How to sing an “Alleluia” taken from the Graduale Simplex

Quentin

Hello,

I have two questions regarding an alleluia taken from (Ben Yanke's) Graduale Simplex (pp. 227-228):

(1) There are two verses: “In te Domine speravi” and “Inclina ad me aurem tuam”. Must one sing either one or the other verse, or both verses? In other words:
– just “℣ Alleluia, ℟ Alleluia, ℣ In te Domine speravi, ℟ Alleluia” (e.g.) or:
– “℣ Alleluia, ℟ Alleluia, ℣ In te Domine speravi, ℟ Alleluia, ℣ Inclina ad me, ℟ Alleluia”?

(2) If both verses must be sung, when should the congregation rise? Just at the beginning of the first “Alleluia”, as in most OF masses in vernacular language where only one verse is sung between the two “Alleluia” series, or just before the last “Alleluia” series, as it is customary in masses where the several minutes long “Alleluia” from the Graduale Romanum is used?

Thanks for your help,
Quentin

Adam Wood

Ben Yanke wrote the Graduale Simplex?
Dude gets around.

Andrew Motyka

I have never seen the people stand, in an OF Mass, at any time other than right when the first Alleluia is intoned.

Ben

Yes I did, from the ages of 5-7. I started young.

Any more questions?

ClemensRomanus

I second Andrew's observation.

mahrt

I contend that the three-fold alleluia belongs in the office as an antiphon to a complete psalm. What is essential to the Mass alleluia is the jubilus, which beautifully expresses an ecstatic anticipation of the Gospel, while at the same time, in its melismatic verse, forms a meditation on the preceding lesson.

My choir sings the Gregorian alleluias, and we found that when the congregation stands at the beginning of the alleluia, and the deacon or priest goes to the ambo, he stands there waiting for the verse (and the repeat of the alleluia) to conclude; This actually deflates the sense of expectation which the alleluia has built up. It seems that the verse is too long; this i because that verse is a meditation chant, and is more properly heard in a state of repose, i.e., still sitting. So, we stand when the priest processes to the ambo, which takes place at about the jubilus of the verse, so that the jubilus of the repeat of the alleluia corresponds to the arrival of the priest at the ambo. The dynamic of the procession works well this way.

Salieri

I believe that the preface to By Flowing Waters says that one can do either both verses, or choose between them. I don't have it in front of me, so some one, please correct me if I'm wrong!

We have (at most masses) been singing the melismatic Alleluiae for about nine months now. At the moment we usually sing the verse to a solemn psalm tone, but sing the full chant on major feasts. This, though, is not ideal, since the psalm tone is more 'utilitarian', but it is practical when there is little time to learn the full chants. (Better to sing something simple well, than something complex poorly.) Many people have mentioned how much more beautiful the Mass chant is compared to the three-fold office alleluia.

On Sundays we use the 'Old Roman' method: Alleluia intonation, Alleluia with jubilus, verse, Alleluia with jubilus.

On weekdays we use the 'Cistercian' method: Alleluia intonation, Alleluia intonation, verse, alleluia with jubilus.

Ioannes Andreades

"What is essential to the Mass alleluia is the jubilus..."

Am genuinely curious. Are the notes at the end of the alleluia of the Easter vigil considered a jubilus?

Earl_Grey

I contend that the three-fold alleluia belongs in the office as an antiphon to a complete psalm. What is essential to the Mass alleluia is the jubilus, which beautifully expresses an ecstatic anticipation of the Gospel, while at the same time, in its melismatic verse, forms a meditation on the preceding lesson.

Yes, but wouldn't a 3-fold modal chanted alleluia from the office be a step in the right direction for those parishes singing the alleluia from R&A or the typical hymnal? I would view it as a stepping stone much in the same way singing the simple SEP or even the Graduale simplex leads to the Graduale Romanum.

hilluminar

In the OF Masses I attend, the faithful fully expect to sing the Alleluia. They would probably not tolerate anything other than the 3 fold Alleluia. (They have learned to sing this way from R&A. I myself am sick of hearing the same old four R&A Alleluias for year after endless year. I go for the ccwatershed Alleluias now. How wonderful it is to hear some different Alleluias!) Also, I thought that the Alleluia verse announces the Gospel, and is not a meditation on the preceding lesson. Have I been wrong all this time about that?

Quentin

I believe that the preface to By Flowing Waters says that one can do either both verses, or choose between them. — Salieri

I don't have a copy of this book, but I ended up reading the Prænotenda of the GS. I noticed that several times the Prænotenda says: “… Antiphona Alleluia cum versibus suis”, so I guess the preferred option is to sing both.

In the OF Masses I attend, the faithful fully expect to sing the Alleluia. — hilluminar

Same here. If my schola may sing the Alleluia from the GS, this is not because it is unable to sing the Alleluia from the Graduale Romanum: the schola is going to sing the Introit, the offertory, the communion… But the faithful are used to singing the Alleluia. They think it is part of the “Kyriale” (they do not know it belongs to the mass propers), and since they sing the Kyrie, the Sanctus and the Agnus Dei, they think quite naturally: why wouldn't we sing the Alleluia?

ClergetKubisz

The jubilus is such a magnificent part of the Alleluia chant. It's a shame that some people don't appreciate that anymore.

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