Burying the Alleluia
  • This morning I had to go on a quick look for this chant which Tomjaw posted some time ago, and I thought I'd re-post it in case anyone wants to sing it today.

    Although here we have a few inches of snow, so actually burying the Alleluia will be hard. Perhaps we'll opt for a simple locked chest indoors.
    alleluiadulcecarmen.pdf
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  • ServiamScores
    Posts: 2,998
    This is interesting. A totally different melody from that with which I am familiar.
  • I found two others on Gregobase. Is one of these the melody you use?

    I'm not a fan of the mode II tone for this (con)text, but the unlabeled mode IV I do rather like.
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    hy--alleluia_dulce_carmen--la_feilles.png
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  • Here's a routine reminder: Be patient about legitimate differences in personal taste.
  • canadashcanadash
    Posts: 1,518
    Just bury it under the snow. Fingers crossed the snow will melt in a timely fashion and Alleluia!
  • We're burying "Al" at our church's potluck as part of our choir's bake sale. (Selling Max Miller's recipe for molasses-based Victorian funeral cakes.) We're inviting parishioners to write down bad habits and vices of theirs they wish to 'bury' this year and put it in the casket with Al. Hopefully, only one will rise.
  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,843
    We buried it yesterday with the ancient Vespers hymn (Dulce Carmen) sung in procession to the grave. Our priests then read four of the ancient prayers during the burial, then said the Benedicamus Domino still used at Vespers in the Roman Rite. We then processed backing the church singing Christus Vincit.

    More music can be found here,
    https://societyofstbede.wordpress.com/2025/02/15/eve-of-septuagesima-3/

    As for the melodies of the Alleluia dulce Carmen, as far as I know this hymn has not been used Liturgically for centuries. It can be found in modern Anglican books usually sung in translation.

    The Melody posted at the top was found on the internet and I believe is a transcription from a manuscript. The mode II melody is my fault, when I can't find a melody for a Hymn in The Liturgical Year, Gueranger or the Analecta Hymnica, I will set it to a melody that fits the metre, So I chose that rather nice Dominican melody, interestingly it is very similar to the melody below from A.D. 1187!

    The manuscripts are listed here, https://cantusindex.org/id/008259
    With one available scan,
    Laon A.D. 1187
  • ServiamScores
    Posts: 2,998
    OMagnum, the first image of your second post is the one I knew.

    That said, I've never given it to a novus ordo congregation as much as I love it. We always just do "Alleluia song of gladness" to the hymn tune Dulce Carmen. I'm saving that for two weeks, however, since we don't do the gesimas.
  • Here's a routine reminder: Critique principles, not people.
  • The mode 2 melody appears to be a variant of the sarum hymn Urbs Beata, which can be found in translation in the 1940 Hymnal as Blessed City, Heav'nly Salem.
  • MatthewRoth
    Posts: 2,697
    In fact the mode IV melody is also the one associated with that hymn. We use it for the Tantum ergo in Paschal Time outside of major feasts.
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen tomjaw
  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,843
    The mode II melody above from Gregobase is a Dominican melody, used for the Urbs beata, and the Angularis Fundamentum (Dedication of a Church).

    The second Gregobase melody was posted by CCWatershed and is 11th Century Melody from La Feillés.

    They also have yet another melody from the 11th Century Mechlin Vesperal.

    Both here CCWatershed
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • This is an ancient hymn, however, it's not Roman: Sing Alleluia forth in duteous praise.

    https://hymnary.org/text/sing_alleluia_forth_in_duteous_praise

    The Buck tune is quite fine.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,843
    Ah the Alleluia piis edite laudibus, it is in the Cantus Database The melody can be found in a 12th century manuscript.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • ServiamScores
    Posts: 2,998
    Rob, what a fantastic text. This one is totally new to me. I've only ever known Alleluia Song of Gladness (Alleluia Dulce Carmen)
    https://hymnary.org/page/fetch/PSH1926/228/high
    Thanked by 1Roborgelmeister
  • DL
    Posts: 82
    See also https://hymnary.org/text/the_strain_upraise_of_joy_and_praise which is sung hereabouts to Troyte’s Tune no. 2. J M Neale called it “cramped, tortured, tamed […] utterly destructive of the whole prose.” I think it’s rather sweet and naive, in a good way.
    Thanked by 1tomjaw
  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,843
    This (above) is a Sequence, Cantemus cuncti melodum nunc, Alleluia
    Music can be found here, https://www.e-codices.unifr.ch/en/csg/0438/142v/0/
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen