Unless stated otherwise, my source for hymn texts and tunes is The Lutheran Service Book.

Friday, February 16, 2024

"Alleluia, Song of Gladness"

Last year, I noticed a small feature in "Alleluia, Song of Gladness" (in the Transfiguration section of The Lutheran Service Book) and while drafting this post, I found a couple more.  The hymn is sung to the tune "Lauda anima."  Here's the third phrase:


In the third verse, the text here is "Alleluia, our transgressions" (the sense is continued in the following line, "Make us for a while forgo").  The last syllable of "transgressions" is sung to a note with an accidental (G#), giving something of a sense of the word's meaning.

Here's the fourth phrase:


In the first verse, the text here is "Ever raised by choirs on high," continuing the sense of the previous line, "Alleluia is the anthem."  The beginning of the phrase ascends, demonstrating that being "raised."

In the second verse, the text is "All thy children sing with thee."  The words "All thy children" are sung to all different pitches (A B C# D), providing a sense of the entirety of that "all."