Yesterday I went to the doctor and discovered I have an infected toe, so now I am hopped up on antibiotics and painkillers. This year Ginger = Hot Mess. It needs to be 2012 immediately. But more on all that tomorrow (or whenever I am next coherent). In the meantime, I need to get up today's video before I pass out again and miss the daily deadline in an hour and a half. If I could manage to keep blogging through November's NaBloPoMo around an appendectomy, then I'm hardly gonna let a stupid toe blow my record for December.
Anyway...back to business. As I told you last week, I have a major fangirl crush on the a capella group Straight No Chaser. This was not helped Friday when they announced that they would be hosting a cruise next October. For reals. All 10 guys trapped on a boat with me, giving what amounts to free concerts (at least for the Chasers) and doing karaoke and playing trivia with me? Yes, please. After squealing like a little girl I told my husband about it. He grudgingly offered to maybe take me next year as an anniversary present (our 25th anniversary is at the end of this month). Tempting as the offer was, something tells me that stalking 10 guys with a husband in tow would be something of a buzz kill. Also, I imagine he would expect me to be romantic with him instead of drooling over 10 guys who can sing beautiful love songs to me. Killjoy.
Since I can't go on the cruise (not really a cruise person anyway--I'd rather go to Europe as a general rule) and stalk random singers, I'll have to content myself with sharing another one of the guys' songs. Tonight's selection is "Sweet Little Jesus Boy," a song penned in 1934 in the spiritual style. Did I mention I love spirituals, too? So what could possibly be better than one of my favorite groups performing a favorite spiritual? (Besides stalking said group on a cruise ship, I mean...) I've heard many arrangements of this song, but this one has to be my favorite. The harmonies are exquisite. Unfortunately, however, I haven't been able to find a video of the guys singing this song, but they do have it on their webpage in audio form; the link for that page is below. Enjoy.
Click here to listen to my fangirl crush sing Sweet Little Jesus Boy.
11 December 2011
Sweet Little Jesus Boy - Straight No Chaser
Yesterday I went to the doctor and discovered I have an infected toe, so now I am hopped up on antibiotics and painkillers. This year Ginger = Hot Mess. It needs to be 2012 immediately. But more on all that tomorrow (or whenever I am next coherent). In the meantime, I need to get up today's video before I pass out again and miss the daily deadline in an hour and a half. If I could manage to keep blogging through November's NaBloPoMo around an appendectomy, then I'm hardly gonna let a stupid toe blow my record for December.
Anyway...back to business. As I told you last week, I have a major fangirl crush on the a capella group Straight No Chaser. This was not helped Friday when they announced that they would be hosting a cruise next October. For reals. All 10 guys trapped on a boat with me, giving what amounts to free concerts (at least for the Chasers) and doing karaoke and playing trivia with me? Yes, please. After squealing like a little girl I told my husband about it. He grudgingly offered to maybe take me next year as an anniversary present (our 25th anniversary is at the end of this month). Tempting as the offer was, something tells me that stalking 10 guys with a husband in tow would be something of a buzz kill. Also, I imagine he would expect me to be romantic with him instead of drooling over 10 guys who can sing beautiful love songs to me. Killjoy.
Since I can't go on the cruise (not really a cruise person anyway--I'd rather go to Europe as a general rule) and stalk random singers, I'll have to content myself with sharing another one of the guys' songs. Tonight's selection is "Sweet Little Jesus Boy," a song penned in 1934 in the spiritual style. Did I mention I love spirituals, too? So what could possibly be better than one of my favorite groups performing a favorite spiritual? (Besides stalking said group on a cruise ship, I mean...) I've heard many arrangements of this song, but this one has to be my favorite. The harmonies are exquisite. Unfortunately, however, I haven't been able to find a video of the guys singing this song, but they do have it on their webpage in audio form; the link for that page is below. Enjoy.
Click here to listen to my fangirl crush sing Sweet Little Jesus Boy.
Anyway...back to business. As I told you last week, I have a major fangirl crush on the a capella group Straight No Chaser. This was not helped Friday when they announced that they would be hosting a cruise next October. For reals. All 10 guys trapped on a boat with me, giving what amounts to free concerts (at least for the Chasers) and doing karaoke and playing trivia with me? Yes, please. After squealing like a little girl I told my husband about it. He grudgingly offered to maybe take me next year as an anniversary present (our 25th anniversary is at the end of this month). Tempting as the offer was, something tells me that stalking 10 guys with a husband in tow would be something of a buzz kill. Also, I imagine he would expect me to be romantic with him instead of drooling over 10 guys who can sing beautiful love songs to me. Killjoy.
