A doxology (beginning Gloria Patri, Glory be to the Father), sung or said at the end of the Psalms in the service of the Roman Catholic and other churches.
A portion of the Mass (Gloria in Excelsis Deo, Glory be to God on high), and also of the communion service in some churches. In the Episcopal Church the version in English is used.
The Gloria is a prayer of praise to God said and sung at Mass.
The second movement of a choral Mass. More specifically it is the second item of the choral portion of the Ordinary. The long prose text venerates and thanks the Lord for blessings received, then asks the Lord's mercy--the standard of carefully constructed prayer. See text and translation.
The second part of the Ordinary of the Mass of the Roman Catholic Church. It is referred to as the Great Doxology and the hymnus angelicus. The Gloria is not used in the Mass during Advent or Lent. The initial part of the text is that sung by the angels at the birth of Christ, from Luke ii, 14. Early in the development of the Gloria, other verses were added. The text as it is used today was entablished in ninth-century Frankish sources. In performance, the opening phrase, "Gloria in excelsis Deo" is sung by the celebrant, the choir entering with the phrase "Et in terra pax". [SMR; GJC
she is invoked at the end of every psalm, and her rather larger Latin sister, Gloria In Excelsis Deo, is sung at the Eucharist (qv) (unless you're feeling Penitential, when it isn't)
Second item of the Ordinary of the Mass.
"Glory". In the Mass, the second part of the ordinary.
A section of the Mass; the second musical movement of the Ordinary.
The first word of "Gloria in excelsis Deo", the second item in the ordinary of the Mass.
The Gloria in D major (RV 589) by Antonio Vivaldi is a popular setting of the hymn Gloria in excelsis Deo for choir, vocal soloists, and orchestra. It is still regularly performed in churches and at concerts. The lengths of the movements vary greatly, with the fourth movement (Gratias agimus tibi) being just six measures long, and several other movements being over five pages long.
The Gloria by Francis Poulenc (FP 177) was written in 1959 and is one of his most celebrated works. The Gloria is scored for soprano solo, large orchestra, and chorus.