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Hallelujah Chorus on the ocarina

Updated 2026-10-29

The Hallelujah Chorus on the ocarina starts high C, G, A, G: the first "Hallelujah", sung twice before a run of quick repeated high C's. This is the sopranos' line from the opening of Handel's chorus, from its first "Hallelujah" to the ones that follow "for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth", written in C major so it needs no sharps or flats. It runs from C to high E, so a 12-hole or a 6-hole ocarina plays it.

What are the notes for Hallelujah Chorus on the ocarina?

Hallelujah Chorus, played here in C major, 4/4 time, bar by bar: high C, G, A, G | high C, G, A, G, high C, high C | high C, high C, high C, high C, high C, high C, high C | B, high C, B, high C | high D, G, high E, high D | high D, G, high E, high D, high D, high D | high E, high D, high D, high D, high E, high D, high D | high E, high D, high C, B | G, A, B | high C, C, high C, high C, B | A, G, high D, high D | high C, B, high D, high D, high C, B, high D, high D | high E, high D, high D, high D, high E, high D. Pick your ocarina, then press Play to hear the tune.

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  1. high C
  2. G
  3. A
  4. G
  5. high C
  6. G
  7. A
  8. G
  9. high C
  10. high C
  11. high C
  12. high C
  13. high C
  14. high C
  15. high C
  16. high C
  17. high C
  18. B
  19. high C
  20. B
  21. high C
  22. high D
  23. G
  24. high E
  25. high D
  26. high D
  27. G
  28. high E
  29. high D
  30. high D
  31. high D
  32. high E
  33. high D
  34. high D
  35. high D
  36. high E
  37. high D
  38. high D
  39. high E
  40. high D
  41. high C
  42. B
  43. G
  44. A
  45. B
  46. high C
  47. C
  48. high C
  49. high C
  50. B
  51. A
  52. G
  53. high D
  54. high D
  55. high C
  56. B
  57. high D
  58. high D
  59. high C
  60. B
  61. high D
  62. high D
  63. high E
  64. high D
  65. high D
  66. high D
  67. high E
  68. high D

What is the tricky spot in Hallelujah Chorus?

The tenth bar, on "God omnipotent", where the tune drops a whole octave from high C to C and jumps straight back up. On a 12-hole, Hallelujah Chorus goes from C to high C: you lift the left ring, left middle, left index, right index, right middle, right ring and right pinky.

Handel follows almost every "Hallelujah" with a short rest. Our tabs fold each rest into the note before it, so play those last notes short and use the gap to breathe, for example after the held high C that ends the fourth bar. The quick pairs of sixteenth notes are always on one pitch, so they are tongue work, not finger work: say "tu-tu" lightly and keep the fingers still. Bars 9 to 11 are the slow, broad line; play them full and steady before the quick "Hallelujahs" come back.

Which ocarina can play Hallelujah Chorus?

A 4-hole ocarina cannot reach high D and high E, so play Hallelujah Chorus in this key on a 12-hole or 6-hole ocarina in C. On an ocarina in G or F, use the same fingerings: the tune sounds in a different key, which is fine when you play alone. Each linked chart has every fingering for its ocarina, and you can check your notes with a tuner such as our free ocarina tuner.

Why do people stand for the Hallelujah Chorus?

Because of a story about a king. The custom comes from a popular belief that King George II stood for the chorus at the London premiere, which would have obliged everyone to stand, though there is no convincing evidence he was there. Handel wrote Messiah in 1741, and it was first performed in Dublin in 1742. Our tabs follow Vincent Novello's vocal score, a pocket edition that the publisher's London addresses date to between 1867 and 1876. It marks the chorus Allegro with an eighth note at 132, which is 66 beats a minute, the speed of our player. Handel died in 1759, so the chorus is public domain. We show the sopranos' melody only. Music: George Frideric Handel (1685-1759), from his oratorio Messiah.

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