Organ at the Easter Vigil
  • artdob
    Posts: 24
    Looking for references regarding the acceptability of having the organ provide pitches and/or play during responses at the Easter Vigil before the Gloria. Question is posed with Traditional Latin Mass in mind. I suspect the answer is the organ is to remain absolutely silent until the Gloria, but if anyone has information otherwise, I'd appreciate the feedback.
  • Arthur Connick
    Posts: 496
    Psallite Sapienter #113 says the organ must remain unplayed for any reason from the end of the Gloria on Holy Thursday until after the intoning of the Gloria at the Easter Vigil. The relevant church document would be De musica sacra #'s 83 & 84.
  • dad29
    Posts: 2,232
    Pitchpipe is OK, as is the Conductorial Vocalization Privilege.
  • Jeffrey Quick
    Posts: 2,086
    Aesthetically, you want the entrance of the organ to have maximum impact, which is why the liturgical law is what it is. If the priest can't carry a tune or choose an appropriate pitch, it won't be the first time a congregation has suffered with that. Even if you would normally use the organ to solve that problem, this is a time to let the chips fall where they may.
  • dad29
    Posts: 2,232
    If the priest can't carry a tune or choose an appropriate pitch, it won't be the first time a congregation has suffered with that

    And it IS a penitential season. Double-value!!
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