In a large hall, bathed in light, duet partners Mat and Savanna stood next to a grand piano to perform their newest cover, ‘Hallelujah’ by Leonard Cohen. However, this was no ordinary singing duo. Mat and Savanna are a father-daughter duo who spent time during the pandemic singing together, and they ended up being a hit with listeners. Now moving from their self-filmed efforts to shoot a beautiful, professional video that will charm Music Man fans, this performance also featured a special guest.
On the piano and providing backing vocals was Stephen Nelson, a friend from one of Savanna’s old voice recitals. Ten years prior, they had seen Stephen perform ‘Hallelujah’ at a recital – his last ever public performance before this collaboration. Then Mat and Savanna invited him to sing that very same song with them. Showcasing the bond shared by these three artists, the video now has 2M views, with viewers leaving comments on the performance such as “The three voices gave me goosebumps.”
I was very moved watching the video of their performance. Not only did I adore their rendition of the song, their beautiful voices joining together to create a stunning cover, but I was also touched by the way the music brought them together as people. Here at the Music Man, we love to hear about connections forged through music. The whole project began with Mat and Savanna celebrating their bond through their shared love of music, and that bond shines in this performance.
Music Man fans will be moved to see how far Mat and Savanna have come since the early days of their online covers. While their ‘Hallelujah’ cover is a high-quality masterpiece, their original videos were shot on a simple phone in their own home. However, watching their old covers, such as ‘True Colors’ by Cyndi Lauper, which was one of their earliest posts, it is clear that what truly shines about this duo is what brought them together in the first place: their bond and their beautiful voices.
Since their very first post five years ago, Mat and Savanna have gained hundreds of thousands of subscribers on YouTube, toured throughout the world, and become the first father-daughter duo to have a number one album on Billboard. Despite all this, their cover of Hallelujah with their old friend exemplifies exactly what lies at the heart of this duo’s work, no matter how big they become: true connection and joy expressed through music.
Credits: Mat and Savanna’s moving ‘Hallelujah,’ joined by Stephen Nelson, is a lovely reminder of music’s power and family bonds. Discover more from the trio — including the full video and links to their channels — in the useful links listed below.