Since I can't go on the cruise (not really a cruise person anyway--I'd rather go to Europe as a general rule) and stalk random singers, I'll have to content myself with sharing another one of the guys' songs. Tonight's selection is "Sweet Little Jesus Boy," a song penned in 1934 in the spiritual style. Did I mention I love spirituals, too? So what could possibly be better than one of my favorite groups performing a favorite spiritual? (Besides stalking said group on a cruise ship, I mean...) I've heard many arrangements of this song, but this one has to be my favorite. The harmonies are exquisite. Unfortunately, however, I haven't been able to find a video of the guys singing this song, but they do have it on their webpage in audio form; the link for that page is below. Enjoy.
Click here to listen to my fangirl crush sing Sweet Little Jesus Boy.
10 December 2011
Linus and Lucy
One of my all-time favorite musical pieces is actually Vince Guaraldi's "Linus and Lucy." Though it's not technically Christmas music, the theme song has become so quintessentially associated with A Charlie Brown Christmas and all the Peanuts dancing on the school's stage that you still hear it more at Christmastime than any other time of the year. And I can live with that, though I wish it was played more. It's just so bouncy and fun and so representative of the Peanuts. You can picture Schroeder playing the mini grand piano and Snoopy doing his patented Snoopy-dance with no effort whatsoever. Besides, how can anyone not need a little jazz in life? My girlie's old piano teacher was actually a jazz pianist as well--I loved to listen to him play on the few occasions that I was able to do so. He was quite good.
Guaraldi once described himself as "reformed boogie-woogie piano player." Later dubbed "Dr. Funk" by some of his colleagues, Guaraldi got his first real break playing at the Black Hawk Nightclub during intermissions, filling in for the legendary Art Tatum. Guaraldi also played for a time with the Cal Tjader trio, which he later left to pursue projects of his own. One of these projects was his album Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus, for which he covered several Antonio Carlos Jobim and Luis Bonfá tunes, inspired by the French/Brazilian movie Black Orpheus. The first single, "Samba de Orpheus," did very poorly; then a few enterprising DJs started flipping the record over to the B-side and playing "Cast Your Fate to the Wind," which Guaraldi himself had penned while trying to fill in a gap between covers for the album. The tune was unlike anything currently on the airwaves and gained rapidly in popularity, and was ultimately awarded the 1962 Grammy for Best Original Jazz Composition. Guaraldi's success snowballed from there.
Guaraldi became affiliated with the Peanuts Franchise when Lee Mendelson, later the executive producer of all the Peanuts TV specials, was looking for some music to underscore a Peanuts documentary he'd been working on. Mendelson heard "Cast Your Fate to the Wind" on the radio while traveling across the Golden Gate Bridge in a taxi cab. Mendelson contacted Guaraldi, suggesting he score the upcoming Peanuts Christmas Special. Guaraldi happily agreed, playing the first-ever version of "Linus and Lucy" for Mendelson over the phone, merely two weeks later. Guaraldi went on to score all 17 Peanuts specials and the feature film A Boy Named Charlie Brown, for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Music Scoring.
Guaraldi died suddenly in 1976 at age 47 of a heart attack or aneurysm, after having just finished recording the music for It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown. He had also just dined with Mendelson the night before. "Linus and Lucy" was played at his funeral, along with some of the other Charlie Brown music he had written.
Guaraldi's music continues to live on, especially every year at Christmas and through the covers of other artists such as George Winston. Jon Hendricks, poet laureate of jazz, once wrote: "Vince is what you call a piano player. That's different from a pianist. A pianist can play anything you can put in front of him. A piano player can play anything BEFORE you can put it in front of him." I couldn't agree more.
Sources: http://www.vinceguaraldi.com/biography.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vince_Guaraldi
http://www.musicianguide.com/biographies/1608001764/Vince-Guaraldi.html
Guaraldi once described himself as "reformed boogie-woogie piano player." Later dubbed "Dr. Funk" by some of his colleagues, Guaraldi got his first real break playing at the Black Hawk Nightclub during intermissions, filling in for the legendary Art Tatum. Guaraldi also played for a time with the Cal Tjader trio, which he later left to pursue projects of his own. One of these projects was his album Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus, for which he covered several Antonio Carlos Jobim and Luis Bonfá tunes, inspired by the French/Brazilian movie Black Orpheus. The first single, "Samba de Orpheus," did very poorly; then a few enterprising DJs started flipping the record over to the B-side and playing "Cast Your Fate to the Wind," which Guaraldi himself had penned while trying to fill in a gap between covers for the album. The tune was unlike anything currently on the airwaves and gained rapidly in popularity, and was ultimately awarded the 1962 Grammy for Best Original Jazz Composition. Guaraldi's success snowballed from there.
