Alleluia! – Buried and Resurrected by Dr. Liya Petrides

How many of us, when happy or enthusiastic about something have exclaimed: “Halleluia!?” This is because the origin of the word Alleluia is a Greek transliteration of a Hebrew two-word phrase "hallelu," (praise!) and "Yah," (God). In its noun form, "hallel" means a joyous praise. Thus "Alleluia!" is both call (Rejoice!) and response (Rejoicing!). Thus, the word “Alleuia” is commonly used in Judaism and in every denomination of Christianity.

If you attend church regularly, you have probably noticed that during Lent we don’t sing the Alleluia – we don’t sing it before the Gospel, we don’t sing any hymns that have it in the text, we don’t mention it in our prayers. What most people aren’t aware of is that there’s also a ritual called Burial of the Alleluia, a custom dating back to the Middle Ages. In many parishes throughout the world, on the Sunday before Ash Wednesday, a special Mass is celebrated. At the end of Mass, a placard with the "Alleluia" in ornate gold letters is taken from the Sanctuary and processed to Mary’s Altar where it is “buried” by placing it under the altar cloth. A special hymn is often sung during the procession, as we symbolically lay our earthly rejoicing to rest for 40 days: “Alleluia, song of gladness, voice of joy that cannot die; alleluia is the anthem ever dear to choirs on high; in the house of God abiding thus they sing eternally.   Alleluia you are sounding, true Jerusalem and free; alleluia, joyful mother, bring us to your jubilee; here by Babylon's sad waters mourning exiles still are we.”

What happens at Easter, we all know very well – every hymn features numerous Alleluias and a festive one is sung as the Gospel Acclamation. And, of course, the Halleluia Chorus from the Messiah! Oratorio by George Frideric Handel resounds throughout the universe.

Today, I would like to share with you a setting of the Alleluia that is somewhat less known. This one is by the American composer Randall Thompson (1899-1984). It was commissioned in 1940 by Serge Koussevitsky as an anthem to be performed by the entire student body of the Berkshire Music Center for its opening exercises. As the World War II was dawning, instead of a festive fanfare, the composer opted to write a setting that starts out in a slow tempo, but later, undergoes a transformation -- to hope and victory, and joy, and, finally, a solemn resignation. As the composer indicated, the work was inspired by a line from Job 1:21, "The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord." Please enjoy the video below with Voices of Ascension under the direction of Dennis Keene, with the beautiful imagery from Temple Emanuel in New York City. Click here to view.