Randall Thompson's Alleluia, from 30 Years: Jerry Blackstone and Friends

One of the most widely performed pieces of American choral music, Randall Thompson’s Alleluia is both elegant and powerful in its simplicity. The immensely popular work was first performed on July 8, 1940 at the Berkshire Music Center (now the Tanglewood Music Center) and has opened Tanglewood’s summer music season every year since. The simple text, Alleluia, Amen, is a pure call of praise and thanksgiving to God. It is a celebration of life, light, and love. The choir takes on the role of far-off angels as they open the piece pianississimo. The voices weave in and out, trading melodic material in a slow and steady crescendo. The work’s harmonic language moves from sublime to mysterious and triumphant, culminating in a thrilling stringendo passage. Dramatic octave leaps explode out of the texture in the final moments of the piece, gradually settling into a tender and emotional Amen.