Alleluia Song of Gladness / Sweetness

This is a joyful hymn of praise. Traditionally, it was used as a "farewell to Alleluias" on Quinquagesima, which is the Sunday before Ash Wednesday.

The words were translated from the Latin "Alleluia dulce carmen" (which is an anonymous 10th or 11th century work), by English Anglican priest, scholar and hymnwriter John Mason Neale (1818–1866). It was first published in Mediaeval Hymns, 1851, and has been adapted in later publications.

With meter 87 87 87, tunes it has been set to include:

DULCE CARMEN - attributed to John Michael Haydn (1737-1806)
LAUDA ANIMA (Goss) by Sir John Goss (d1880)
ALLELUIA DULCE CARMEN by Edward J Hopkins, 1862

Downloads

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PowerPoint slides

Arrangement by Donald Busarow for SATB choir SATB, organ and congregation

Examples

Choir with organ, tune DULCE CARMEN

Choir with organ, live recording in a church-service:

Virtual choir with piano:

Singer with piano, tune LAUDA ANIMA

Instrumental - classical guitar:

Instrumental, organ with words on-screen, tune ALLELUIA DULCE CARME

Instrumental, organ with words on-screen, tune LAUDA ANIMA

Instrumental - piano. Tune LAUDA ANIMA

Lyrics

Alleluia, song of sweetness,
Voice of joy that cannot die;
Alleluia is the anthem
Ever raised by choirs on high;
In the house of God abiding
Thus they sing eternally.

Alleluia thou resoundest,
True Jerusalem and free;
Alleluia, joyful mother,
All thy children sing with thee;
But by Babylon's sad waters
Mourning exiles now are we.

Alleluia cannot always
Be our song while here below;
Alleluia our transgressions
Make us for awhile forgo;
For the solemn time is coming
When our tears for sin must flow.

Therefore in our hymns we pray thee,
Grant us, blessed Trinity,
At the last to keep thine Easter,
In our home beyond the sky,
There to thee for ever singing
Alleluia joyfully.