Basic Tips for Planning the Eucharistic Liturgy: The Alleluia before the Gospel

By Robin G. Jordan

A growing number of Anglican congregations are singing an alleluia before the reading of the Gospel. This practice is an ancient one. The alleluia may be sung with or without a verse. If the alleluia is sung with verse, the cantor sings the alleluia, the cantor and congregation repeat the alleluia, the cantor sings the verse, and then all sing the alleluia.

If the gospel is read from the midst of the congregation, the gospel procession moves to the place where the gospel will be read while the alleluia and verse or the alleluia are being sung. After the gospel is read, the gospel procession returns to the sedilla in silence. It is not necessary to fill every space in the liturgy with music. The reading of the gospel should be followed by a period of silence for reflection and prayer.

A congregation can learn a number of simple alleluias. Some commonly used alleluias are the Celtic Alleluia, the Caribbean Halle, Halle, Halle, the Muscogee Heleluyan, and the Taize Alleluia. Among the outstanding characteristics of these alleluias is their singability and their different musical styles.

The Happy Land Alleluia was arranged by T. Fish for a Mass settings for use in Appalachian Catholic parishes. This Mass setting uses the tune of “There Is a Happy Land” and other folk tunes familiar to the residents of Appalachia. The tune of “There Is a Happy Land” originated in India. It found its way into the shape note hymnals of the Southern United States in the nineteenth century. The Mass setting is an example of how regional musical styles and musical instruments can be used in the liturgy. The Happy Land Alleluia may be placed on the dulcimer.

Due to the influence of contemporary Christian music a lot of music used in today’s sounds too much alike. The vocalists of church bands imitate the style of popular CCM performers. As being unsuitable for congregational singing, their singing style gives a bland sameness to the worship music of contemporary churches. The use of a wide variety of musical styles and musical instruments, hymns and songs from the various historical periods of the Christian Church—previous generations of Christians’ legacy to us and a testimony to their faith, and hymns and songs from around the world add diversity and color to the music of our worship.

Here in the South we have a rich heritage of gospel songs, shape note hymns, and spirituals. These songs have a place alongside traditional hymns and more recent compositions. When we sing them, we add our voices to the great cloud of witnesses that have gone before us.

During Lent the alleluia is traditionally omitted in the Western Church. However, Lent is the season of the alleluia in the Eastern Church. When the alleluia is omitted, a gospel verse, also known as a gospel acclamation or Lenten acclamation, may be sung. It is a simple ascription of praise to Christ. Like an alleluia, it may be sung with one or more verses.

For a small congregation that has limited musical resources, a simple alleluia is a perfect to solution of the perennial question of what kind of song we should use before the reading of the gospel.

The musicians in the congregation can be encouraged to compose alleluias. The key to a good alleluia is accessibility and tempo. It should be easy-to-sing and have a moderate to fast pace.