Pause as the priest turns the key (7)
I believe the answer is:
respite
'pause' is the definition.
(I know that respite is a type of pause)
'the priest turns the key' is the wordplay.
'turns' is an anagram indicator.
'the key' becomes 'e' (a musical key).
'priest' with letters rearranged gives 'respit'.
'respit'+'e'='RESPITE'
'as' is the link.
(Other definitions for respite that I've seen before include "temporary delay" , "Period of relief (from unpleasant thing)" , "Pause from exertion, etc" , "Short let-up" , "Brief let-up" .)