A Zoltant Khodaly choral work with a Hallelujah at the end?

August 7, 2007 7:07 AM

Half-remembered Zoltan Kodaly (I think)choral piece that ends with a Hallelujah, help!

As a teenage I remember singing a piece twice in competition that I think was written by Zoltan Kodaly. (it may have been some other enthnomusician from Eastern Europe)

It ended with an amazing Hallelujah and had a particularly difficult but memorable descant. Am I misremembering?
It's been driving me crazy for a week now and I've searched Youtube in vain. I'll know it when I hear it. Thanks

posted by Wilder to media & arts (5 comments total)

Is it one of the Hungarian Folk Songs?

As soon as I saw this question, it brought back that name and I think I may have sung the piece years ago...
posted by odi.et.amo at 7:45 AM on August 7, 2007

There's a great show on public radio nearby and I love to hear it any chance I get. The host is very knowledgeable. Website is: http://www.publicradioeast.org/ChoralTradition.html.

I'm trying to find a contact, cause I bet he could tell you... Ah, go to the contacts page and click on Finley Woolston to get his email.
posted by mightshould at 8:43 AM on August 7, 2007

Can you dig up a few more details: What was the approximate size of the work - a few minutes? A whole mass? What language did you sing in? Did it feature soloists or anything instrumental accompaniment to the chorus?

Kodály's setting of Sík Sándor's Te Deum (not the familiar text) is for chorus alone, about four and a half minutes, and ends with the words hála legyen repeated several times, and I wonder if that could be mistaken for hallelujah, especially if remembered only dimly.
posted by Wolfdog at 11:37 AM on August 7, 2007

Thanks Wolfdog and all. We sang it in English, so I can't be sure until I listen to it. I believe it was a set performance piece of between 4-6 minutes long.
posted by Wilder at 11:50 AM on August 7, 2007

Actually from your prompts I realise it was the Gloria we were singing not Hallelujah!

It's the Gloria. Now I just have to find the best recording. Any suggestions?
posted by Wilder at 11:56 AM on August 7, 2007