Hallelujah for Theremin and Vocal

[lightning]

Canadian thereminist Peter Pringle's exquisite cover of Hallelujah:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSnMJlh0Zp8

[lizzytysh]

Love his introduction to this in the first paragraph... and especially the second paragraph, particulary his last sentence. And those strong, soaring female vocals... are they machine-created, via his arm gestures and the MIDI? Love, too, that he included as many of Leonard's verses that he could find... and that he pays homage to Irving Layton in the context of Leonard.

First of all, I'm sorry this video is so long but I wanted to sing all the verses of it that I could find. Leonard Cohen (who wrote the song) said that he wished people would stop singing it but you might as well ask people to stop looking at the Mona Lisa! In its genre, this song is a masterpiece.

I discovered Leonard Cohen back in the early 60's when a family friend gave my parents a copy of LOVE WHERE THE NIGHTS ARE LONG, a collection of the works of Cohen and his friend and mentor, the late, brilliant Irving Layton. I had never really appreciated poetry until I read that book. Perhaps what has always impressed me most about Leonard Cohen's work is his ability to be distant and objective about his subject while resting quietly in its heart.