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choir

Easter Version of Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen

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New Easter Lyrics to Hallelujah – Kelly Mooney Version

I love Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”, my kids have sung it in choir and when I heard the following version by Kelley Mooney written with spiritual and liturgical lyrics I knew I wanted to post the song and video on my blog for the Easter season.

History of Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen

Leonard Cohen wrote this song in 1984 and struggled with it for many years with it going through 80 drafts verses before settling on the final edit.

Considering the struggle to write and originally publish the song it has been covered and sung by more than 300 artists and sold more than 5 million copies (source Wikipedia). In 2013 it was sung at Fenway Park to honor the victims of the Boston Marathon Bombings before the Red Sox game.

Lyrics to Hallelujah- Kelly Mooney Easter Version

You may have the music to the original Hallelujah version, but if you would like to substitute the words here are the lyrics to the New Easter lyrics to Hallelujah by Kelly Mooney.

Celebrate Easter with the an Easter Halleluja Cohen version writen for Easter.

Lyrics to An Easter Hallelujah – Leonard Cohen Music

A crown of thorns placed on His head
He knew that He would soon be dead
He said did you forget me Father did you?
They nailed Him to a wooden cross
Soon all the world would feel the loss
Of Christ the King before His Hallelujah

Hallelujah, hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah

He hung His head and prepared to die
Then lifted His face up to the sky
Said I am coming home now Father to you
A reed which held His final sip
Was gently lifted to his lips
He drank His last and gave His soul to glory

Hallelujah, hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah

The soldier who had used his sword
To pierce the body of our Lord
Said truly this is Jesus Christ our Savior
He looked with fear upon his sword
Then turned to face his Christ and Lord
Fell to his knees crying HallelujahChoir Sings Hallelujah

Hallelujah, hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah

Took from his head the thorny crown
And wrapped him in a linen gown
And laid him down to rest inside the tomb
The holes in his hands, his feet and side
Now in our hearts we know he died
To save us from ourselves oh hallelujah

Hallelujah, hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah

Three days went by again they came
To move the stone to bless the slain
With oil and spice anointing hallelujah
But as they went to move the stone
They saw that they were not alone
But Jesus Christ has risen Hallelujah

Hallelujah, hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah

Hallelujah, hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah

Elmwood-Murdock Choir Sings Hallelujah

As you know, or maybe you don’t, I am very proud of our local Elmwood-Murdock school choir. More than 75% of the student body participates in the music program. So enjoy the original version of Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen. Please excuse the recording and the baby in the background. Enjoy and have a wonderful Easter.

Leonard Cohen Songs and Sheet Music

Essential Leonard CohenCheck PriceHal Leonard Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen arranged for piano, vocal and guitarCheck PriceLeonard Cohen: Hallelujah: A New BiographyCheck Price

 Have a wonderful and Glorius Easter Season! May your family be Blessed each and every day!


I Believe, in Music and In Life

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Music has played an important part in my life and I have been blessed that my children have participated and enjoyed their scholastic music careers. My son sang at Carnegie Hall in New York City, and both he and my daughter have participated in numerous honor choirs across the state.

With each experience comes an increased appreciation for music and how it impacts their life. Each clinician and conductor teaches the students an improved breathing technique, a new warm up routine, or even how posture and carriage affects the sound and tone.

Choir Concert and Competition

My life as a choir and band Mom is ending with the close of my daughters senior year in high school. Last week was the Nebraska district music contests across the state and I made the trek down to Nebraska City to listen to the band and choir perform. I have been honored to be a part of a program where 75% of the students participate in either band, choir, or both. What other high school can make that claim? I’d challenge any school in the country.

The first song the choir sang at the District Music contest was Ani Ma’amin and although the students could say it and sing it they couldn’t spell the title.  They could tell me it was a Jewish Hebrew song sung during the Holocaust. During the warm up director Betty Colbert recited the translation before they started. What a great way to teach multiculturalism, and history.

English Translation: 

“I believe with complete faith in the coming of the Messiah, and, though he may tarry, I wait daily for his coming.”

Hebrew:

“Ani Ma’amin be’emunah shlaima bevias haMoshiach, ve’af al pi sheyismame’ach im kol zeh achake lo b’chol yom sheyavo. Ani Ma’amin.”

It is not unusual for our choir selections to be religious or in another language, but I had not heard Hebrew before and the history of this song interested me. Ani Ma’amin is a song created and sung in the horrors of a cattle car full of Jewish prisoners. In one boxcar the sound of singing could be heard and it spread throughout the whole train.

The history of this song is stirring, inspirational, a song of faith and hope. From the Chabad.org website I learned the full story and it’s worth a visit.

I am partial to the choir, only because I sang in choir in high school and was the piano accompanist for several years, but I will post  the band performance later this week.

The day was especially moving for the seniors who will be graduating in just a few weeks. Their graduating class is only 32 students and in this small community most have been together since preschool. Out of the eleven students below eight of them started in preschool together. At this point it’s almost their whole lifetime.

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“Brother, My Brother”, a Tribute to Veterans

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On Veterans Monday I had the opportunity to merge two of my passions, my pride for my sons in the Marine Corp and my love of music, specifically the Elmwood-Murdock choir and band. Just wanted to share a preview of the the choirs song, “Brother My Brother” before I put together the full post, which will recap both schools and the local G.A.R museum.

It’s obvious this song was written with the American Civil War in mind, but I couldn’t find any other history. If anyone can point me in the direction I’d love to add it to the post.

Lyrics “Brother, My Brother”

Brother my brother
One blue and one gray
Will meet upon a quiet field
The morn of judgement day

Brother my brother
God has heard your battle call
Now he’ll watch his precious children
Learn how to stand, learn how to fall
And his eyes will look away

For his heart will so be torn
As his fields of gold turn scarlet
From the rage of battle born
And the silence of the night
Will be broken by the cries
Of the ones who’ve been forgotten
On the quiet field where honor lies

Give me now a splendid sun
With all his light full clear
Give me now a gentle autumn
Before the dying of the year
And some green unbloodied grass
While I can still see far
Give me one night on a river
And one unfailing star

Brother my brother
One blue and one gray
Will meet upon a quiet field
The morn of judgement day

Brother my brother
God has heard your battle call
Now he’ll watch his precious children
Learn how to stand, learn how to fall

My favorite Veterans Day piece the choir sang, by far, is the one a did a few years back of the choir singing Flanders Field. Take a look you won’t regret it!

Choir is Cool

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Nebraska District Music Contest
Nebraska District Music Contest 2012

Music in our schools is not dead, in fact it’s cool to be in choir at Elmwood-Murdock high school in Nebraska. The choir consists of 50% of the high schools enrollment and they are a source of pride for the school and community. Yes, this is a small school, but normally only those students who have good voices join the choir, which is normall a small percentage of a population.

However, a good choir director can find the inner voice in a willing student and bring out beautiful music. Below is the result in a piece performed at the 2012 Nebraska District Music contest. Enjoy  “The Awakening” by Joseph M. Martin

Music contests are somewhat formal and below is the same song sung at the school concert. I like the below version better as the students are more emotional. Both versions give me chills, but I love the expression on the faces at the end in response to Mrs. Colbert getting emotional and tearing up.

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Where Poppies Grow, In Flanders Field

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I could make it to the Elmwood-Murdock Veterans Day program this year, so I’m posting last years tribute from the high school choir. It’s my favorite  and never fails to give me chills.

Thank you to all our veterans who have served and who are now serving in the United States Marines, Army, Navy, and Air Force.