It has been reported that before his death, Leonard Cohen commented on the public embrace of his most famous song, “Hallelujah.” He actually asked people to stop covering the hymn, which has been sung by countless artists, completely unknown and incredibly famous. Everyone from Bon Jovi and Celine Dion to Paramore and Regina Spektor have performed the recognizable song.
Maybe no one heard him, but people continue to cover “Hallelujah” and those performances have only increased following Cohen’s death. I have to admit that I love the song, and despite his request, I would be disappointed if people stopped playing and sharing this amazing, touching tune.
I can’t help but think that despite his reservations, there are some covers of the song that Cohen would appreciate and maybe even like. Performances like the one in this video, for instance. I have heard dozens of covers of the song, but none quite like this.
Four young Russians performed “Hallelujah” on the Russian version of the television reality singing competition “The Voice”. Perhaps it feels so unique to me because they are singing in Russian, a language I don’t understand. But, I don’t really think that’s it at all. I don’t need to understand the words that they are singing because I know all of the words by heart.
But, this group brings all of the emotion to the song that it needs to be felt and understood. When Cohen himself performed the song with only his voice, you could feel the lyrics and the song. These four kids have recreated that. Not only are their voices and harmonies flawless, they seem to have an understanding of the song that is well beyond their young years. I have goosebumps!
We know that adults are capable of singing renditions of this caliber based on their age and experience in the industry, and not all can pull it off. But, when a performance like this one, one with so much power, comes from a group of children, it’s impressive. You don’t imagine kids this age to have all this talent and power to sing such a popular and difficult song.
After you listen to these kids, tell us which rendition of the song is your favorite in the comments! We’d love to hear from you.
Watch these kids perform by clicking the link below. Please like and share this exceptional performance of “Hallelujah” with your family and friends!
