"Get The Understudy!"

For the past two years during the Easter Vigil at Holy Family Church, South Ogden, the Exsultet has been sung using an arrangement by Lynn Trapp for soloist (priest, deacon, or cantor), choir, organ, and optional timpani. Once again this setting will be used.

For the past two years, the soloist has been a cantor from outside the ranks of the choir, due to scheduling conflicts with the cantor the church has on staff. While this year the person we have is available, our music director has decided, because of his relative newness to the liturgy, to assign this role to someone else.

For the past two years, I have dutifully sung the tenor part. That will not be the case this year.

For the third time in my career as a church musician, I have been given the honor of proclaiming this glorious prayer of the Church. As I humbly step into this role proper to a cleric, may I (taking from the section I, as a lay cantor, cannot sing), "...standing in the awesome glory of this holy light, invoke...the mercy of God almighty, that He...may pour into me his light unshadowed, that I may sing this candle's perfect praises."

For the rest of the text, in both Latin and English, click on the links provided.