On Holy Saturday the Church waits at the Lord's tomb, meditating on his suffering and death. The altar is left bare, and the sacrifice of Mass is not celebrated. Only after the solemn vigil during the night, held in anticipation of the resurrection, does the Easter celebration begin, with a spirit of joy that overflows into the following period of fifty days.
Schola Cantorum Jubilate sang with joy the resurrection of the lord during one of the longest symbolic liturgical action of the liturgical year.
At Ta’ Pinu Shrine the Vigil started at 8.30pm by the blessing of the new light and water. After the first prayers, Marouska Attard sang the Easter Proclamation known as the ‘Exultet’ and the liturgy of the word took place. In today’s liturgy the church reads seven readings which are the story of man’s salvation. Between every reading the choir sang the Psalm. Following the readings, Fr. Gerald Buhagiar intoned the Gloria when bells and organ welcomed the good news of the Risen Christ with great sounds. The choir responded the celebrant by singing a joyful setting of the ‘Gloria’ this time accompanied by the organ. After the ‘Gloria’, St. Paul’s epistle was read following the intonation of the Easter ‘Alleluia’ by the Celebrant. The congregation participated by singing the Responsorial ‘Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia,’ while cantor Stefan Attard sang the entire Psalm. After the homily the choir gave a rendition of ‘Vidi Aquam’ during the Sprinkling Rite. The second part of the liturgy opened with Holst exuberant Hymn ‘L-Ikel tal-Ħajja’ during the offerings procession. The Schola Cantorum interpreted ‘Io Sono Risorto’ by Liberto when the Holy Communion was distributed. After singing this piece choir members left the organ loft to the chapel of the Sanctuary dedicated to the Assumption of the Madonna. Shrine Rector Fr. Gerald together with other co-celebrants incensed the miraculous painting and chapel while the choir sang the ‘Regina Coeli’. During the recessional procession organist Pierre Louis Attard played a special musical arrangement of the Easter Alleluia for the organ.
