The History of ALLELUIA

ALLELUIA.
This Hebrew word Alleluia ("Praise the Lord "), which begins and sometimes ends a number of the Psalms (e.g.,Psalms. 146-150), was, like Amen and Hosanna, adopted without translation in the Christian Church. Its occurrence in the NT (Rev. 19:1, 3, 4, 6) was no doubt the cause of this. It was used as a shout of praise or victory (so in Rev.—cp. Sozomen. HE 7 15; Bede. HE 1 20). Hence it was early employed in the services of the Church. In the West and among the Copts its use was considered specially appropriate for Easter—so Augustine, Ep. 55 Ben., ad J anuanum. In the 1st PB an Alleluia was appointed to be said after the first Gloria Patri at MEP "from Easter to Trinity Sunday," and it also occurred in the Easter Anthems; in each place it was unfortunately omitted in 1552. As early as the 4th cent. Alleluia was sung after the GRADUAL on certain Festivals, and afterwards it supplanted the Gradual altogether on these occasions. From the prolongation of the last syllable of the Alleluia was derived the SEQUENCE. In the Irish PB an Alleluia is permitted to be sung after the (Gospel as an alternative to " Thanks be to thee, O Lord."
[SOURCE: Prayer Book Dictionary 1912, p.9]
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