Triple Alleluia at Easter
  • WJA
    Posts: 237
    I have another question as our schola prepares for the Vigil. This is a novus ordo Mass, if that matters.

    I want to use the alleluia in the Parish Book of Chant. It says you sing it three times, a step higher each time.

    The sacramentary says the priest or a cantor if necessary intones the alleluia, and then everyone present repeats it.

    How does that work? Does the cantor sing it three times, each time a step higher, and then everyone else repeats, three times, a step higher each time?

    And what about between the psalm verses? Does everyone sing it three times, each time a step higher?

    Thanks in advance for your help.

    WJA
  • dvalerio
    Posts: 341
    > How does that work? Does the cantor sing it three times, each time a step higher, and then everyone else repeats, three times, a step higher each time?

    Yes: the cantor sings the Alleluia, and everyone repeats it in the tone he has just used; the cantor sings the Alleluia a second time a tone higher, and everyone repeats it in the tone he has just used; the cantor sings the the Alleluia a third time yet a tone higher, and everyone repeats it in the tone he has just used.

    Then the verses follow.

    > And what about between the psalm verses? Does everyone sing it three times, each time a step higher?

    No. Between the verses the Alleluia will be sung only once, keeping the pitch from the third intonation.

    Actually if you sing the Confitemini as given in the Graduale Romanum (see e.g. page 339 of the Gregorian Missal) you will only have to sing the Alleluia once more at the end.

    But if you sing the verses as given in the lectionary (e.g. in psalm tone VIII...) you will repeat the Alleluia between each verse. This used to be done so in my former parish (but now the choir there switched to some polyphonic Confitemini, as far as I know).
  • WJA
    Posts: 237
    Thank you, again!

    WJA
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