Guaraldi became affiliated with the Peanuts Franchise when Lee Mendelson, later the executive producer of all the Peanuts TV specials, was looking for some music to underscore a Peanuts documentary he'd been working on. Mendelson heard "Cast Your Fate to the Wind" on the radio while traveling across the Golden Gate Bridge in a taxi cab. Mendelson contacted Guaraldi, suggesting he score the upcoming Peanuts Christmas Special. Guaraldi happily agreed, playing the first-ever version of "Linus and Lucy" for Mendelson over the phone, merely two weeks later. Guaraldi went on to score all 17 Peanuts specials and the feature film A Boy Named Charlie Brown, for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Music Scoring.
Guaraldi died suddenly in 1976 at age 47 of a heart attack or aneurysm, after having just finished recording the music for It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown. He had also just dined with Mendelson the night before. "Linus and Lucy" was played at his funeral, along with some of the other Charlie Brown music he had written.
Guaraldi's music continues to live on, especially every year at Christmas and through the covers of other artists such as George Winston. Jon Hendricks, poet laureate of jazz, once wrote: "Vince is what you call a piano player. That's different from a pianist. A pianist can play anything you can put in front of him. A piano player can play anything BEFORE you can put it in front of him." I couldn't agree more.
Sources: http://www.vinceguaraldi.com/biography.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vince_Guaraldi
http://www.musicianguide.com/biographies/1608001764/Vince-Guaraldi.html
Linus and Lucy
One of my all-time favorite musical pieces is actually Vince Guaraldi's "Linus and Lucy." Though it's not technically Christmas music, the theme song has become so quintessentially associated with A Charlie Brown Christmas and all the Peanuts dancing on the school's stage that you still hear it more at Christmastime than any other time of the year. And I can live with that, though I wish it was played more. It's just so bouncy and fun and so representative of the Peanuts. You can picture Schroeder playing the mini grand piano and Snoopy doing his patented Snoopy-dance with no effort whatsoever. Besides, how can anyone not need a little jazz in life? My girlie's old piano teacher was actually a jazz pianist as well--I loved to listen to him play on the few occasions that I was able to do so. He was quite good.
Guaraldi once described himself as "reformed boogie-woogie piano player." Later dubbed "Dr. Funk" by some of his colleagues, Guaraldi got his first real break playing at the Black Hawk Nightclub during intermissions, filling in for the legendary Art Tatum. Guaraldi also played for a time with the Cal Tjader trio, which he later left to pursue projects of his own. One of these projects was his album Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus, for which he covered several Antonio Carlos Jobim and Luis Bonfá tunes, inspired by the French/Brazilian movie Black Orpheus. The first single, "Samba de Orpheus," did very poorly; then a few enterprising DJs started flipping the record over to the B-side and playing "Cast Your Fate to the Wind," which Guaraldi himself had penned while trying to fill in a gap between covers for the album. The tune was unlike anything currently on the airwaves and gained rapidly in popularity, and was ultimately awarded the 1962 Grammy for Best Original Jazz Composition. Guaraldi's success snowballed from there.
Guaraldi became affiliated with the Peanuts Franchise when Lee Mendelson, later the executive producer of all the Peanuts TV specials, was looking for some music to underscore a Peanuts documentary he'd been working on. Mendelson heard "Cast Your Fate to the Wind" on the radio while traveling across the Golden Gate Bridge in a taxi cab. Mendelson contacted Guaraldi, suggesting he score the upcoming Peanuts Christmas Special. Guaraldi happily agreed, playing the first-ever version of "Linus and Lucy" for Mendelson over the phone, merely two weeks later. Guaraldi went on to score all 17 Peanuts specials and the feature film A Boy Named Charlie Brown, for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Music Scoring.
Guaraldi died suddenly in 1976 at age 47 of a heart attack or aneurysm, after having just finished recording the music for It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown. He had also just dined with Mendelson the night before. "Linus and Lucy" was played at his funeral, along with some of the other Charlie Brown music he had written.
Guaraldi's music continues to live on, especially every year at Christmas and through the covers of other artists such as George Winston. Jon Hendricks, poet laureate of jazz, once wrote: "Vince is what you call a piano player. That's different from a pianist. A pianist can play anything you can put in front of him. A piano player can play anything BEFORE you can put it in front of him." I couldn't agree more.
