https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asi...g-11638666
https://time.com/5608882/sing-hallelujah...on-anthem/
EXCERPTS: The Christian hymn Sing Hallelujah To The Lord has emerged as the unlikely anthem of Hong Kong's protests against an extradition bill that have drawn millions of people onto the streets. For the past week, the hymn has been heard almost non-stop at the main protest site, in front of the city's Legislative Council, and at marches and even at tense stand-offs with the police.
It started with a group of Catholic students who sang several Christian songs at the main protest site, with "Sing Hallelujah To The Lord" catching on among the crowd, even though only about 10 per cent of Hong Kong people are Christian. "This was the one people picked up, as it is easy for people to follow, with a simple message and easy melody," said Edwin Chow, 19, acting president of the Hong Kong Federation of Catholic Students.
The students sang the songs in the hope of providing a cover of legitimacy for the protest. Religious gatherings can be held without a permit in the financial hub. "As religious assemblies were exempt, it could protect the protesters. It also shows that it is a peaceful protest," Chow said. (MORE)
[...] The song is performed as a round. Its minor-key melody is heard everywhere ... The demonstrations have prompted a suspension of the controversial bill and an apology from the city’s top official ... in the days after. ... However, until the bill is completely withdrawn, protesters vow to continue their actions—and their intonations of “Sing Hallelujah to the Lord.”
Non-Christians have also enthusiastically taken up the hymn. Sherman Cheng, a 22-year-old protester who works in marketing, says she is not religious. “To me, the song represents Hong Kong people coming together to express the same desires—for our political demands to be met.”
“[The song is] a very good way to express not just an emotion, but our desires in a peaceful, spiritual, religious way,” Catholic priest Cyril Cheung told TIME Monday after leading a round of hymns and bible verses in Tamar Park. He added that the tune spoke to everyone, regardless of their beliefs. (MORE)
https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/T2jluUcqAYc
https://time.com/5608882/sing-hallelujah...on-anthem/
EXCERPTS: The Christian hymn Sing Hallelujah To The Lord has emerged as the unlikely anthem of Hong Kong's protests against an extradition bill that have drawn millions of people onto the streets. For the past week, the hymn has been heard almost non-stop at the main protest site, in front of the city's Legislative Council, and at marches and even at tense stand-offs with the police.
It started with a group of Catholic students who sang several Christian songs at the main protest site, with "Sing Hallelujah To The Lord" catching on among the crowd, even though only about 10 per cent of Hong Kong people are Christian. "This was the one people picked up, as it is easy for people to follow, with a simple message and easy melody," said Edwin Chow, 19, acting president of the Hong Kong Federation of Catholic Students.
The students sang the songs in the hope of providing a cover of legitimacy for the protest. Religious gatherings can be held without a permit in the financial hub. "As religious assemblies were exempt, it could protect the protesters. It also shows that it is a peaceful protest," Chow said. (MORE)
[...] The song is performed as a round. Its minor-key melody is heard everywhere ... The demonstrations have prompted a suspension of the controversial bill and an apology from the city’s top official ... in the days after. ... However, until the bill is completely withdrawn, protesters vow to continue their actions—and their intonations of “Sing Hallelujah to the Lord.”
Non-Christians have also enthusiastically taken up the hymn. Sherman Cheng, a 22-year-old protester who works in marketing, says she is not religious. “To me, the song represents Hong Kong people coming together to express the same desires—for our political demands to be met.”
“[The song is] a very good way to express not just an emotion, but our desires in a peaceful, spiritual, religious way,” Catholic priest Cyril Cheung told TIME Monday after leading a round of hymns and bible verses in Tamar Park. He added that the tune spoke to everyone, regardless of their beliefs. (MORE)