"Sing Hallelujah to the Lord" is a 1974
contemporary Christian worship song composed by Linda Stassen-Benjamin (born 1951) notable for its simplicity and popularity in many languages.
Origin
The song was fully composed at a workshop at
Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa
Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa is a Christian megachurch located near the boundary between the cities of Costa Mesa and Santa Ana in Orange County. Although the church takes its name from its original facilities on the Costa Mesa side of the bounda ...
, though the tune reportedly came to the songwriter while taking a shower, before she then took the tune to the composition group to work on harmonies. The song is in a
minor key
In Western music, the adjectives major and minor may describe a chord, scale, or key. As such, composition, movement, section, or phrase may be referred to by its key, including whether that key is major or minor.
Intervals
Some intervals ...
, which is unusual for a praise song.
It is unclear how many stanzas the song originally had, with some sources saying only one. In one popular form it is a four stanza song themed as an Easter hymn for
Resurrection Sunday
Easter,Traditional names for the feast in English are "Easter Day", as in the ''Book of Common Prayer''; "Easter Sunday", used by James Ussher''The Whole Works of the Most Rev. James Ussher, Volume 4'') and Samuel Pepys''The Diary of Samuel ...
, and the four stanzas are derived from simple repeated statements from the
Bible
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts ...
found in early
Christian liturgies.
Use in protests
"Sing Hallelujah to the Lord" has been used as a protest song during the
2019–20 Hong Kong protests. It is sung by many Christians and non-Christians in the protests. Under Hong Kong's
Public Order Ordinance
The Public Order Ordinance () () (’POO’) is a piece of primary legislation in Hong Kong. It codifies a number of old common law public order offences. It imposes notification requirements for public processions and meetings which resemble a ...
, religious gatherings are exempt from the definition of a "gathering" or "assembly" and therefore more difficult to police.
Non-English-language versions
*French: "Chante alléluia au Seigneur"
*Spanish: "Canta aleluya al Señor"
[''El himnario presbiteriano'', Geneva Press, Presbyterian Publishing Corporation 0664500145 1999 p.166 ]
See also
*"
We Shall Overcome
"We Shall Overcome" is a gospel song which became a protest song and a key anthem of the American civil rights movement. The song is most commonly attributed as being lyrically descended from "I'll Overcome Some Day", a hymn by Charles Albert ...
", another hymn used as a protest song.
References
1974 songs
Contemporary Christian songs
{{2019 Hong Kong protests