What has been tapped into are a sense of opposing “political correctness”, a feeling of opportunity to promote “Christianity”, and an association with US patriotism.
The association of “Hallelujah Chorus” with American patriotism goes back a long way. This article describes its use at the World Expo/US Centenary of 1876, in Philadelphia (where the Macy’s version was done, a couple of weeks before the canny young Canadian entrepreneur’s booster):
The high-quality “food court” version has been picked up and promoted by darn near every right-wing and kooky outfit one can think of checking, for its (illusory) impression of rebel action.
The appeal is of those brave people having to do it by surprise, notwithstanding that this and subsequent ones have been done with the cooperation (and, I suspect, in some cases even after the supplications) of mall managements. The "flash mob" style and the "daring content" give a frisson of wondering at least at back of mind if security might appear. (Suggestion: security to be given active roles or provoked, in future actions.)
The comments and commentaries and promotional contexts I have seen, and the subsequent Hallelujah Choruses in malls (that I have spent hours looking at), strongly suggest those 26 million+ viewings were not simply or even primarily about beautiful music conveying joy and love of life.
But clever. Feedback to link senders is met with silence, or "Grinch", or reference to (my, of course) "political correctness". And no shortage of innocent choirs up for it, either.
The comments and commentaries and promotional contexts I have seen, and the subsequent Hallelujah Choruses in malls (that I have spent hours looking at), strongly suggest those 26 million+ viewings were not simply or even primarily about beautiful music conveying joy and love of life.
But clever. Feedback to link senders is met with silence, or "Grinch", or reference to (my, of course) "political correctness". And no shortage of innocent choirs up for it, either.
