A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Pneuma
PNEUMA (from the Greek πνεῦμα, a breathing; Lat. Pneuma, vel Neuma). A form of Ligature, sung at the end of certain Plain Chaunt Melodies, to an inarticulate vowel-like sound, quite unconnected with the verbal text; in which particular it differs from the Perielesis, which is always sung to an articulate syllable. [See Ligature; Perielesis.]
The use of the Pneuma can be traced back to a period of very remote antiquity quite certainly as far as the age of S. Augustine (350–430). Since then, it has been constantly employed in the Offices of the Roman Church; more especially at High Mass, on Festivals, in connection with the Alleluia of the Gradual, from which it takes its Tone, as in the following Alleluia (Tone 1), sung on Easter Sunday:—
![{ \override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f \override Score.Stem #'stencil = ##f \relative d' { \cadenzaOn d1^( f) f^( g f) g^( a g a) a\breve^( f1 g e d) \bar "||" \omit Score.Clef f^\markup { \smaller \italic Pneuma } g a g f4 d e\breve c1 e g f4 e d1 e f d \bar "||" } }](http://upload.wikimedia.org/score/7/q/7qijzxpjcnnfgg1yjkcmyfztdjdnc53/7qijzxpj.png)
[ W. S. R. ]