I did it last Easter also). Even though the Cs and Ds are in your range, when you do the whole Exsultet in one go, the extended high passages can cause a lot of strain on the voice. I would suggest you choose a chanting note in the middle of your range. It's perfectly acceptable to chant on an A or G. I think I used a G last year, even though my range is baritone.

[LambdaZetaTeke]

Sorry, I just saw your post as I was practicing for this year's vigil (haven't really looked at this since I posted it last year). In answer to your question, this is straight from the 1979 Book of Common Prayer. The music is in the alter book but not in the pew copies.

[sorabji]

Thank you for posting this. I have been looking for and unable to find just such an Exsultat setting of the text from the Book of Common Prayer. All I have is the Roman Missal, which has a different text but similar musical setting. Please, did you adapt this yourself from the Missal or is it from an Anglican/Episcopal publication? If it is published, I would be VERY grateful if you would let me know where. Thanks!