Any other recommendations for this part of the Easter Vigil Mass? I've found plenty of settings that are adequate, but I'm still looking for that piece that blows me away.
My understanding from the current sacramentary and Mis. Rom. 3rd ed. is that the priest or cantor sings the 3 alleluias, repeated each time by the congregation and then after that is completed the psalm verse is sung. Does the Lectionary for Mass have something different?
"After the Epistle has been read, all rise, then the Priest solemnly intones the Alleluia three times, raising his voice by a step each time, with all repeating it. If necessary, the psalmist intones the Alleluia."
Then there is melismatic notation for the alleluia right there in the Missal.
Now I have not been able to find a copy of this music on the ICEL page or any of the places that have missal chants. Am I missing it?
Also, it appears that the big Gospel Acclamation with verses of Psalm 118 (117) FOLLOWS this solemn intonation of the Alleluia. I guess it's the moment when the buried word is unearthed in specific solemnity! :)
Gregorian Alleluia (scanned from the Gregorian Missal) NOH Accompaniment (including modulations! How cool is that? If you are a fan of accompanied chant, that is...)
It can get a bit long (I've made cuts), but it a) has a familiar melody, b) does the traditional modulation, and c) is overall well-crafted. Good stuff!
The current question is: is it fine to do the melismatic Alleluia thrice intoned by the priest and echoed by the people, followed by another Alleluia (like the refrain from O Filii et Filiae) interspersed between verses of Psalm 118? Otherwise, how to the people respond "Alleluia" after the verses(s)? (do they just repeat the melistmatic Alleulia?)
Claire, We will be repeating the melismatic Alleluia after the verse.
Cantor: Alleluia. All: Alleluia (3x, modulating each time) Cantors: Confitemini... (see Gregorian Missal link above) All: Alleluia.
I don't think there would be anything wrong with doing two Alleluias in the way you describe (the instructions seem vague enough). But it seems to me that the only reason to do that is if the people are not singing the melismatic one. If they are singing the melismatic one, why sing another? Jon
I think the question comes if you are doing a Gospel Procession. The practice in our parish, and what was done in cathedrals I've served, as well as the Shrine in D.C., is to sing the melismatic Alleluia in place, then sing the Alleluia/Psalm 118 during the Gospel procession.
Jon, I hope the people will sing the melismatic Alleluia, but doubt they actually will as anything melismatic is very foreign to them. So it will probably be myself and the small choir...I suppose the purpose of using a second Alleluia would then be to sing something they can/will all sing.
Claire -- Ah! That makes more sense. We likewise are hoping that people sing the melismatic Alleluia. This is the first time we have done it at this parish. The repeats should help....so hopefully by the fourth time they will have gotten it! ;-) But there wouldn't be anything illegitimate about what you are planning.
This is also what is done at my cathedral. The bishop intones the melismatic alleluia from the chair all three times, then he prepares the incence and the gospel procession forms while all are singing the well known mode II "Easter Alleluia" and the choir singing the multiple verses from the lectionary.
Bishop (from the chair): melismatic alleluia (given initial pitches, but unaccompanied) All: melismatic alleluia (accompanied) [repeat the above three times at higher pitchess] [He prepares the incense and blesses deacon while gospel procession forms] Mode II "Easter Alleluia" (accompanied) with the multiple verses from the lectionary
We were just planning on singing the Mode VIII (melismatic) Alleluia with cantor and then people 3 times, modulating each time. We were then going to sing all three 'stanzas' of the psalm back to back to back in the same key as the last Alleluia, followed by one more Alleluia.
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