Leonard Cohen honoured with Glenn Gould Prize
Posted May 15, 2012 6:12 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Canadian music legend Leonard Cohen sat in the balcony at Massey Hall Monday night and watched various artists performing renditions of his songs as he was celebrated for his contribution to the arts with the Glenn Gould Prize.
Cohen, 77, didn’t accept the $50,000 that came with the honour, but instead donated the cash to the Canada Council for the Arts.
The Cowboy Junkies, John Prine, Serena Ryder and Blue Rodeo’s Greg Keelor were among the artists to cover Cohen songs at the tribute concert, however one of Cohen’s best-loved songs — Hallelujah — didn’t get played.
Actor Alan Rickman, writer Michael Ondaatje and former governor general Adrienne Clarkson also spoke at the event.
The Glenn Gould Prize is handed out once every three years. Yo-yo Ma and Oscar Peterson are among the musicians that have won the prestigious award.
