Alleluia

[Gwyn]

I'm just reading through the GIRM
http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccdds/documents/rc_con_ccdds_doc_20030317_ordinamento-messale_en.html#A._The_Introductory_Rites

63. When there is only one reading before the Gospel,
a] During a season when the Alleluia is to be said, either the Alleluia Psalm or the responsorial Psalm followed by the Alleluia with its verse may be used;
b] During the season when the Alleluia is not to be said, either the psalm and the verse before the Gospel or the psalm alone may be used;
c] The Alleluia or verse before the Gospel may be omitted if they are not sung.

I'd heard about of omitting the Gospel Acclamation if not sung, but hadn't realised that it was a recommendation. I'm assuming, perhaps wrongly, that the Vaticanl website is up to date.

[Southern Comfort]

Here is the current GIRM wording from the UK Missal:

63. When there is only one reading before the Gospel:
a) during a time of year when the Alleluia is prescribed, either an Alleluia Psalm or the Responsorial Psalm followed by the Alleluia with its verse may be used;
b) during a time of year when the Alleluia is not foreseen, either the Psalm and the Verse before the Gospel or the Psalm alone may be used;
c) the Alleluia or the Verse before the Gospel, if not sung, may be omitted.

This is the provision for weekdays only ("when there is only one reading before the Gospel"), and is a significant modification of what was previously in GIRM which provided more options.

The possible omission of the Gospel Acclamation if not sung was originally (in 1969 GIRM) the case on Sundays as well as weekdays, but this was subsequently changed in the 1981 edition of the Lectionary (The Alleluia or the verse before the gospel must be sung and during it all stand — if it must be sung, then presumably it can never be omitted). GIRM para 62 now replicates some of what is in GILM (1981) 23.

62. After the reading that immediately precedes the Gospel, the Alleluia or another chant laid down by the rubrics is sung, as the liturgical time requires. An acclamation of this kind constitutes a rite or act in itself, by which the gathering of the faithful welcomes and greets the Lord who is about to speak to them in the Gospel and profess their faith by means of the chant. It is sung by everybody, standing, and is led by the choir or a cantor, being repeated as the case requires. The verse, on the other hand, is sung either by the choir or by a cantor.

23. The Alleluia or, as the liturgical season requires, the verse before the gospel, is also a ‘rite or act standing by itself.’ It serves as the assembled faithful’s greeting of welcome to the Lord who is about to speak to them and as an expression of their faith through song.
The Alleluia or the verse before the gospel must be sung and during it all stand. It is not to be sung only by the cantor who intones it or by the choir, but by the whole congregation together.

GIRM 62b is also relevant to weekdays during Lent as well as Sundays:

b) During Lent, instead of the Alleluia, the Verse before the Gospel as given in the Lectionary is sung. It is also possible to sing another Psalm or Tract, as found in the Graduale.

Unfortunately confusion often arises in the minds of parish musicians because of the terminology used.

"Alleluia" means the entire Acclamation: Triple Alleluia, scripture verse, Triple Alleluia.

"Verse before the Gospel" does not mean the scripture verse but the entire Acclamation during Lent: "Verse" (e.g. "Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory"), scripture verse, "Verse". In other words, the Lenten Verse before the Gospel includes a scripture verse within it, just like the Alleluia does.

Because of the likelihood of confusing "Verse before the Gospel" with the scripture verse, it would have been much better if they had used the word "Acclamation" for what happens during Lent. Acclamatio ante Evangelium would have been less confusing than the present Versus ante Evangelium.

I don't see the omission of the Alleluia or Acclamation as a recommendation, merely a possibility ("may be omitted").

[Peter Jones]

Thank you SC. Just a note to say that I think it is very important, when quoting from GIRM, to use the version that is in the Altar Missal. The blue-cover, fairly recent, CTS edition is out of date.

[Hare]

The way I read / understand / interpret the question of ommission of the Alleluia is as follows:

As one should SING rather than SAY "Alleluia", but it may not always be possible for it to be sung, then it is preferable to OMIT it on such occasions rather than SAY it. Am I correct?

I find it irritating to say the least how many places just join in at the start of the Alleluia, rather than allowing it to be "cantored" first in accordance with GIRM. Here, it is always "cantored" at Sunday masses - even on weekdays by the reader, deacon or priest, and yet, whenever there are visitors in church - like yesterday's 1st Communion - there are those who are not used to cantors and just join in and take everyone (ie regulars who should know better) with them. Bah!

