Two Easter Vigil services!

I was able to attend the Vigil service at St. Thomas at 5:30, and then another at St. Peter's Lutheran which started at 10 pm. Even time for a bite to eat between.

Fantastic experiences, both. I have to say that being on this side of the fence, the Triduum has a greater impact. When constantly rehearsing this music (for weeks prior) all mixed together, one doesn't get the same impact as it does for the worshippers - showing up and hearing the music in its liturgical context for the first time helps the three days unveil themselves in proper sequence. Musicians do a huge sacrifice in this way, but now I understand even more how important this is!

St. Thomas
This service was closest to our at Mount Olive in structure and liturgical/ritual action. We began in darkness with a new fire in the narthex. As the candle came down the aisle all of ours were lit - with the sung sentences. The first one started rather high, and I wondered where it would go from there. It went higher. The third time we were singing in the stratosphere - full voiced! From there to the readings: Creation, Floodd, Abraham's Sacrifice, Israel's Deliverance form the Red Sea, and the valley of the dry bones. After each, the men of the choir sang a Psalm response to a Gregorian tone. Simple but beautifully done. This choir is truly astonishing. Every line of text was clearly thought out, bringing important words, and giving a sense of direction. I was intrigued by the simplicity of doing the responses this way. It truly pointed to the Psalm and its text rather than striving to "be interesting" or clever. We, on the other hand, were silent. Not sure about that...

The choir then sang Palestrina's Sicut Cervus as transition into the baptismal service. This has to be the most beautiful rendering of this piece I've heard - every line fully blossoms, and each line (and ensemble of lines) grew to climaxes, then floated gently into cadences. Stunning.

There were four baptisms: one adult and three babies. We also renewed our Baptism. This was followed by the Great Litany of Saints (and we asked all of them by name to pray for us!) as the procession went from the font, (front side transept - similar to us!) down the side aisle, then up the center, sprinkling as they went.

This to the First Eucharist of Easter, (and people really shouted the responses) to singing "Jesus Christ is Risen Today" Couldn't sing past the lump in my throat it was so exciting and moving. The hymn just after the Homily (they don't have the tradition of the Hymn of the Day as we do) was a setting of "Christus vincit" by Gere Hancock, a former musician there. The congregation sang high "f" and "g" ! Who would have thought this possible? But they did it, and it took energy, which they (ah, "we"!) put forth!

Then this choir: Widor's "Surrexit a Mortuis" organ and choir, Sanctus and Agnus Dei by Langlais (full body chills again), then four motets during distribution: John Taverner (the 16th century one), Bassano, Dutch Carol (This Joyful Eastertide), and Scheidt's Surrexit Christus.

I can't get over this choir. Such diversity, such precision, such expression, such clean details (to the extent that one forgets about those) - such meaningful singing! "This Joyful Eastertide" was light bouyant and playful yet 100% unified in their playfulness. Astounding.

The service ended with a procession out, and the Widor Toccata as postlude. Everyone stayed to hear it.

St Peter's Lutheran
Quite the contrast! Being a very contemporary building - at the base of the Citibank Tower, the walls of glass overlook a plaza one level below street level, but the citi looks in, and we out onto the city while there. The space is kind of in the round, and they are completely flexible with their set up for every liturgy.

We casually gathered in what they call "The Livingroom" - a parish hall just off the nave. After a word or two of instruction, we went outside into the plaza for the new fire and the opening liturgy. We all then processed into the nave, standing around the altar and pascal candle during the singing of the Exultet. During this our candles were lit. Following this, we sat for the reading of the stories: Creation, Flood, Abraham being tested, Deliverance at the Red Sea, Dr Bones, Call of Johan, and the Fiery Furnace. Each was read by several people from different places in the room - not entirely taking on "roles" as a dramatic reading, but passing lines back and forth. Kind of interesting. Each reading was followed by a soloist singing an African American spiritual. (The soloist was African American himself - and very convincing, drawing us in). We, on the other hand, were silent.

This too, led to the baptism of an Adult who had been in training.

What followed was most interesting: during the singing of both the Great Litany and the Litany of Saints (yes, both) we literally took the "Light of Christ" (The Pascal Candle, and our lit candles - at least until the wind blew them out) outside, and we processed around the city block singing these responses. Very powerfull. Amongst the honking taxis, pedestrians trying to walk past and through us, we sang with vested liturgical leaders and choir singers mixed amongst us.

This led us back to the nave for the Easter Eucharist. Lights blasted on, and we sang the Gloria. (From whence cometh this tradition? I missed "Now All the Vault of Heaven Resounds"). Sequence Hymn (Christ is Arisen) reading of the Gospel, and then the chorale "Christ Jesus Lay in Death's Strong Bands" as a kind of hymn of the day. Wonderful progression.

For distribution, we gathered standing around the altar. Very moving.

The postlude, again, was Toccata from Symphony V for organ.

Very different experiences, both following the ancient pattern in different ways.

Wow.