Sources: http://www.vinceguaraldi.com/biography.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vince_Guaraldi
http://www.musicianguide.com/biographies/1608001764/Vince-Guaraldi.html
Guaraldi once described himself as "reformed boogie-woogie piano player." Later dubbed "Dr. Funk" by some of his colleagues, Guaraldi got his first real break playing at the Black Hawk Nightclub during intermissions, filling in for the legendary Art Tatum. Guaraldi also played for a time with the Cal Tjader trio, which he later left to pursue projects of his own. One of these projects was his album Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus, for which he covered several Antonio Carlos Jobim and Luis Bonfá tunes, inspired by the French/Brazilian movie Black Orpheus. The first single, "Samba de Orpheus," did very poorly; then a few enterprising DJs started flipping the record over to the B-side and playing "Cast Your Fate to the Wind," which Guaraldi himself had penned while trying to fill in a gap between covers for the album. The tune was unlike anything currently on the airwaves and gained rapidly in popularity, and was ultimately awarded the 1962 Grammy for Best Original Jazz Composition. Guaraldi's success snowballed from there.
Guaraldi became affiliated with the Peanuts Franchise when Lee Mendelson, later the executive producer of all the Peanuts TV specials, was looking for some music to underscore a Peanuts documentary he'd been working on. Mendelson heard "Cast Your Fate to the Wind" on the radio while traveling across the Golden Gate Bridge in a taxi cab. Mendelson contacted Guaraldi, suggesting he score the upcoming Peanuts Christmas Special. Guaraldi happily agreed, playing the first-ever version of "Linus and Lucy" for Mendelson over the phone, merely two weeks later. Guaraldi went on to score all 17 Peanuts specials and the feature film A Boy Named Charlie Brown, for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Music Scoring.
Guaraldi died suddenly in 1976 at age 47 of a heart attack or aneurysm, after having just finished recording the music for It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown. He had also just dined with Mendelson the night before. "Linus and Lucy" was played at his funeral, along with some of the other Charlie Brown music he had written.
Guaraldi's music continues to live on, especially every year at Christmas and through the covers of other artists such as George Winston. Jon Hendricks, poet laureate of jazz, once wrote: "Vince is what you call a piano player. That's different from a pianist. A pianist can play anything you can put in front of him. A piano player can play anything BEFORE you can put it in front of him." I couldn't agree more.
Sources: http://www.vinceguaraldi.com/biography.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vince_Guaraldi
http://www.musicianguide.com/biographies/1608001764/Vince-Guaraldi.html
09 December 2011
Rise Up, Shepherd and the Battle of the Operatic Sopranos
A few years ago my church choir was preparing for our Christmas program using one of the many standard cantatas available to such choirs. This particular cantata had an arrangement of the spiritual "Rise Up Shepherd and Follow"--which I'd never heard before--complete with a solo and a solo descant over the choir. My choir director at the time came up to me one day and asked me to sing the solo because he thought my particular vocal quality would work well with it. I must admit I was a bit surprised; I'd done solos for him before, but if he ever asked at all, he usually told me to just "pick something." Up to that point he had never specifically assigned one to me. I was intrigued. I learned the song and the solo, quickly falling in love with it. And that director was right--the solo did suit my booming voice, and I got as many or more compliments on singing it than on any other solo I've sung. I don't know if it was the particular arrangement or that I've always liked spirituals or what, but I have loved that song ever since.
Recently a friend and I were comparing musical tastes. We found several things we both enjoy and a few artists or forms of music on which we diverged. We traded favorite opera singers. My favorite is one I'm fortunate enough to know personally; her name is Mary Wilson and she is the wife of the choir director I had just before I moved. I was even lucky enough to take voice lessons with her for a brief time. Mary has a wicked sense of humor and the voice of an angel. She is easily the least diva-like Diva I've ever known. Until I met her, I'd never been particularly big on opera music. I enjoy the shows and the music itself, but have often been turned off by the more bombastic and overdone voices of many opera singers. Which is ironic when you think about it, considering my own voice is full and big and dramatic and entirely too similar to many of those singers, though significantly less trained. Mary's voice is not like that. She easily has the most pure, natural and lilting voice of any operatic soprano I've ever heard. It is truly amazing what she can do with a song. She reaches heights I can't even see and does it with such an unforced grace that you soar right along with her and she sings with such undisguised joy in concert that you can't help but crush on her. On her website is a page of audio clips intended as a portfolio for future gigs. On it she has a clip of her singing the "Queen of the Night" from The Magic Flute. Biased or not, I personally think she is better than the person who sang it in the movie Amadeus. She can whip out those baroque runs like no one I've ever heard. When I try them, they stay baroquen. I just don't have that skill set...but then I suppose that's why she gets paid the big bucks (or at least gets paid) and I don't.
