Kyrie Eleison in the Extraordinary vs Ordinary form
  • henrik.hank
    Posts: 103
    Pax!
    Is this true: in the Extraordinary form we sing Kyrie Eleisonx3, Christe Eleisonx3 and then Kyrie Eleisonx3 but only twice in the Ordinary form?
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,980
    Twice is the norm in the OF parish where I work and reflects what is in current liturgical books. In my Byzantine parish we sing it in English at least 20 times or more. I have been told that before Trent, it was sung much more in the west, but Trent cut it down to threes.
  • JulieCollJulieColl
    Posts: 2,465
    Yes, that is correct. From Fr. Gihr's book, The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass:

    In Rome the Kyrie was originally sung by the clergy and people; later by two choirs that repeated it alternately until the celebrant gave the sign to cease. The custom of invoking the divine mercy nine consecutive times in the Roman liturgy has been prescribed and practised since the eleventh century.

    The three divine persons are separately and consecutively invoked: first the Father by the Kyrie eleison (Lord, have mercy) then the Son by the Christe eleison, and finally the Holy Ghost by the Kyrie eleison. The invocation of each of the divine persons is repeated exactly three times to signify that with each of the divine persons the two others are at least virtually invoked, since by the fact of their mystical indwelling in one another (circumincession) all three of the divine persons are eternally in one another. Other meanings founded for the most part in devotion have also been given to this ninefold cry for mercy; thus, for instance, the ninefold signification of the Kyrie is devoutly thought to refer to the nine kinds of sins and wants, or it has been said that thereby we express our desire of union with the nine choirs of angels.
    Thanked by 1CharlesW
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,980
    Nine kinds of sin? Dang, I have missed a few somewhere! LOL.
    Thanked by 2JulieColl Adam Wood
  • ClemensRomanusClemensRomanus
    Posts: 1,023
    I believe Ordo Romanus II from the late eighth century already gives the number at 9 repetitions, but I don't have it in front of me at the moment.
  • rich_enough
    Posts: 1,048
    This is not an absolute rule. The preface to the 1974 Graduale Romanum states that "each acclamation [of the Kyrie] is to be sing in a two-fold manner, yet a greater number is not excluded, especially considering reasons of musical art."

    The last phrase refers to the Kyries which are "through composed" with three acclamations each (Masses 3, 6, 9, 10, etc.), so these would be sing as written. The threefold Kyrie is also "not excluded" when this is not the case.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
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