Irish schoolgirl Kaylee Rogers’ powerful rendition of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” has become a sensation all around the globe.
The performance from 2016 was a huge accomplishment for Kaylee, who at the time was a student at the Killard House Special School in Donaghadee, Ireland.
The school’s music teacher, Llyod Scates, encouraged Kaylee, who has autism and ADHD, to sing to help build her confidence.
“She always loved singing, but it wasn’t until she started at Killard House School that she really came into her own,” said Tracy Rodgers, Kaylee’s mom. “He’s like her safety blanket – he’s amazing.”
Kaylee was due to sing at a carol service at First Presbyterian Church, Newtownards, but when she took ill and lost her voice, the video, which had been filmed a few weeks before at the school by Billy McAuley, was shown instead.
After viewing the filmed performance, many in the congregation were in tears.
The original video was shared on Facebook by Nichola Martin, whose son is in Kaylee's class, and was shared nearly 1,000 times within the first 24 hours. Since then, it's been viewed millions of times across different outlets.
Even Oscar-winning actress Susan Sarandon was wowed by Kaylee’s remarkable talents and retweeted a link to the video from the Huffington Post.
Merry ??? ---> "Girl with autism sings a stunning rendition of "Hallelujah"" https://t.co/vHZXZrKa96 via @HuffPostArts
— Susan Sarandon (@SusanSarandon) December 22, 2016
Since the video was posted on social media, the school has taken calls from people in Australia, America, and Japan who have been touched by Kaylee’s angelic singing.
As one Facebook user posted: “As a fan of Leonard Cohen, I am going to say if he were alive, he would absolutely applaud this girl and her group for doing such a wonderful job of his music.”
*Originally published in 2016, last updated in December 2023.
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