One of the most frequently covered songs in the world of music is Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.” We can spend the rest of the afternoon arguing over whether or not Jeff Buckley’s voice does the song justice, or we can simply come together in a moment of harmony to watch a street performer use a glass harp--otherwise known as a table full of water glasses--to play a version of the beautiful song.
The last time I heard a glass harp was when I caught Miss Congeniality like a decade ago. However, Sandra Bullock’s travesty of a performance is nothing like what this guy is doing, and just in case you don’t think this is the real deal, keep an eye out for the moments when he accidentally bumps the table, producing different sorts of sounds. It’s not a perfect performance, but it’s almost better because it isn’t perfect.
Seriously, though, even if you aren’t a fan of “Hallelujah,” don’t be like those jerks who walked off mid-performance on the video, stick around (or fast forward if you really hate the track that much) to around the 2:40 mark. The man starts going pretty crazy on the glass harp and really gets into some fast-paced and intricate sounds before cutting back into Cohen’s song. It’s a killer solo and it certainly caught my attention. Hopefully, it will catch yours, too.
