Eastertime 2 Alleluias - EF
  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    Are the two Alleluias of Eastertide in the Liber sung in the same way as normal alleluias, or is there a different method to the two alleluias? I am told by my singers there's a different method to singing these... (our first sung Mass of easter is Easter III)
  • Ben,

    It depends what you mean by "method"

    If you look at your missal, you'll see that the first text (what is the Gradual at other times of the year) has 2 alleluias at the beginning. Intone to the asterisk, and then have everyone sing Alleluia + Jubilus (sp?). Verse as normal. Begin "second" Alleluia (i.e., what would be the Tract in other times of year) without repeating the music for the 1st Alleluia's Alleluia -- if that's not unclear. Sing verse as normal, and then repeat the "second" Alleluia.

    Cheers,

    Chris
  • MarkThompson
    Posts: 768
    Your singers are right. The rubrics for the LU provide as follows:

    --------------------------
    If Alleluia, Alleluia [i.e., Alleluia #1] is to be said with the Verse, the first Alleluia is sung by one or two voices as far as the asterisk * : and then the choir repeats the Alleluia. continuing with the neum or jubilus which prolongs the syllable a. The cantors next sing the Verse, which is finished by the full choir, as before, beginning at the asterisk. When the Verse is finished, the cantor or cantors repeat the Alleluia, and the full choir sings only the closing neum.
    . . .
    In Paschal Time, the Gradual is omitted and in its place the Alleluia, Alleluia [again, Alleluia #1] is sung with its Verse as above. Then one Alleluia immediately follows [this is Alleluia #2], which must be begun by one or two cantors until the neum is reached, when it is not repeated, but finished by the full choir. The Verse and one Alleluia are sung at the end, in the manner above described.
    --------------------------

    The part in bold is the difference. This is why you see the indication "ij" after "Alleluia" in the first chant and not in the second.

    Edit: cross-posted. But I posted rubrics! Do the red! Wait, these rubrics are printed in black.... (and maybe this remark should be printed in purple?)
    Thanked by 1Ben
  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,782
    Good explanations, but do watch out for a couple of 2nd Alleluias that are used at other times of the year and have an ij printed that should not be followed during Eastertide.

    You may also note that some of the other Propers have Alleluias added during Eastertide, in at least one EF book they are not printed, and you have to turn to the standard Alleluias.
  • gregpgregp
    Posts: 632
    Then one Alleluia immediately follows [this is Alleluia #2], which must be begun by one or two cantors until the neum is reached


    "Immediately" meaning, in our case, that the cantor takes just enough time to make the mental switch from one mode to the next!
  • It was a huge surprise for my schola and myself when I discovered the double Alleluias went throughout Eastertide. I decided to switch from psalm tones to the full composed propers in honor of Easter, and so I had an excuse to raise the bar (gradually) for my singers. It was a curveball that we didn't expect, (this is our first year with a schola for the TLM) but it gives me every excuse to move to singing the full Gradual and Alleluia when we switch to Ordinary Time. Great explanations by all, and thanks for the warning about some doubles coming back after Eastertide, but not necessarily following the same format!
  • Jeff O. wrote an article about this, two years ago:
    http://www.ccwatershed.org/blog/2012/may/14/how-sing-gregorian-alleluia/