"One of my earlier memories of music is my mom sitting at the piano late at night, playing us to sleep with Beethoven's 'Moonlight Sonata,'" Marc says. With a father who preached and led worship and a mother who led the church choir and played piano, Marc was raised in a music-intensive environment.
His parents instilled a love for music in him that followed him throughout his childhood through eight years of piano lessons, through Disney duets he would sing with friends, through hours he spent alone teaching himself guitar all the way to a small college in Saskatchewan, where he formed the band Downhere with his roommate Jason Germain and a few close friends in 1999.
"Our friendship was always based around music," Marc says. "We really hit it off musically... we realized we shared a lot of the same taste in music, while also bringing different influences."
Downhere developed their sound while touring on behalf of the college, which would send them out on the road with production, lighting, sound, and even a vehicle and trailer. After four years of college, the band left their Canadian roots behind and relocated to Nashville, TN, where they signed with Word Records. Downhere has since gone on to win multiple Juno Awards and a Dove Award. They have released 10 albums, including their latest release, On the Altar of Love, which reflects a different approach to songwriting than their previous releases.
"For me it used to be all about being musically complex and artsy," Marc says. "And then I had a real perspective-shifting experience. At one of our shows there was a little girl standing front-center with her mother. When I said the next song was "How Many Kings," her face lit up as she looked up at her mom and grabbed her hand. She sang along to every word. I thought to myself, 'I've got to write more songs like THAT.'"
In September 2011, Marc entered a competition to join Roger Taylor, original drummer for the legendary rock band Queen, on stage for the Queen Extravaganza Live Tour. Throughout his career with Downhere, concertgoers have often approached Marc insisting he sounds just like Freddie Mercury, legendary singer of the rock band Queen.
"I don't think I've done a show in the last five or six years where five to ten people haven't come up to me and said, 'Hey, anyone ever tell you that you sound like Queen?' or 'that guy from Queen' or 'Eddie Mercury,'" he says laughingly. "In the list of great rock signers, he is considered one of the best if not the best and it's always just a huge compliment when people tell that to me."
It seems that Downhere concertgoers aren't alone in their thinking, as Marc's entry for the Queen Extravaganza contest, a video of Marc singing along with the Queen classic "Somebody to Love," generated more millions of views on YouTube after being up for only a few days.
Whether it's onstage with Downhere or on a computer screen, Marc has a message and a voice that has captured millions for the past decade. Through music, Marc is after the one thing people are always looking for a connection.
"There is always time for exploring new soundscapes and interesting arrangements…but the song has to connect with people or there's not much point to it. I'm really trying to stay in that magic equilibrium now as I write, the union of intriguing artistry combined with strong human connection."
The Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's "Messiah"
Marc Martel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah!
For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth
For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth
For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth
Hallelujah!
The kingdom of this world
Is become
The kingdom of our Lord
And of His Christ
And of His Christ
And He shall reign for ever and ever
And He shall reign for ever and ever
And He shall reign for ever and ever
And He shall reign for ever and ever
King of kings for ever and ever, hallelujah, hallelujah!
And Lord of lords for ever and ever, hallelujah, hallelujah!
King of kings for ever and ever, hallelujah, hallelujah!
And Lord of lords for ever and ever, hallelujah, hallelujah!
King of kings for ever and ever, hallelujah, hallelujah!
And Lord of lords, King of kings and Lord of lords
And He shall reign
And He shall reign
And He shall reign
He shall reign
And He shall reign for ever and ever
King of kings for ever and ever
And Lord of lords, hallelujah, hallelujah
And He shall reign for ever and ever
King of kings and Lord of lords
King of kings and Lord of lords
And He shall reign for ever and ever
For ever and ever (King of kings)
And ever and ever (and Lord of lords)
Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!
Hallelujah!
These lyrics are from Marc Martel's rendition of Handel's "Messiah," specifically the famous "Hallelujah Chorus." The repetition of the word "Hallelujah" signifies a sense of joy and celebration. It is a form of praise and thanksgiving to God.
The first part of the lyrics emphasizes the omnipotence of the Lord God. It is a declaration that God reigns over all, emphasizing His power and authority. The repeated "Hallelujahs" reinforce the sense of praise and adoration towards the mighty ruler.
The following section highlights a significant shift in power. It states that the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of the Lord and His Christ. This suggests a transfer of control and authority from earthly powers to a divine sovereignty. The eternal reign of God is emphasized through the repetition of "He shall reign for ever and ever." This reflects the belief in God's everlasting dominion.
The last part of the lyrics further glorifies God as the King of kings and the Lord of lords. This is a title acknowledging God's supremacy over all other earthly powers and authorities. The repetition of "hallelujah" serves as a lyrical exclamation of praise and worship towards the eternal reign of God.
Overall, these lyrics convey a sense of awe and reverence towards the power and everlasting reign of God. It celebrates the transformation of worldly kingdoms into the divine kingdom and exalts God's eternal sovereignty as the ultimate ruler.
Line by Line Meaning
Hallelujah!
Praise the Lord!
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, praise the Lord!
For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth
For the all-powerful Lord God rules with authority
The kingdom of this world
The earthly realm
Is become
Has transformed
The kingdom of our Lord
Into the domain of our Lord
And of His Christ
And His anointed one
And He shall reign for ever and ever
And He will rule eternally
King of kings for ever and ever, hallelujah, hallelujah!
The ultimate ruler for all eternity, praise the Lord!
And Lord of lords for ever and ever, hallelujah, hallelujah!
The supreme authority for all eternity, praise the Lord!
And He shall reign
And He will rule
He shall reign
He will rule
And He shall reign for ever and ever
And He will rule eternally
And Lord of lords, King of kings and Lord of lords
And the supreme authority, the ruler over all rulers
For ever and ever (King of kings)
For all eternity (ruler of all rulers)
And ever and ever (and Lord of lords)
And forevermore (and supreme authority)
Hallelujah!
Praise the Lord!
Writer(s): G.f. Handel
Contributed by Grayson W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@JoyfullyOrangeDeborah
The most underrated voice of our time! Glory to God for the gift given to Marc to share with us!
@jennyhan1621
Marc is talented
He can sing any kind songs amazing
Wonderful Marc
Merry Christmas
@deeyoder
I can't even fathom how Marc did this! All 35 parts himself?! Once I was young and sang this as a lyric soprano - along with other lyric sopranos and the rest of the parts in a choir. And I struggled. Marc's range is PHENOMENAL! This is AWESOME! I am SO impressed by this.
@micaeldouglaslimanogueira918
Obrigado Marc Martel pela oportunidade de ouvir a voz de Freddie cantando Aleluia de Handel
@TimelessSpirits
Brilliant! Your voice in all the different ranges sounds superb! Well done.... Wow unbelievable!
@kennethkelling7110
Wow! This took was such a perfect example Marc Martel's brilliant and inimitable talent! The harmonies and blend are perfect!
@wrthrash
God bless us all, sing a Hallelujah every day!!!
@Abc-qs8ir
I always wondered what it would sound like if Freddie covered all the greatest hymns of all time !
@artfulstories
Great is Thy Faithfulness by Marc: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lE9VvOBU0rE
@JefferyAHoward
That was so beautiful and inspirational. Thank you for sharing. God bless you!