Alleluia

Mass/Office: Mass

Ordinary/Proper: Proper

Text Setting: Melismatic

Form: Respond (Alleluia) - Psalm Verse - Respond (Alleluia)

An Alleluia is sung responsorially, alternating between one or two soloists and the entire choir.

• The soloist sings the first part of the respond, on the word "Alleluia," up to the asterisk.
• Then the choir repeats this first part of the respond, as indicated by the sign ij (the roman numeral 2), which means the music before it is to be sung twice.
• Then the choir completes the respond, on the "-a" of Alleluia.
• The soloist sings most of the psalm verse alone.
• The rest of the choir joins in on the last word or two, after the asterisk.
• The respond on "Alleluia" is repeated, sometimes by the whole choir, sometimes with the soloist singing the first part and the choir joining on the rest.

The melisma on the final syllable of "Alleluia" is called the jubilus. Often the melody of the jubilus or of the entire respond returns at the end of the verse, setting the final word.

NAWM 3e is an example of an Alleluia in mode 2. It does not repeat the jubilus or the music of the respond at the end of the verse. Instead, music from the beginning of the verse (at "Dies sanctificatus illuxit nobis") is repeated in varied form later in the verse (at "quia hodie descendit lux magna").

Listen to online copy: Respond - Verse - Respond

For an Alleluia that repeats the entire music of the respond at the end of the verse, see NAWM 15, p. 61 (listen to online copy). In NAWM 15, the parts of the chant that are sung by soloists are set in polyphony, and those that are sung by the choir remain in monophonic chant.

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Last updated: 19 August 2006
URL: http://www.music.indiana.edu/som/courses/m401/Alleluia.html
This page was created by Patrick Warfield and is maintained by J. Peter Burkholder
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