The '''Gloria''' (''Gloria in excelsis deo''), a hymn of praise, is the second item of the Latin Mass (after the ''[[Kyrie eleison|Kyrie]]''), sung on festal occasions. The text, which begins with Luke ii. 14., is considered one of the great pieces of Christian prose. In a Frankish version sourced from the 9th century it is the basis of some of the most important [[medieval]] chant melodies. It found its way into [[polyphony|polyphonic]] settings, before being divided into various movements in settings by [[baroque period (music)|baroque]] composers. | The '''Gloria''' (''Gloria in excelsis deo''), a hymn of praise, is the second item of the Latin Mass (after the ''[[Kyrie eleison|Kyrie]]''), sung on festal occasions. The text, which begins with Luke ii. 14., is considered one of the great pieces of Christian prose. In a Frankish version sourced from the 9th century it is the basis of some of the most important [[medieval]] chant melodies. It found its way into [[polyphony|polyphonic]] settings, before being divided into various movements in settings by [[baroque period (music)|baroque]] composers. |