Redtree Times

Say Hallelujah– At the Principle Gallery

Now I’ve done my best, I know it wasn’t much
I couldn’t feel, so I tried to touch
I’ve told the truth, I didnt come here to London just to fool you
And even though it all went wrong
I’ll stand right here before the Lord of song
With nothing, nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah

–Leonard Cohen, Hallelujah

A video came up on my YouTube feed this morning that I remembered sharing here several years ago. It’s a fine performance of the Leonard Cohen classic Hallelujah performed by Choir!Choir!Choir! which is a loose knit group of singers that was formed in a Toronto pub back in 2011. The group requires no commitment and still meets twice a week in the back of a local pub. Over the years it has performed publicly in many venues in Canada and the US with greatly expanded choirs — sometimes well over 2000 singers! –made up of folks who just want to get out and sing in a communal way.

There’s something wonderful and powerful in the collective voice.

They’ve had a number of guest singers join in over the years: David Byrne, Patti Smith (her Because the Night is one of the group’s unofficial anthems), Eddie Vedder, Rick Astley and others, including Rufus Wainwright on this song.

This particular version is filmed at the Luminato Festival in Toronto in a decommisoned power plant with an assembled choir of 1500 people with Rufus Wainwright singing the lead.

Just a lovely version of the song and not a bad way to kick off a Tuesday morning, as I also wrote about seven years ago when I first shared this song here on another Tuesday morning. It was good then and good now. Hope you’ll enjoy…