THIS IS THE DAY / Alleluia

When the long, quiet wait of Holy Saturday finally breaks into the joy of the Easter Vigil, this is the song that captures the shift. Eze Chris’s setting of the Responsorial Psalm for Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday brings the triumphant words of Psalm 118 to life. It is a moment every chorister looks forward to—the return of the "Alleluia" after weeks of Lenten silence.

The score thoughtfully offers two different refrains for the choir to use. You can lead the congregation with the classic, bright declaration, "This is the day that the Lord has made," or choose the jubilant, harmonised "Alleluia" refrain to really elevate the festive mood. Both options are written with a lively, rhythmic bounce that naturally encourages the whole church to join in the celebration.

In the verses, the melody carries the powerful narrative of the Resurrection. As the cantor sings of the Lord’s right hand doing mighty deeds and the rejected stone becoming the cornerstone, the music builds a sense of victory. It is a perfect, uplifting piece to anchor the Liturgy of the Word on the greatest feast of the Church year, reminding everyone present of the psalmist's promise: "I shall not die, I shall live and recount the deeds of the Lord."