The Roches Hallelujah Chorus 1982

[moonharp]

12 people are still angry that they didn't make Madrigals in 1972...

[rogerdotlee]

I also remember this rendition from SNL lo these many years ago. I couldn't believe what I was hearing when I heard it and I couldn't find a recording of it for years afterwards (much to my eternal chagrin). Imagine my joy when I was searching for Cohen's Hallelujah and this popped up. Whether or not God smiles every time they sing this aside; I know I and a lot of others do. Thanks, ladies.

[amerikanprincess]

IMHO, God smiles every time they sing this.

[kittyprydekissme]

Crossing Delancey was on TV tonight, so I just had to look these ladies up. It'd been so long since I heard them do this (I actually saw this back when it was on TV in '82, and before that on Saturday Night Live). I wish somebody could post the songs from Delancey on here, especially Pounding, which is what I came onto Youtube specifically to find. Oh, well.

[rootedsorrow]

I think Suzzy is pregnant here. She is the mother of one of Loudon Wainwright's children.

[davidlenander]

@rootedsorrow You might be thinking of Lucy Wainwright Roche, who's now a singer/songwriter in her own right. In fact, she pops up on the side suggestion panel here in a performance with her mother & aunts. I think she's also done some things with her older half-siblings, Rufus and Martha.

[daddy09imp]

The SNL version of them singing this song was the one that, many years later still sticks in my mind!! It was UNBELIEVEABLE!!! please post it again! I am from a sibling singer family and one of my best memories was of us singing flawless harmonies, many of which no one could ever duplicate.

[carrolly2k]

@daddy09imp NBC owns the rights to that and you are not allowed to post it.

[YCHumanities]

You can find it on the Roches own website.

[jh82vid]

@daddy09imp You can watch it at their web site and if you subscribe to netflix, it is available for streaming, plus the other song they performed that night. Season 5 episode 5 with Maude (Bea Arthur) hosting. The netflix one is very good quality.

[PhysicsForTheFuture]

Not only spectacular vocals but "sibling" vocals where the timbre of the voices all line up - in the spectral sense from the lowest freqs to the highest. We experience this with family groups like the Everly's, the Wilsons, the Osmonds and Jacksons.

[datu52]

Thanks for putting this up. A couple of years ago I uploaded the Saturday Night Live clip of the Roches singing this tune, and I got flagged. Any idea why this version got to stay? Maybe the Roches got a different IP investigator. Anyway, great to have so many fans of 3-part harmony

[bhinderbinder]

One can't deny their distinctive creativity.

[papercakes]

I just saw them perform this a couple weeks ago. Just as good as they were 20 and 30 years ago!!

Truly an incredible trio

[fek2000]

Attention Britney and Miley--don't try this at home

[guisar81]

Thanks- amazing song which I've never seen in person; they don't perform it live often. This is fantastic.

[HGBmom]

I just love this so much.

[curiousgeorge1940]

Still the best version of this piece with less than 100 people.. Harmonies & timing are just dead on perfect ... Watch the body language on Suzzy near the end - she's posessed !!!!

[guisar81]

@curiousgeorge1940 Sisters. Only they could do it.

[orienteeer]

maggie! call me!

[telsport]

The first time the Roches got near enough to Utica for me to get to see them was at the Earlville Opera House near sherburne NY...and it was the first week of my new job and I had to miss the show. I was desolate...and drew mh only consolation from the fact that at least there were more Roches fans in the area fwith whom to share my enthusiasm.

Knockout virtuosity. with a cute turn of sardonic thrown in .

Tom in Utica NY

[fleurhillm]

I saw them on this tour - I think it was at the Roxy, but it may have been the Improv...they were fabulous and still are!!

[HippieJimi]

As Mr.Monty Burns from the Simpsons

would say.......EXCELLENT!!!!!......

[JackBlair2]

hahah they sound like the Chimpmunks.

[JackBlair2]

I'm gay, and I LOVE this song. Handel was a bloody genius.

