“Silent Monks” get creative and sing “Hallelujah.” The audience can’t stop laughing and neither can we.
A group of students at the South Kitsap High School in Washington state had an interesting idea for a concert. They’d perform the Hallelujah chorus from Handel’s Messiah but as monks who’ve taken a vow of silence! How do they square this circle? You’ll have to find out by watching the video, which we’ve posted below.
Dressed in monastic habits, their faces covered by the hoods, the students do a great job with the Messiah, despite their vow. The audience loves it and can’t stop cracking up.
Fun fact: A vow of silence has featured in the monastic traditions of several different religions, including Hinduism and Buddhism.
Perhaps more familiar are the Christian orders in which the monks take the vow: Benedictines and Trappists are especially well-known for this. In some orders, the monks can speak in certain places and at certain times while in others, more devoted to prayer and contemplation, there’s practically no relaxation of the requirement for silence. The more you know!
Watch the video below and give us your review: How did you like these “monks” and their creative end-run around their vow of silence? Let us know in the comments. Don’t forget to like and share so your friends can get festive and have a big laugh while they’re at it.
