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

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

Wilder — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 07:07:18 -0800

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

By: odi.et.amo

odi.et.amo — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 07:45:54 -0800

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...

By: mightshould

mightshould — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 08:43:04 -0800

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.

By: Wolfdog

Wolfdog — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 11:37:05 -0800

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.

By: Wilder

Wilder — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 11:50:53 -0800

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.

By: Wilder

Wilder — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 11:56:26 -0800

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?