Alleluia
The jubilant chant of the Mass with the acclamation “alleluia,” sung before the Gospel.
What it means
The Alleluia is a jubilant chant of Christian liturgy based on the Hebrew acclamation “hallelujah,” meaning “praise the Lord.” Within the Catholic Mass it occupies a fixed place before the proclamation of the Gospel, introducing the high point of the Liturgy of the Word.
Unlike many other sung parts of the Mass, the Alleluia is a pure acclamation of joy without a narrative text: its meaning lies less in conveying content than in the immediate, wordless expression of joy that unfolds in extended melismatic passages.
Musical use
In Gregorian chant the Alleluia consists of the acclamation itself, an inserted verse with changing text, and the so-called jubilus, a strongly melismatic extension of the final syllable of the word alleluia, in which a single vowel is sung out over many notes.
During Lent the Alleluia is omitted entirely for liturgical reasons, since this season stands in contrast to jubilation; a tract or another chant takes its place instead. This omission underlines the Alleluia's special status as an expression of unclouded joy.
Beyond Gregorian chant, the Alleluia has been set polyphonically by composers of every era, from Renaissance motets to concertante movements of the Classical and Romantic periods, in which the jubilant character is often expressed through fast, rising lines and radiant sonorities.
Performance practice
When singing an Alleluia, pay attention to the wide breath arcs of the melismatic passages: pace your breath so long lines do not fall apart, and let the sound stay bright and open rather than pressed, so the jubilant character comes through.