1,500 singers assembled to perform chill-inducing version of 'Hallelujah'
Leonard Cohen’s original song titled Hallelujah has always been popular that countless renditions and covers of the song have been produced through the years. You must have heard of it at one point in your life. It is safe to say that most of us are actually familiar with the song. Choir groups usually perform this song due to its beautiful message and melody. But to think of it being sung by 1,500 individuals is almost unimaginable! And the music group Choir! Choir! Choir! made it possible during the Luminato Festival in Toronto, Canada.
As if that’s not enough, the performance was even lead by none other than Rufus Wainwright. This production will definitely leave you dumbstruck.
Choir! Choir! Choir! gathers people from all walks of life to celebrate music.
Daveed Goldman and Nobu Adilman (DaBu) are the minds behind Choir! Choir! Choir! – a musical choir organized as an open participation group where anybody is free to join the event and participate as member of the choir. Goldman and Adilman started this non-traditional choir as a “weekly drop-in singing event” in 2011. Now, they hold regular events in Toronto and international tours and garnered over 47 million views on YouTube.
View this post on InstagramTheir website states:
“Equal parts singing, comedy, and community-building, the night unfolds like a dream: you get a lyric sheet at the door, DaBu teach you the vocal arrangement, and a video is recorded. Everyone has a ball and goes home feeling great!”
Choir! Choir! Choir! events are held in various locations and they perform different musical arrangements.
One event took place where 1,999 singers gathered at Massey Hall to sing “When Doves Cry” to pay tribute to Prince. They have also covered other songs by artists like Cher, Katy Perry, Nine Inch Nails, David Bowie, ABBA, Michael Jackson, and many more. All of their videos will surely give you goosebumps.
1,500 participants attended to sing Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah at the Hearn Generating Station. The video has since accumulated over 11 million views.
Choir! Choir! Choir! invited acclaimed singer-songwriter, Rufus Wainwright, to lead the singing of Hallelujah which he has made a version of before. He has released a solo rendition that’s featured on the Shrek soundtrack album.
Wainwright sings the song while being accompanied by 1,500 vocalists.
To watch a sea of people singing their hearts out all at the same time is just astonishing. You can sense their passion for music just by seeing their expressions. Although they are strangers to each other, they become a family when it comes to music.
This performance will move anyone to tears.
Hearing the crowd harmonizing with Wainwright’s voice is spine-tingling. Their love for music is written all over their faces.
Choir! Choir! Choir! founders “DaBu” also participated in the performance.
Daveed strums the guitar while Nobu conducts. They wrote in the YouTube description that they rehearsed the arrangement first for the participants’ backup parts before inviting Wainwright out to be the lead vocalist.
This moment will last a lifetime not just for the audience but for Wainwright as well. The musician wrote a comment on Twitter weeks after the event saying that singing with 1,500 participants was “pretty unreal.”
Viewers have been moved by the performance, writing comments like:
“This took my breath away and I couldn’t help but cry at the beauty of it.”
Another viewer recently reacted:
“I can’t stop watching this. I have always loved this song but it has so much more meaning right now with everything going on right now in the world.”
Don’t miss this spirit-lifting performance! Watch the video below to witness more than 1,500 people sing “Hallelujah.”
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Source: Choir! Choir! Choir!, Rufus Wainwright, Choir! Choir! Choir! Website