PS: you people who say you are "atheists," please study up a bit. And I don't mean by reading Dick Dawkins.

[LazlosPlane]

Why did you feel compelled to share with us your sexual orientation?

Is it unusual for gay men to like Handel? He is more of a "straight guys composer"??

[JackBlair2]

Because of the douchebag left.

[LazlosPlane]

I don't mean to be obtuse, but I really don't follow you at all. Can you explain as if you were talking to a five year old?

[JackBlair2]

I;m gay, and I'm not offended by Christian themes.

[LazlosPlane]

Once again, I'm sorry. But I know many, many gay men and women who attend church regularly, and are devout Christians. In fact, there is a parrish here in NYC known as the "Gay Parrish" as most of it's congregation are gay.

Why should a gay person be offended by Christian themes?

[JackBlair2]

Yeah, I know all that, there are gay churches everywhere.

[LazlosPlane]

Well, then, I'm more confused then before.

[JackBlair2]

It's a gay thing.

[virtualdjaxe]

halelujah to the Lord

[doctorgooz]

Here is the deal on classical choral music and classical art in general for that matter - most of it was either inspired by or financed by the Christian/Catholic hierarchy at the time of its creation. Witness the ceiling of the Sistene Chapel as a fine example. So Handel's Hallelujah Chorus is certain a lasting masterpiece, and whether or not you find it ironic, the Roches absolutely do a stunning version.

Just astounding that there are only three voices - sounds like a full choir.

[JackBlair2]

Why would it be "ironic"?

[doctorgooz]

Some people are interpreting this as non-sacred music. My point, which I probably didn't express well, is that, while I don't agree with that point of view, whether or not the Roches believe in the divinity of Christ is beside the point, its still a great rendition.

[JackBlair2]

What point of view do you mean?

[doctorgooz]

I think the Roches are playing it straight, and doing a respectful version of the piece.  Nothing more profound.

[radiocommander]

@doctorgooz

The Roches had had obverse and reverse characteristics from its beginning. Almost all the song lyrics they made had double-meanings.

This "Hallelujah Chorus" is their one side, I believe.

And I still think, this song could have been sung not by them but by any other chorus groups than the Roches. And this, as far as I am concerned, is the point.

[gossevale]

strak

[trishna1008]

I first saw this on SNL and was transformed

[badadviceman]

I'm an athiest, and I LOVE this song. (As a side note, when I heard their recording in 'Heaven Help Us', I thought they were a boys choir.)

[katterfelto]

"I'm an athiest, and I LOVE this song."

Ditto

[54spiritedwill54]

They're great

[VealParmigiana]

Approximately 5% of the people who listen to this become Atheists.

[jianyunli]

LOL

[lilpoppy10]

I happen to love it.......good job girls...

[Fireperv]

In bloody credible!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[RainbowMonkeeMittens]

THE BEST recorded performance of this was their Saturday Night Live gig! They were really "in the groove" that night and in top form! Sadly that version keeps getting removed from U-Tube (saw it show up and quickly disappear twice already) Thanks for nothing Time-Warner. : P

[feinsteinfan]

brilliant...I sang this song for 4 years in high school choir and only 3 of them did it better justice than we did.

[zackgreer]

Speed it up by a mere 1% and you have Alvin and the Chipmunks.

Cuts right to the brain stem with a hot, vibrating, rusty knife for me.

[Private145SSMW]

right there with ya

hurts my ears...

[rickroks]

I've seen them many times, and loved it all, especially this....Once Terre did this bit saying how she told the audience at the last show that she wrote the next song, but she had lied, and the last time they played it the guy who really wrote it was there and she felt terrible...and then did this....LOLOL!

[glomofnit]

I read that when they sang this on SNL they got the firsst standing ovation that an SNL audience ever did.

[samdon815]

Truth , beauty and goodness . If you seek these qualities you will approach the divine.

[bastardtubeuser]

owch , ultra cringe moment.

