HALLELUJAH! (From Mount of Olives)

When a choir needs to pull out all the stops for a major feast day or an Easter Sunday Mass, Beethoven’s "Hallelujah" from *Christ on the Mount of Olives* is often the piece they reach for. It is a massive, triumphant chorus that demands everything a choir has to give. From the opening bursts of "Hallelujah" to the soaring calls for the "bright angelic choirs" to praise the Lord, the energy never really lets up.

Singing this anthem is a thrilling experience. The vocal parts weave and chase each other, building a wall of sound that fills the church. The text bridges heaven and earth, asking both the angels above and "man" below to proclaim God's grace and glory. For Nigerian choirs, mastering the intricate runs and the sheer stamina required for the final pages is a point of pride, and when it finally lands on that last, resounding chord, the effect on the congregation is always electric.