leonardcohenforum.com

premier are running a poll of best worship songs, hymns etc for may bank holiday.

inexplicably leonard famous hallelujah song isn't included in the list but there's a write in box at the bottom of the page where listeners can vote for their favourite song.

let's all vote for leonard cohen's version of hallelujah and it may get an airing when the votes are counted.

http://premier.org.uk/50

To be honest, I don't feel Leonard's 'Hallelujah' would be a comfortable inclusion in this particular "Christian worship" context and notion.

Cheers,
Andrew

Sorry but I have absolutely no inclination to encourage a "Christian" organisation to adopt Leonard or his song as their own.

Wendy

andrew...i understand your concern about the suitability of the song in 'christian worship' but I fear that we have now lost 'hallelujah' forever to the god botherers and to the karaoke bars..

..may i ask as our organiser par excellent of the open mic sessions in dublin will you be observing leonard's wish for a moratorium of cover versions of the song or do I need to bring my shotgun?….ta ken

Andrew (Darby) wrote:To be honest, I don't feel Leonard's 'Hallelujah' would be a comfortable inclusion in this particular "Christian worship" context and notion.

With LC's use of the word Consolamentum in a poem, I might be inclined to recommend One Tin Soldier to them -- but I'm in a sour mood today
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Tin_Soldier

I fully agree with Wendy and Andrew on that one...

I agree in full with all previous comments and particularly love this:

liverpoolken wrote: I fear that we have now lost 'hallelujah' forever to the god botherers and to the karaoke bars..

but

PS
if someone really wants to remake the song, it is probably better this way
thank you Michael Hermiston !
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CixHnoeakg

Ha! I was JUST coming to post that here, martali... and to say try this one on for size!

Had just watched and commented on it in the Member's Poetry section.
Brilliant!
Love the intelligence of his lyrics.
And his voice is fitting, too.
Made my day!

liverpoolken wrote:andrew...i understand your concern about the suitability of the song in 'christian worship' but I fear that we have now lost 'hallelujah' forever to the god botherers and to the karaoke bars..

..may i ask as our organiser par excellent of the open mic sessions in dublin will you be observing leonard's wish for a moratorium of cover versions of the song or do I need to bring my shotgun?….ta ken

I'm sorry, Ken, but you are going to need that shotgun, I'm afraid! Mind you, given it's not a recorded (or at least, released) cover version, it may not concern Leonard quite so much.

Cheers,
Andrew

thanks for your reply andrew..as always i respect your wisdom and the decision you have made on the matter… however before i make a final decision on whether or not to pack my shotgun i will check out to see if irish law accepts the plea of justifiable homicide..if not there is always diminished responsibility which has worked for me in the past….ta ken

Ken,
I expect to see you and your shotgun in Dublin...If I could get one through customs, I would join your posse.

for anyone interested - here are the top 50 songs as voted for by premier listeners.

alas, my own half-dozen differently-named emails asking for a leonard track were disregarded.

http://premier.org.uk/top50