Alleluia

The third chant of the Proper of the Mass, sung immediately after the Gradual. The word is Hebrew (‘praise ye Jehova’), and was sung in many contexts in Jewish life, but especially in connection with the singing of the Psalms. It was taken over unchanged by the Christian church and sung both alone and as an addition to chants of various kinds, especially during the Easter season. As a Mass-chant of the Roman rite it was originally sung alone, at first during Eastertide only and, after the time of Gregory I, during the whole year except from Septuagesima (the third Sunday before Lent) to Easter. At some time before 750 one or more verses were added, in which form it became a responsorial chant, the choir singing the alleluia at the beginning and end, and the soloists the verse or verses in between.

The alleluia of the Ambrosian chant, possibly retaining more of its original oriental characteristics, is even more florid in character.