Anyway, I hadn't intended this as a love letter to Mary (though I do adore her), but as a comparison to my friend's opera singer. I shared Mary, and she shared with me a singer with whom I was unfamiliar, named Audra McDonald. Audra has a different type of soprano voice than Mary Wilson, but she is no less awesome. When I was looking for songs to use this month, I found a video of Audra singing--wait for it--"Rise Up, Shepherd." (Please--like you didn't see that coming...) She was amazing. I particularly love the mesh of classical voice with spiritual style. Far too many singers perform the song too straight. It really needs that spiritual flair to, well, rise up. So, without further ado, here's Audra McDonald singing "Rise Up, Shepherd and Follow." It's not the whole song, but she's still kinda awesome singing it.
In keeping with our opera theme today, here's the famous Kathleen Battle singing the complete song with the Harlem Boys' Choir for comparison.
And, just because I have to give my friend Mary equal opportunity, go here to listen to her page of audio clips. I'm telling you, she is stunning. So go. Right now. Listen. Then tell me she isn't way better than the Amadeus chick.
Meanwhile, I'm gonna go off now and be crafty for the Celtic Trims blog.
Recently a friend and I were comparing musical tastes. We found several things we both enjoy and a few artists or forms of music on which we diverged. We traded favorite opera singers. My favorite is one I'm fortunate enough to know personally; her name is Mary Wilson and she is the wife of the choir director I had just before I moved. I was even lucky enough to take voice lessons with her for a brief time. Mary has a wicked sense of humor and the voice of an angel. She is easily the least diva-like Diva I've ever known. Until I met her, I'd never been particularly big on opera music. I enjoy the shows and the music itself, but have often been turned off by the more bombastic and overdone voices of many opera singers. Which is ironic when you think about it, considering my own voice is full and big and dramatic and entirely too similar to many of those singers, though significantly less trained. Mary's voice is not like that. She easily has the most pure, natural and lilting voice of any operatic soprano I've ever heard. It is truly amazing what she can do with a song. She reaches heights I can't even see and does it with such an unforced grace that you soar right along with her and she sings with such undisguised joy in concert that you can't help but crush on her. On her website is a page of audio clips intended as a portfolio for future gigs. On it she has a clip of her singing the "Queen of the Night" from The Magic Flute. Biased or not, I personally think she is better than the person who sang it in the movie Amadeus. She can whip out those baroque runs like no one I've ever heard. When I try them, they stay baroquen. I just don't have that skill set...but then I suppose that's why she gets paid the big bucks (or at least gets paid) and I don't.
Anyway, I hadn't intended this as a love letter to Mary (though I do adore her), but as a comparison to my friend's opera singer. I shared Mary, and she shared with me a singer with whom I was unfamiliar, named Audra McDonald. Audra has a different type of soprano voice than Mary Wilson, but she is no less awesome. When I was looking for songs to use this month, I found a video of Audra singing--wait for it--"Rise Up, Shepherd." (Please--like you didn't see that coming...) She was amazing. I particularly love the mesh of classical voice with spiritual style. Far too many singers perform the song too straight. It really needs that spiritual flair to, well, rise up. So, without further ado, here's Audra McDonald singing "Rise Up, Shepherd and Follow." It's not the whole song, but she's still kinda awesome singing it.
In keeping with our opera theme today, here's the famous Kathleen Battle singing the complete song with the Harlem Boys' Choir for comparison.
And, just because I have to give my friend Mary equal opportunity, go here to listen to her page of audio clips. I'm telling you, she is stunning. So go. Right now. Listen. Then tell me she isn't way better than the Amadeus chick.
Meanwhile, I'm gonna go off now and be crafty for the Celtic Trims blog.
Rise Up, Shepherd and the Battle of the Operatic Sopranos
A few years ago my church choir was preparing for our Christmas program using one of the many standard cantatas available to such choirs. This particular cantata had an arrangement of the spiritual "Rise Up Shepherd and Follow"--which I'd never heard before--complete with a solo and a solo descant over the choir. My choir director at the time came up to me one day and asked me to sing the solo because he thought my particular vocal quality would work well with it. I must admit I was a bit surprised; I'd done solos for him before, but if he ever asked at all, he usually told me to just "pick something." Up to that point he had never specifically assigned one to me. I was intrigued. I learned the song and the solo, quickly falling in love with it. And that director was right--the solo did suit my booming voice, and I got as many or more compliments on singing it than on any other solo I've sung. I don't know if it was the particular arrangement or that I've always liked spirituals or what, but I have loved that song ever since.
