This Is the Night: Procession of the Paschal Candle and Exsultet

Now you may well be using the chant version of the Exsultet, as revised in 2010, or you may want a more metrical version, in which case Tony Alonso’s setting is worth a look.

The text is here. I bought the guitar version at WLP and while the piano part is listed as not downloadable a colleague on the music team was allowed to do just that. There are also parts for flute oboe and cello. I think it beautiful enough to warrant the effort to put this in an Easter liturgy.

Make no mistake, this is still a challenge, and will take at least nine minutes, and may need a relay of cantors. It also has many many time signature changes and BIAB could not cope with them all so when it has a stray bar of 7/8 or 5/8, I had to insert sneaky little rests. In my backing I left out the parts that are only for a Priest or a Deacon, so this is the version for a cantor. I also have not done the introductory pieces (The Light of Christ etc).

These clips might give a better idea of the piece.

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One Response to This Is the Night: Procession of the Paschal Candle and Exsultet

  1. Chris says:

    Another metric version to look at is Paul Hillebrand’s http://www.ocp.org/compositions/86181#tab:sheetmusic

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