Exsultet

St Malachy's Church, Philadelphia

St Thomas' Church, Villanova University

Washington National Cathedral

Cappella Caeciliana is one of Northern Ireland's leading choirs, regularly performing in the Belfast area and beyond in both concert and liturgical settings. We have toured in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Rome, and at Easter 2011 will be undertaking our most ambitious overseas visit so far - to the USA. The tour will be led by Donal McCrisken, our Musical Director.  We will be singing Evensong in the National Cathedral in Washington DC (Friday 29th April at 5.30pm), and presenting two concerts in Philadelphia, the first at Villanova University (Wednesday 27th April at 7.30pm), and the second at the Parish of St Malachy (Thursday 28th April at 7pm).  Admission to both concerts is free and no tickets are required. At each of these events, we will perform a new work ('Exsultet') which we have commissioned from Neil Martin, a leading local composer whose work spans television, radio, theatre, concert stage and studio.   We gratefully acknowledge the financial assistance of the Arts Council of Northern Ireland in supplying National Lottery funding to allow us to commission this new work from Neil Martin to be premiered in Northern Ireland and performed on our USA tour. We also gratefully acknowledge the financial assistance of Culture Ireland in supplying funding to assist in performing 'Exsultet' in the USA as part of their 2011 "Imagine Ireland" project.

'Exsultet' - composer's note

My brief from Donal McCrisken and Cappella Caeciliana was very generous – to write a piece of about five minutes’ duration for their upcoming Easter USA Tour that could continue to be used as part of the choir’s general repertoire.  The use of Irish was hinted at, but no more than that.  In effect, a completely open brief. However, the more I thought about it all the more I was drawn to explore the Easter celebration, and not alone through Irish, but also through Latin – both macaronic songs and the structure and ritual of church worship through music appeal to me.  So over a few weeks I set about reading more liturgical texts than I’d read in several decades.

Two very knowledgeable sources came into play here – firstly, the late Father James Skelly, who many years ago gave me his old Latin daily prayer book, the Liber Usualis. Jim was a good friend with enlightened ideas, and just knowing that his prayer book is on the shelf at home is a comfort.  It was this I trawled for an appropriate Latin text, finally settling on the Exsultet, a key part of the Easter Saturday Vigil.  The second source is the Reverend Gary Hastings, currently the acting Church of Ireland Bishop of Tuam and Galway. Gary recently edited and translated The Book of Common Prayer in Irish, Leabhar na hUrnaí Coitinne, and has a very sound knowledge of language and a deep passion for music.  I asked Gary to translate the selected sections from Latin into Irish.  This was done willingly and poetically.

The two languages make very differing sounds, and lend themselves naturally to differing rhythms and meters. One text is very ancient, the other only recently fashioned. Each in its unique way does what the other cannot, and yet they both meet at a high point of profound and concise spiritual expression. To me they are very comfortable bedfellows and I have tried to draw them to their common ground. The Exsultet text rejoices and celebrates and heads towards the light, yet retains a sense of mystery – I hope I have managed to convey something of this through the music.  The piece I dedicate to the late Fr. James Skelly, and to the Rev. Gary Hastings.  Mo bhuíochas don bheirt acu.

'Exsultet' - words

Exsultet iam angelica turba caelorum exsultent divina mysteria
et pro tanti Regis victoria, tuba insonet salutaris. Anois! Lúcháir
go raibh ar shluaite shíoraí na n-aingeal, na mistéirí beo go
gceiliúraítear le háthas: Is go bhfógraítear bua an Rí mhóir le
séideadh an trumpa naofa.

Gaudeat et tellus tantis irradiata fulgoribus et, aeterni regis
splendore illustrata, totius orbis se sentiat amisisse caliginem.
Gliondar go raibh ar an Eaglais, ár Máthair, agus gáthanna an
tsolais mhóir dá maisiú: Gártha mólta ríméadacha an phobail go
cluintear sa teampall seo.

Quapropter adstantes vos, fratres carissimi, ad tam miram huius
sancti luminis claritatem, una mecum, quaeso, Dei omnipotentis
misericordiam invocate.

Ionas, an té a lig isteach i líon Léiví mé, ní nár thuill mé fhéin,
go lige sé dom moltaí an tsolais sin a cheiliúradh, trí insileadh a
sholais orm.

Per Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum Filium suum, qui cum eo
vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti, Deus, per omnia saecula
saeculorum. Trí Íosa Críost ár dTiarna, a mhaireann agus a
rialaíonn leis, mar aon leis an Spiorad Naomh, Aon Dia amháin,
trí shaol na saol.

Amen / Áiméan.

Let now the heavenly hosts of angels rejoice, let the living
mysteries be blissfully celebrated, and let a sacred trumpet
sound the victory of so great a King.

Let the earth, radiant with such stunning light, rejoice; and let it
be known that the darkness which overshadowed the whole world
is dismissed by the magnificence of our eternal King.

Let our mother, the Church, be joyful, adorned with the rays of so
great a light; let the jubilant praise of the people fill this temple.
For this reason, dear brothers, I ask you now here who marvel at
the brilliance of this holy light, to invoke with me the mercy of
almighty God.

That He, who has admitted me undeservedly into the family of
His Levites, will, through His gift of light upon me, enable me to
celebrate the praises of that light.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ His Son, who with Him and the Holy
Spirit lives and reigns, one God for ever and ever.

Amen.

Last updated 4 April 2011