The composer of this piece intended for the song to be used by the Crusaders for their mission to spread Christianity throughout Europe and take the Holy Land back. The composer not only creates a song about praising God, but continually uses what the Christian followers considered the “divine number”, number 3. He refers to the number 3 throughout the score, syllable count, and its Cantus Firmus. It is also to be noted that while singing this song, Crusaders felt protected by God and …show more content…
The syllabic count of each line, 8, 12, and 16, add up to 36, a multiple of 9. The significance of the number 9 cannot be understated, as it is triple of 3, the number of divine perfection multiplied by itself. The purpose of “Alle Psallite Cum Luya” was to motivate and empower the Crusaders to spread Christianity as they made their way to Jerusalem. This idea is presented in the syllabic count of each line, where every line represents more and more people being drawn to the word of God. This piece’s cantus firmus also holds symbolism. The cantus firmus is based on 3 patterns repeated twice each; a 6 measure pattern in beginning, then 7 measures, then 12 measures at the end. This all adds up to 54 measures of Cantus Firmus and 54 is a multiple of 9, the divine principle of God. He also includes the use of 3 different systems in the piece, also representing the divine