Recently a friend and I were comparing musical tastes. We found several things we both enjoy and a few artists or forms of music on which we diverged. We traded favorite opera singers. My favorite is one I'm fortunate enough to know personally; her name is Mary Wilson and she is the wife of the choir director I had just before I moved. I was even lucky enough to take voice lessons with her for a brief time. Mary has a wicked sense of humor and the voice of an angel. She is easily the least diva-like Diva I've ever known. Until I met her, I'd never been particularly big on opera music. I enjoy the shows and the music itself, but have often been turned off by the more bombastic and overdone voices of many opera singers. Which is ironic when you think about it, considering my own voice is full and big and dramatic and entirely too similar to many of those singers, though significantly less trained. Mary's voice is not like that. She easily has the most pure, natural and lilting voice of any operatic soprano I've ever heard. It is truly amazing what she can do with a song. She reaches heights I can't even see and does it with such an unforced grace that you soar right along with her and she sings with such undisguised joy in concert that you can't help but crush on her. On her website is a page of audio clips intended as a portfolio for future gigs. On it she has a clip of her singing the "Queen of the Night" from The Magic Flute. Biased or not, I personally think she is better than the person who sang it in the movie Amadeus. She can whip out those baroque runs like no one I've ever heard. When I try them, they stay baroquen. I just don't have that skill set...but then I suppose that's why she gets paid the big bucks (or at least gets paid) and I don't.
Anyway, I hadn't intended this as a love letter to Mary (though I do adore her), but as a comparison to my friend's opera singer. I shared Mary, and she shared with me a singer with whom I was unfamiliar, named Audra McDonald. Audra has a different type of soprano voice than Mary Wilson, but she is no less awesome. When I was looking for songs to use this month, I found a video of Audra singing--wait for it--"Rise Up, Shepherd." (Please--like you didn't see that coming...) She was amazing. I particularly love the mesh of classical voice with spiritual style. Far too many singers perform the song too straight. It really needs that spiritual flair to, well, rise up. So, without further ado, here's Audra McDonald singing "Rise Up, Shepherd and Follow." It's not the whole song, but she's still kinda awesome singing it.
In keeping with our opera theme today, here's the famous Kathleen Battle singing the complete song with the Harlem Boys' Choir for comparison.
And, just because I have to give my friend Mary equal opportunity, go here to listen to her page of audio clips. I'm telling you, she is stunning. So go. Right now. Listen. Then tell me she isn't way better than the Amadeus chick.
Meanwhile, I'm gonna go off now and be crafty for the Celtic Trims blog.
Recently a friend and I were comparing musical tastes. We found several things we both enjoy and a few artists or forms of music on which we diverged. We traded favorite opera singers. My favorite is one I'm fortunate enough to know personally; her name is Mary Wilson and she is the wife of the choir director I had just before I moved. I was even lucky enough to take voice lessons with her for a brief time. Mary has a wicked sense of humor and the voice of an angel. She is easily the least diva-like Diva I've ever known. Until I met her, I'd never been particularly big on opera music. I enjoy the shows and the music itself, but have often been turned off by the more bombastic and overdone voices of many opera singers. Which is ironic when you think about it, considering my own voice is full and big and dramatic and entirely too similar to many of those singers, though significantly less trained. Mary's voice is not like that. She easily has the most pure, natural and lilting voice of any operatic soprano I've ever heard. It is truly amazing what she can do with a song. She reaches heights I can't even see and does it with such an unforced grace that you soar right along with her and she sings with such undisguised joy in concert that you can't help but crush on her. On her website is a page of audio clips intended as a portfolio for future gigs. On it she has a clip of her singing the "Queen of the Night" from The Magic Flute. Biased or not, I personally think she is better than the person who sang it in the movie Amadeus. She can whip out those baroque runs like no one I've ever heard. When I try them, they stay baroquen. I just don't have that skill set...but then I suppose that's why she gets paid the big bucks (or at least gets paid) and I don't.
Anyway, I hadn't intended this as a love letter to Mary (though I do adore her), but as a comparison to my friend's opera singer. I shared Mary, and she shared with me a singer with whom I was unfamiliar, named Audra McDonald. Audra has a different type of soprano voice than Mary Wilson, but she is no less awesome. When I was looking for songs to use this month, I found a video of Audra singing--wait for it--"Rise Up, Shepherd." (Please--like you didn't see that coming...) She was amazing. I particularly love the mesh of classical voice with spiritual style. Far too many singers perform the song too straight. It really needs that spiritual flair to, well, rise up. So, without further ado, here's Audra McDonald singing "Rise Up, Shepherd and Follow." It's not the whole song, but she's still kinda awesome singing it.
