I’m sure that you would agree when I say that there are certain songs that just seem to hold their place in history from the moment that they are first performed. For example, there were songs that were performed by everyone from Elvis Presley to Freddie Mercury and even Simon and Garfunkel that were instantaneous classics. Those songs continue to play on the radio and to inspire us to great things, long after the first time they were performed. Other songs may take a little bit of time to get traction but when they do, they also take their place in history as something that will be remembered for generations.
One of those songs is “Hallelujah”, and it is perhaps one of the more famous songs that is heard during our time. It is also a song that is covered by many artists, both professional and amateur. Something that may surprise you about this song is the fact that it wasn’t popular when it was first written and performed. In fact, the man who originally sang the song, Leonard Cohen, does not always get the credit for doing so. Most people tend to think about the music from the movie Shrek, which is really when it started to gain a foothold. Leonard Cohen, however, was the genius behind the music and he is the one who deserves credit for it. Unfortunately, he passed away.
Not only do people cover the song, “Hallelujah”, they also give tribute to the song and to the person who wrote it. That is what happened during this concert in 2017 when Andre Rieu was with his Johann Strauss Orchestra to perform this song in London as a tribute to Leonard Cohen. It is one of those performances that is guaranteed to give you chills up and down your spine.
“Hallelujah” is a beautiful song on its own but when it is performed along with a full orchestra, there is something magical that happens with it. Watch the performance for yourself in the video below and you will fall in love with the song all over again.