Alleluia Confitemini Domino
  • Ted
    Posts: 201
    Would anyone know when and under what circumstances the Alleluia for the Greater and Lesser Litanies was changed? Up to my 1946 LU, the gospel Alleluia of the Mass was Confitemini Domino which reflects ancient usage. The 1961 LU has a different gospel Alleluia, Propitius esto. It seems that there were more changes to the liturgy in the 1950's than just for Holy Week.
  • rarty
    Posts: 96
    This was changed in the 1962 Missal. There were certainly a lot of changes between Holy Week and 1962!

    In the new rubrics given in 1960, it says to delete the Alleluia in the Rogations Mass and replace it with the Alleluia(s)/Gradual/Tract as found in the votive Mass "pro quacumque necessitate".

    It doesn't give a reason of course, but I think it stems from the rubric that allows the Rogations/Minor Litanies to be moved to different seasons by the local Ordinary. Which also explains why the Missal updated to put all the trailing Alleluias in the Introit, Offertory and Communion antiphons as (T.P. Alleluia), which is also reflected in the 1961 LU.

    Interestingly, the deleted Alleluia verse Confitemini (but different Alleluia melody) is the same as in the Easter Vigil... so not entirely lost.
  • tomjaw
    Posts: 2,704
    Thanks I had forgotten this,

    Thankfully our church does not have a 1962 Missale Romanum, although we do have an 18xx! among the pile of 10 or so Missale in the sacristy. The choir are also lacking 196x books!
  • MatthewRoth
    Posts: 1,939
    Tomjaw: good job.
    Thanked by 1tomjaw
  • Ted
    Posts: 201
    Thank you for this information. Although the text is the same as in the Paschal Vigil, the melodies are different. It would seem the suppressed litany Alleluia melody is quite ancient, and unique to this observance.
  • rarty
    Posts: 96
    Oh yes I see the verse melody is different after the first bar also. And I think it is pretty unique to not repeat 'Alleluia' at all.

    But, happily, in the revised Gradual/OCM, this very chant is brought back after a decade or so of suppression, assigned to the feria days after Ascension instead of before/April 25 (sung as normal).
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