In keeping with our opera theme today, here's the famous Kathleen Battle singing the complete song with the Harlem Boys' Choir for comparison.
And, just because I have to give my friend Mary equal opportunity, go here to listen to her page of audio clips. I'm telling you, she is stunning. So go. Right now. Listen. Then tell me she isn't way better than the Amadeus chick.
Meanwhile, I'm gonna go off now and be crafty for the Celtic Trims blog.
08 December 2011
Hallelujah Chorus--Can You Handel It?
I have always, and I mean always loved the "Hallelujah Chorus." What's not to love? It's epic, it's majestic, and it's just plain fun, especially to sing. I know that many people don't consider classical music fun, but they're wrong. The Hallelujah Chorus is kinda like the Ode to Joy in that both are so exuberant, so...well...joyous that it is nearly impossible to hear them or sing them without feeling your soul swell to the heavens, regardless of your individual religious beliefs or lack thereof. Besides, one of the best parts of the Hallelujah Chorus is watching at the beginning to see how many people know that they're supposed to stand for the chorus. Sometimes there will be one or two people who immediately pop up like a jack-in-the box, followed grudgingly by the others in the audience who know they should as well, followed lastly by random audience members looking around in utter confusion while they try to ascertain what the heck is going on. Other times it's like a race to avoid going first. People look around, waiting to see who is going to start the movement, because they don't really want to be that person. It's too much like arriving at a party before anyone else. You're left alone and exposed, responsible for the bulk of conversation or, in this case, choral enjoyment. No one wants to be first. So in the end, 4-5 people will halfway stand up, still largely hunched over the seats in front of them, with their asses either suspended in space or bobbing up and down while they try to decide "Should I sit? Should I stand??" until all 4-5 people more or less straighten up at the same time, the weight of their uniform decision dragging everyone else up as well.
Personally, I think it's a little like watching an awkward ballet of bobbing booties and it makes me giggle every time. When I'm not singing it, I tend to be one of the jack-in-the box audience members, jumping up loud and proud at the first swell of music. What can I say? It's a tradition ("Traditioooooon--TraDITION!") that's been going on for over 250 years. Legend has it that King George II was so moved by the music of the Hallelujah Chorus that he stood up and since no one is allowed to sit in the presence of a monarch, it became customary to stand whenever the Chorus is played. How many other pieces of classical music can claim to have that kind of power over an audience?
Another fun thing to do during the performances (aside from watching the sopranos turn red and purple while trying to sustain some of those long, high notes) is to wait till the very last "hallelujah" to see if the group currently singing will remember to cut off right before the final 4 notes. We're talking train tracks here, people. Giant, screeching halt. "Hallelujah"..."Hallelujah"..."Hallelujah" (ginormously long pause) "Haaaaaaaaaalaaaaaayluuuuuujaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!"
In a well-trained or experienced group of singers, this "grand pause" is a glorious, epic moment--the climax of the piece, really. In a less experienced choir, one with faces buried in music and not watching the director (not that I've ever been in a choir like that, or anything...) you just KNOW someone is going to blow it either by cutting off too late before the grand pause or, more likely, coming in too early after it, creating a nice little solo that causes the conductor's ears to start spewing steam while a red flush creeps slowly up from his tuxedoed neck. It isn't pretty. Premature continuation never is.
Not surprisingly, being the quirky and sarcastic sort of person that I am, I can't truly love something without parodying it. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right? At least that's my story and I'm sticking to it. Therefore, for today's video, I'd like to offer something a little different than the same old, same old concert video of the Hallelujah Chorus. Years ago in a Sunday School class, we had a lady come in and give a lecture on the background of the Hallelujah Chorus. At the end of the talk, she showed us a video very much like the one I'm about to show you. That video captured my imagination and has stayed with me ever since. I hope you enjoy it too.
Unfortunately, for some reason the first 6 or so bars are cut off in this version, though you can see what's going on a little better than in other videos. For a complete version (with an extremely long and cheesy introduction), try St. Francis de la Sissies.
Around the time that I was planning out my month of Christmas music videos for this blog, I had a couple of friend post humorous videos related to the Hallelujah Chorus. Given the content of this particular post, it seemed appropriate to share them here as well. I'm pretty sure God and Handel would think they're funny, too.