[PatchworkDream]

For those of you who don't believe in heaven-guess what? You just heard it;-)

[loutaxi]

Fun stuff

[SnoreBear44]

They are remarkably good ...brings back such good memories.

[jedmarum]

Such lovely and reverent irreverence!

I love The Roches!

(but then, I'm a married man).

[izellajaouda]

simply beautiful singing at the anointing where there are at dunno why ppl try to put down persons singing gosh

[bfcks]

This is really great! Finally a version where you can hear the parts. Should make learning it much MUCH easier!

[GMUBaritone11]

Saw them at the Birchmere recently. Still as talented as ever!

[martyhk0]

and I am taking my Roches cds to heaven with me too.

[martyhk0]

hollister5654 you are a DOPE

this is the best rendition I have EVER heard

[DOWDLE]

When I die and go to Heaven...I'm taking all my Roches CD's with me....Jimi....

[hollister5654]

on the word omnipotent the i is supposed to be a long e sounding i and it is WAY 2 fast

i didnt like it....

[kendiggs]

Hollister:

The i in omnipotent would only be a long e sound if you were trying to imitate Ren Hoek.

"Steeempy! You eeeediot! I'm omneeeepotent!"

Translation: you are a dolt.

But maybe I shouldn't be that hard on you. After all, you're not omnipotent.

(Or is that OmnEEEEpotent?)

And, FYI, the teeeeempo sounds OK to me, too.

[ameyoshida]

The tempo was fast on purpose. It's muuuuch harder to sing the Hallelujah Chorus slow. (And it's really hard to stay on pitch when it's slower because there isn't music giving you which key to sing in). Trust me, I was in an a cappella choir and we were constantly speeding songs up to make them easier to sing.

[hollister5654]

oh......ok i didnt know that :P......but thnx for not yelling at me....

[mpanda2124]

low alto, alto, and an either high alto or mezzo soprano... it sounded pretty cool lol

[MKfan07]

amazing

they sound like chipmonks

[ehfee]

Three voices and they got all the parts! AMAZING!!

[XmaryxisxmyxcowX]

I saw them in concern in the 1980s. They sang this brilliantly, but the best part was that they looked bored! One of the sisters was actually picking her fingernails while she was singing! That made it even better, because it seemed effortless. Can you post that one?

[estraven2008]

I saw the same thing when they were in Ann Arbor MI. Cracked me up!

[woodenthomas]

Are they singing about the flying speghetti monster?

[58stevie]

They're great. You don't know how to spell spaghetti. I bet you still wet the bed. Sheesh

[songe55]

Could you please put up the version of this song you did on Saturday Night Live (Host: Bea Arthur)? This version is good, but you guys really nailed it that day. You had so much energy.

[71603oneday]

this is a hard song

[Janicedean]

Very good! Jan from Stamford Bridge York England...

[jlmww]

I remember them on Saturday Night Live too, back when the show made an effort to give exposure to groups that few people had heard of.

And when I heard "Big Nuthin'" I wondered if they were talking about SNL.

The lyrics say "I was on a TV show that everybody said would change the course of my lifetime by the time I went to bed. It was a big nothin'."

[judyloveseric]

I will NEVER forget seeing them perform this on TV in 1982. I was about 15 at the time, and I was FLOORED! Later, in high school and college, I sang in choirs that did this song, and I will always marvel at their ability to do three-part harmony for this entire piece. I'll never forget seeing this for the first time.

ROCHES RULE!!

[missnorthwest]

I remember the first time I saw them ever was one late night I snuck back up to watch SNL after Mom went to bed....they are just awesome...always original and full of energy, just wonderful!!!!

[doreesky]

:~)

[chaldeannews]

Saw them last nite in Ann Arbor, Michigan -- they sang this and still sound amazing!!

[BigOldJimmy]

Yep, that's the whole friggin' song... I remember doing that one in high school choir, it's exhausting.

[ising4u07075]

Yeee Haaa The Roches at their best!

[affectivity]

Viva the Roches!