Alleluia

There is no moment in the liturgical year quite like the return of the Alleluia at the Easter Vigil. After forty days of Lenten fasting and musical restraint, the church bursts back into full, unrestrained praise. Emre Matthew’s setting of this solemn acclamation captures that exact transition perfectly. Written specifically for the final psalm after the Epistle on Holy Saturday, it carries the weight and majesty of the Resurrection morning.

The piece opens with a rich, deliberate four-part harmony that feels both triumphant and deeply reverent. When the cantor steps in to proclaim the verses from Psalm 118—"Give praise to the Lord for he is good"—the choir drops back to a warm, sustained hum. This creates a beautiful contrast between the soloist's storytelling and the choir's supportive texture, building anticipation before everyone unites again in the joyful refrain.

For a choir, this arrangement offers a wonderful opportunity to focus on blend and dynamics. The cantor gets to deliver some of the most powerful lines in Scripture, declaring that the stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone. It is a fitting, glorious acclamation to welcome the risen Christ.