There was another awesome video of some guy dressed as Jesus and swinging on wires over the choir of a small church while they sang the Hallelujah Chorus. Sadly, the costumer for the Easter program provided an epic wardrobe malfunction because instead of just leaving an opening in Jesus' robe for the wires, the costumer pretty much left the whole back end off (kinda like those "L" sheets popular in soap operas--the ones where the girl's boobs are securely covered, but the guy is covered only just past the groin, and there's no bunched-up fabric to suggest a reason for the disparity), presumably figuring that Jesus would only ever face front. Unfortunately, however, as Jesus swung back and forth he started to spin, turning so you could see his track-shorted booty swathed in the wire harness, his bare legs dangling below. Poor Jesus tried desperately to reach behind him to tug his highly unfortunate hospital gown robe shut--a lost cause if ever there was one, considering that the back of his robe had a giant box cut out of it from side seam to waist down the other side seam--an exercise which only caused him to spin more. Poor guy. No one wants to have his ass hanging out on Easter, much less Jesus. Sadly, I can't show you this fantastic fail because someone with taste and decorum had the nerve to remove it from YouTube. Party poopers.
Personally, I think it's a little like watching an awkward ballet of bobbing booties and it makes me giggle every time. When I'm not singing it, I tend to be one of the jack-in-the box audience members, jumping up loud and proud at the first swell of music. What can I say? It's a tradition ("Traditioooooon--TraDITION!") that's been going on for over 250 years. Legend has it that King George II was so moved by the music of the Hallelujah Chorus that he stood up and since no one is allowed to sit in the presence of a monarch, it became customary to stand whenever the Chorus is played. How many other pieces of classical music can claim to have that kind of power over an audience?
Another fun thing to do during the performances (aside from watching the sopranos turn red and purple while trying to sustain some of those long, high notes) is to wait till the very last "hallelujah" to see if the group currently singing will remember to cut off right before the final 4 notes. We're talking train tracks here, people. Giant, screeching halt. "Hallelujah"..."Hallelujah"..."Hallelujah" (ginormously long pause) "Haaaaaaaaaalaaaaaayluuuuuujaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!"
In a well-trained or experienced group of singers, this "grand pause" is a glorious, epic moment--the climax of the piece, really. In a less experienced choir, one with faces buried in music and not watching the director (not that I've ever been in a choir like that, or anything...) you just KNOW someone is going to blow it either by cutting off too late before the grand pause or, more likely, coming in too early after it, creating a nice little solo that causes the conductor's ears to start spewing steam while a red flush creeps slowly up from his tuxedoed neck. It isn't pretty. Premature continuation never is.
Not surprisingly, being the quirky and sarcastic sort of person that I am, I can't truly love something without parodying it. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right? At least that's my story and I'm sticking to it. Therefore, for today's video, I'd like to offer something a little different than the same old, same old concert video of the Hallelujah Chorus. Years ago in a Sunday School class, we had a lady come in and give a lecture on the background of the Hallelujah Chorus. At the end of the talk, she showed us a video very much like the one I'm about to show you. That video captured my imagination and has stayed with me ever since. I hope you enjoy it too.
Unfortunately, for some reason the first 6 or so bars are cut off in this version, though you can see what's going on a little better than in other videos. For a complete version (with an extremely long and cheesy introduction), try St. Francis de la Sissies.
Around the time that I was planning out my month of Christmas music videos for this blog, I had a couple of friend post humorous videos related to the Hallelujah Chorus. Given the content of this particular post, it seemed appropriate to share them here as well. I'm pretty sure God and Handel would think they're funny, too.
There was another awesome video of some guy dressed as Jesus and swinging on wires over the choir of a small church while they sang the Hallelujah Chorus. Sadly, the costumer for the Easter program provided an epic wardrobe malfunction because instead of just leaving an opening in Jesus' robe for the wires, the costumer pretty much left the whole back end off (kinda like those "L" sheets popular in soap operas--the ones where the girl's boobs are securely covered, but the guy is covered only just past the groin, and there's no bunched-up fabric to suggest a reason for the disparity), presumably figuring that Jesus would only ever face front. Unfortunately, however, as Jesus swung back and forth he started to spin, turning so you could see his track-shorted booty swathed in the wire harness, his bare legs dangling below. Poor Jesus tried desperately to reach behind him to tug his highly unfortunate hospital gown robe shut--a lost cause if ever there was one, considering that the back of his robe had a giant box cut out of it from side seam to waist down the other side seam--an exercise which only caused him to spin more. Poor guy. No one wants to have his ass hanging out on Easter, much less Jesus. Sadly, I can't show you this fantastic fail because someone with taste and decorum had the nerve to remove it from YouTube. Party poopers.
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