The Sunday when in the earliest centuries the newly baptised would lay aside the white garments they had been clothed with after their re-birth in the Church. It is called Quasimodo Sunday, after the first words of the Introit: Quasi modo géniti infántes, allelúja: rationabiles, sine dolo lac concupíscite, allelúja, allelúja, allelúja. Saint Peter's verses, in the 2nd chapter of his 1st Epistle:
You must put aside, then, every trace of ill-will and deceitfulness, your affectations, the grudges you bore, and all the slanderous talk; you are children new-born, and all your craving must be for the soul’s pure milk, that will nurture you into salvation, once you have tasted, as you have surely tasted, the goodness of the Lord.
The Mass begins with the hymn Salve festa dies by Saint Venantius Fortunatus, in a setting by M de Villiers and Dr Ratovondrahety, sung during the entry of the celebrant and ministers. The livret is here.
I'm not much of a student of English hymnody but even I know Ralph Vaughan Williams's Hail Thee Festival Day.
Then the Vidi aquam, which in Eastertide replaces the Asperges, is sung; after the celebrant has returned to the altar the Introit begins.
I ended up not rising at midnight to be able to follow the Mass; am listening to the video recording now. The Salve festa dies is truly lovely.
The antiphona ad communicandum was sung before the proper Communion antiphon; it is de l’ancien rit des Gaules pour Pâques, originating in the Ambrosian Rite; M. de Villiers discusses it here.
Veníte, pópuli : ad sacrum et immortále mystérium et libámen agéndum : cum timóre et fide accedámus, mánibus mundis : pœniténtiæ munus communicémus : quóniam Agnus Dei propter nos Patri sacrifícium propósitus est. Ipsum solum adorémus : ipsum glorificémus cum Angelis clamántes : Alleluja.
These are sung at the 1:20:00 mark. Frankly, I cannot tell what is being sung between the Venite populi and the Mitte manum tuam. The livret was perhaps originally or at some point created for a different date (e.g. the listing of two pieces performed by Sébastian Robles on the lute or guitar at the Liturgia page is here)-- eh, it is not the sort of thing that I lose sleep over.
LDVM
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