Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!
Summer musical makeover: a little bit of Leonard Cohen
Welcome to another summer edition, in which you hear my versions of songs I love.
You know how it is.
You love songs and you love singing, and while it could be argued that it’s better to leave some things well alone, sometimes it’s just too hard to resist.
Which is why this week you’re getting my version of an iconic song, one that’s been done so many times before by so many wonderful people: thank you, k.d.lang, thank you, Rufus Wainwright! Thank you everybody else!
It’s also the most asked for song in my teaching studio, and it’s easy to understand why. It’s a song that tells a story—written by a master storyteller and musician—and with an emotional resonance that I doubt leaves anyone with a heart unmoved.
Now I've heard there was a secret chord
That David played, and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music, do you?
It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth
The minor falls, the major lifts
The baffled king composing Hallelujah
Excerpt from Hallelujah, by Leonard Cohen, written by Leonard Cohen, and originally released in 1984 on the album Various Positions
So here’s my take on a song that isn’t just wonderful to listen to but also wonderful to sing (my students were right!).
Thank for reading this summer edition of Discovering Music. Let me know if you enjoyed this post! And let me know if there's anything you're curious about or would like me to explore in future editions. You can comment on this post or send me a message at katepainediscoveringmusic@substack.com ❤️