[Southern Comfort]

The way I read / understand / interpret the question of ommission of the Alleluia is as follows:

As one should SING rather than SAY "Alleluia", but it may not always be possible for it to be sung, then it is preferable to OMIT it on such occasions rather than SAY it. Am I correct?

Yes on weekdays (GIRM 63c), No on Sundays. However, if you follow the provisions of GILM 23, it must always be sung, and this is the clear implication of GIRM 62 (which then contradicts itself in 63c by saying that it can be omitted on weekdays if not sung! Not the only internal contradiction in this Roman document, as in many others. 63a already covers the case of omitting it).

In this part of the world, it is often sung at weekdays Masses too, started off by the reader or by another person in the congregation, and the local diocesan guidelines for readers encourage this.

I find it irritating to say the least how many places just join in at the start of the Alleluia, rather than allowing it to be "cantored" first in accordance with GIRM. Here, it is always "cantored" at Sunday masses - even on weekdays by the reader, deacon or priest, and yet, whenever there are visitors in church - like yesterday's 1st Communion - there are those who are not used to cantors and just join in and take everyone (ie regulars who should know better) with them. Bah!

I think exceptions can be made, and this is a different case from the response to the Responsorial Psalm which definitely needs to be intoned by a cantor. Everyone knows the Celtic Alleluia, for example, and probably the 6th mode plainchant one too. It seems quite redundant to have those cantored first when people are perfectly capable of joining in from the word Go, after a suitable playover. And on principle I dislike discouraging the people from singing when they clearly want to. After all, we've taken long enough to get them to the point of singing at all!

I think the intonation by a cantor is really only needed in cases where either people may not be sure of a less familiar Alleluia, or where there is no accompaniment and someone is needed to set the pitch and tempo. Here we have a case where the law was drawn up originally with the prolix Gregorian chant Alleluias of the Graduale in mind, and has not yet totally caught up with current practice which is much simpler. And GIRM 62 does say led by the choir or a cantor, being repeated as the case requires. If the case doesn't require it, no need to repeat, therefore.

[Hare]

The way I read / understand / interpret the question of ommission of the Alleluia is as follows:

As one should SING rather than SAY "Alleluia", but it may not always be possible for it to be sung, then it is preferable to OMIT it on such occasions rather than SAY it. Am I correct?

Yes on weekdays, No on Sundays. However, if you follow the provisions of GILM 23, it must always be sung, and this is the clear implication of GIRM 62 (which then contradicts itself in 63c by saying that it can be omitted on weekdays if not sung! Not the only internal contradiction in this Roman document, as in many others. 63a already covers the case of omitting it).

In this part of the world, it is often sung at weekdays Masses too, started off by the reader or by another person in the congregation, and the diocesan guidelines for readers encourage this.

I find it irritating to say the least how many places just join in at the start of the Alleluia, rather than allowing it to be "cantored" first in accordance with GIRM. Here, it is always "cantored" at Sunday masses - even on weekdays by the reader, deacon or priest, and yet, whenever there are visitors in church - like yesterday's 1st Communion - there are those who are not used to cantors and just join in and take everyone (ie regulars who should know better) with them. Bah!

I think exceptions can be made, and this is a different case from the response to the Responsorial Psalm which definitely needs to be intoned by a cantor. Everyone knows the Celtic Alleluia, for example, and probably the 6th mode plainchant one too. It seems quite redundant to have those cantored first when people are perfectly capable of joining in from the word Go, after a suitable playover. And on principle I dislike discouraging the people from singing when they clearly want to. After all, we've taken long enough to get them to the point of singing at all!

I think the intonation by a cantor is really only needed in cases where either people may not be sure of a less familiar Alleluia, or where there is no accompaniment and someone is needed to set the pitch and tempo. Here we have a case where the law was drawn up originally with the prolix Gregorian chant Alleluias of the Graduale in mind, and has not yet totally caught up with current practice which is much simpler. And GIRM 62 does say led by the choir or a cantor, being repeated as the case requires. If the case doesn't require it, no need to repeat, therefore.

True - but would cantoring some but not others not lead to confusion?

[JW]

We only cantor Alleluias that the congregation is unlikely to know - it has never been an issue. We use so many that the congregation always wait for the playover to see what's happening. (A first time alleluia is always played over in its entirety before it is cantored).