Can the cantor sing Christ our Light?

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bknebel

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Hello!

I’m a choir director of a small parish and our priest is a Carmelite of Mary Immaculate from India and he does not sing. Would it be okay to talk to him and if he is willing assign the Cantor to chant the Christ our Light for him at the Easter Vigil?

Thanks,
 
I have heard the Exultet sung by a cantor so I maybe it is possible. What does the GIRM say?
 
I can’t find anywhere where the GIRM, Sancro Musicum or Sacrosanctum Concilium where the cantor is or is not allowed to chant those responses for the congregation. I did see where it says it is the Cantor or Music Director’s job to ensure music is as wholesome and fufilling as possible… so this leads me to think that maybe in order to get the “This is the wood of the cross” and “Christ our Light” to be sung as Music director and head cantor, i may have to sing them if the priest allows?

Correct me if i am wrong.
 
I’d say go for it. It would beat our musically challenged deacon who was always a)flat and b)didn’t raise the tone from one stop to the next on either Good Friday or Holy Saturday. Thank goodness the choir was up in the choir loft and the congregation couldn’t see our painful grimaces.😃

On the other hand, we have had several Indian priests come and be in residence with us for six months or so. Their faith is awesome!
 
The Exultet is my favorite and brings tears to my eyes. We are blessed to have a Deacon with a beautiful voice which makes it even more moving.
 
The Exultet can be sung by a layperson. I have sung it twice myself. I dislike the practice of it being sung by a layman, or woman in my case, but in both cases the priest was just not able to chant anything that long. There are phrases in the chant which are not to be sung by a non-ordained person, and they are well marked. When sung properly by a deacon or priest it is most impressive. Many years ago, a then deacon friend of mine (who also sang in our local university opera workshop) sang while walking down the aisle carring the pascal candle. He memorized the whole thing. This was over thirty years ago, and I have never seen anything to surpass it.
 
The person holding the Easter Candle should sing “Christ our light”. But I do not think that the priest must be the one holding the Easter candle.

I think the 2002 Roman Missal gives more flexibility than the 1975 Roman Missal had. According to the 1985 Roman Missal translation, for the Easter Vigil: “14. Then the deacon or, if there is no deacon, the priest takes the Easter candle, lifts it high, and sings alone: Christ our light.”

But the 2002 Roman Missal has: “15. … Diaconus vel, eo absente, alius minister idoneus, accipit a ministro cereum paschalem et ordinatur processio. …”. There is not yet an official translation, but what I think it says is: “15. … The deacon or, if absent, another suitable minister, receives from a minister the Easter candle and leads the procession. …”.

There does not seem to be a requirement to use a priest in the absence of the deacon, because the word “sacerdos” is not used. So I think it would be OK, in the absence of a deacon, to have a cantor carry the Easter candle.

References:

The Roman Missal, Catholic Book Publishing Co., New York, 1985, page 173.

Missale Romanum, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2002, ISBN: 8820972719, page 340.
 
The Exultet is sung by our deacon, which is good. Deacon sings very well. Father, welllllll… Father’s voice is I’m sure the way God intends it. 😉
 
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