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Pope Saint Paul VI (3 April 1969): “Although the text of the Roman Gradual—at least that which concerns the singing—has not been changed, the Entrance antiphons and Communions antiphons have been revised for Masses without singing.”

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Views from the Choir Loft

How To Sing The Gregorian Alleluia

Jeff Ostrowski · May 15, 2014

510 Alleluia UTSIDE OF EASTERTIDE, the Alleluia is easy enough to sing. The “Alleluia” is sung, up until the asterisk. Then, the complete Alleluia is sung. The verse follows, and the “Alleluia” is repeated in its entirety.

This method creates something like this:

— ALLELUIA (1/2)
— ALLELUIA (complete)
— VERSE
— ALLELUIA (complete)

By the way, this same method is also used for the very first week of Easter (confusing, no?).

* *  However, during Eastertide, the method changes, since there’s now a Lesser Alleluia and Greater Alleluia. During Eastertide, here is the method for the 1st Alleluia (sometimes called the “Lesser Alleluia”):

LESSER ALLELUIA: Alleluia is sung up until the asterisk. Then, the entire Alleluia is repeated. Then the verse is sung.

This method creates something like this:

— ALLELUIA (1/2)
— ALLELUIA (complete)
— VERSE

And, for the 2nd Alleluia (sometimes called the “Greater Alleluia”):

GREATER ALLELUIA: Alleluia is sung all the way through. The verse is sung. The Alleluia is sung all the way through.

This method creates something like this:

— ALLELUIA (complete)
— VERSE
— ALLELUIA (complete)

If you don’t think my explanation was clear, you can read Dom Johner or the Vatican Preface. However, some people get confused by these, as the wording is not totally clear.

Incidentally, after the Second Vatican Council, the method of singing the Alleluia was changed somewhat, but it is still allowed to use the traditional method.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Greater Alleluia, Gregorian Easter Alleluia Last Updated: April 1, 2021

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About Jeff Ostrowski

Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004). He resides with his wife and children in Michigan. —(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    “Music List” • 17th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (27 July 2025). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and Mass Propers for this Sunday are conveniently stored at the the feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Communion • “Ask & You Shall Receive”
    All of the chants for 27 July 2025 have been added to the feasts website, as usual under a convenient “drop down” menu. The COMMUNION ANTIPHON (both text and melody) are exceedingly beautiful and ancient.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Jeff’s Mother Joins Our Fundraiser
    To assist our fundraiser, Mrs. Kathleen Ostrowski has drawn several beautiful sketches which she offers to all our readers free of charge. If you have a moment, I invite you download them at this link.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Pope Pius XII Hymnal?
    Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Hybrid” Chant Notation?
    Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Antiphons Don’t Match?
    A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

I feel the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a direct war, a direct killing—direct murder by the mother herself. And we read in the Scripture, for God says very clearly: “Even if a mother could forget her child, I will not forget you: I have carved you in the palm of my hand.”

— Mother Theresa (11 Dec 1979)

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