Hallelujah

Hallelujah (hălˌəlōˈyə) [key] or Alleluia ăl– [Heb., = praise the Lord], joyful expression used in Hebrew worship; cf. Pss. 104–6, 111–13, 115–17, 135, 146–50. Christian liturgies make wide use of it, particularly at Easter time. The Hallelujah Chorus is the brilliant concluding piece of Part II of Handel's Messiah.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.