coptichymns.net :: Spiritual Library

Alleluia El Qorban

by Andrew Halim, Ramez Mikhail, Mina Demian, and Paul Samaan

This entry explains the issues surround the hymn "Alleluia El Qorban," chanted at the beginning of Holy Liturgies in its season.

Alleluia of the Offering (Al El Qorban)

This hymn is to be chanted during the Selection of the Lamb. Its exact place in the Liturgy of the Offering is much disputed as the consensus amongst the cantors and teachers of the Church is split. However, the following points aim to present all viewpoints, both historical and ritualological, to aid the user in formulating a rounded opinion on this matter.
There are two separate views on two separate issues regarding this hymn. The two separate matters are as follows:

Issue A: Whether this hymn is just "A" as chanted on the HICS Liturgy of St. Basil recording or it is the full "Alleluia" as chanted by the majority of the cantors-teachers.
Issue B: Whether the hymn is a standalone hymn or a part of the congregation part after the Procession of the Lamb "Alleluia Fai Pe Pi"

George Kyrollos ...u know head of David Ensemble. He says that alle orban is actually the whole hymn entirely "A". He went on to say that the modern alleluia is wrong beacuse the original "A" was a hymn leading into the Alleluia of the psalm to follow i.e Fai Pe Pi.
Bishop Youssef: "I read the whole discussion, and I agree with George Kyrillos. I believe what M. Tawfik and Farag added to the hymn is not original. But at any rate hymns are art which is liable to change and modification from time to time. I am sure if we have original recording to many hymns as it started many centuries ago, they will sound very different from what we have now. "

M. Faheem (had his disciple record long standalone version on his tape)
Ibrahim Ayaad (recorded the long standalone version)
M. Farag (recorded the long standalone version)
M. Tewfik (recorded the long standalone version)
M. Sadek (implied in his interview that "Al el Qorban" was the right hymn before the Procession of the Lamb instead of the 41 Kyrie Eleysons, which means it could not be part of "Alleluia Fai Pepi," which comes after the Procession of the Lamb. He said this despite being in the same recording with M. Mikhail when he allegedly recorded "Al el Qorban" as part of "Alleluia Fai Pepi.")

George Kyrillos: George Kyrollos' assumption that the 'A' is concluded by '_lleluia fai pe pi eho-oo' is possibly an exptrapolation of the fact the the hymn 'So' (chanted before the Servants' Absolution) is continued by '__tees Amen' after the priest says the Servants' Absolution.
M. Mikhail (recorded the two hymns almost as one, although we can not be sure)

Mu'allim Sadek: the 41 Kyrie Eleysons were basically made up by priests in churches whose mu'allimeen didn't know Al El Qorban. Also, if you watch the Pope's liturgies in the Cathedral, you will see that they NEVER say it. Finally, a lot of churches in Egypt with good mu'allimeen will say Apinav instead of the 41.