Eric Whitacre: Sleep

[steelvenom2003]

...at the climax, the emotional core of the piece. The soprano ones sing an Ab above the soprano two G, but you can't hear that dissonance in this rendition, and that chord and its resolution are basically the reason that this song is so incredibly and well-loved.

So very well done on the blend and on the English (for the most part), but work on maintaining a straighter tone. :D

[steelvenom2003]

As much as I agree that every piece is up for interpretation and that it simply isn't my place to nitpick, I think that the heavy soprano vibrato did take some quality out of this otherwise very good performance.

The thing about vibrato is that it generally encompasses a quarter step on either side. So if you have two people singing minor seconds with vibrato, the audience hears the quarter tone in the middle, since they're both singing it.

And that's exactly what happened at the climax...

[MrJesusSierra]

pretty good enjoyed it =]

[sixstringace2002]

Why is it that so many people find it absolutely necessary to critique every little nuance of a choral performance? Music isn't a competition!! It isn't about always finding something wrong with a given performance...every person in a choir, including the conductor, has a million things going through their heads at any one moment...so sit back, keep your negative comments to yourself, and enjoy a beautiful composition...NO ONE IS PERFECT--NEXT TIME YOU THINK YOU ARE, TRY WALKING ON WATER

[thgshg]

i couldn't agree more, funny how mean people get in their anonymity

[ChoirMusician]

Pretty nice!

[Vienna6969]

This song is particularily difficult to sing, you need to get the balance from S1 and 2 and A1 and 2 with bass perfectly or the effect does not stick. I sung this song with my choir last year and it went great, but this song is a hard one thats for sure........that one S1 needs to lose the vibrato for this song definitely lol does not fit. But other then that this song was preformed really well it gave me goosebumps

[gobiballer]

often the "e" vowel is pronounced as if it is spoken, a nasal like sound. Yes the soprano sticks out, but i feel that the men and women were, for the most part, balanced. Goosebumps on the climax, nearly cried, love this song, pretty good job altogether.

[sarahsaurusx3]

i agree, there is one soprano who sicks out more than the others. but other than that it's very good!

[yuehchopin]

sehr gut!

[dilaciouskiller]

There is one very operatic soprano that sticks out quite often with a powerful vibrato, which is inappropriate for this style. Other than that, I think it is very nice :).

[jawbraker84]

sounds great but they are just too "stuck" they should at least hav some movement which make a feel of getting into the heart of the song

[gtgw]

good sopranos.

[fwyxx]

Though there were a few minor tone shifts, I feel like this was very well-performed. Even though it was done in a second language, the vowels came out very well, and the dynamics were not only noticeable, but a big part of the song. Congratulations on an excellent take on an amazing work.

[xwasxinxvainx]

I could really do without the one soprano singer as well, but as a soprano myself, it is extremely difficult to sing high (This piece goes up to an Aflat) without using vibrato. It would be a lot less noticable if the choir were larger, however I think there were only two people singing the Soprano 1 part.

There were some pitch issues but they can go without being pointed out.

All in all, thank you for posting this, I thought it was fantastic and it gave me goosebumps at the climax.

[xwasxinxvainx]

Overall, I thought this performance was pretty fantastic. Sure, there are diction issues at SOME point, but I really commend the group for having (overall) pretty fantastic diction.

To the person who had the problem with "Hangs", that vowel sound doesn't exist in any language except english and it is terribly hard to get a choir to sing that vowel together. The choice of a pure "ah" sound was a very wise choice on the directors part. Notice, the sound was very pure....

[xwasxinxvainx]

I think the open |E| sound would have been a better choice though. It's not as easy as the |a| but would have made for more accurate diction.

[thejamestm]

the spoken vowel on "Hangs" would be tough for this choir to unify, sure. But the compromise would be the ɛ sound in IPA, as in "bed". If you can achieve this unified vowel with the group then have them brighten it just a tad and ta-da.

[nevaehdeseret]

I am assuming this choir is japanese or something, so it's not like they are going to be perfect at speaking english! Besides, this is a difficult piece...

[sluggo163]

why does everyone have to act like we're at contest or something? thank you for singing an important vocal piece and sharing it over the internet...

[JPSaxMan]

Amen!

[jazzymentos]

im surprised how quickly they go sharp. . .

i feel bad for the tenors.

[alifromwinnipeg18]

Ok, I just have to ask. Why am I hearing "hungs" when is should be "hangs". Why do I hear "Sread", it's "thread". Who is singing vibrato? It's all straight tone in this peice. The men are off when they have melody. "And yet my lombs seem" the chords are not settling. I think the overall tone is beautifal, save that one soprano who has a trembling sound. I really don't hear a tonal centre, the pitch is either sharping or going flat. A few more months or work I think is needed. The end is rushed.

[zippyninny]

they r a chinese choir lah... english is a foreign language to dem so diction probs r unavoidable...

[JPSaxMan]

Yep, it's like when we sing Italian or German and sometimes the vowels don't come out 100%. It happens, maybe not to the best choirs around but it will happen to many.

[singerlad34]

There are definitely pitch problems. Take 1:59 - 2:10, there *is* supposed to be some dissonance there but the sopranos go horribly flat aswell.

[jakem1000]

It went so sharp!!! How can you people not see that?? If you play a 10-second section of this and then play the same section with an official recording, you'll hear it immediately. Also, their vibrato is out of control. A slight vibrato can be ok when appropriate, but what they're doing is not desired.

[iKrriiss]

agread with choralbliss

[choralbliss]

Fabulous intonation, but it's too bouncy. This song is all about looooong legato lines and the tension created by non-chord tones.

[darrensphantomlover]

Wow! So good!

[KaleighGrace]

WOW! I hope that our chorus sounds that awesome when we preform it !

[1337evan]

wow they took that major impact moment I think a whole tone up from the original written key. Im pretty sure. But thats really awesome. asian pride!

[pianoscantalk]

Beautiful.

[KendallHolsten]

actually there should be absolutely no vibrato in this song. Whitacre wants all straight tones. and whoever said that their intonation is bad,is stupid. this song is built on dissonant chords and should sound very sour... don't critique if you don't know what you are talking about.

[percphs]

LMFAO. I've been reading comments like that and I've just been like "Oh, for once I can't hear a pitch problem," because so many people comment saying that their intonation is wrong... and it just now hit me -- they don't know that this is how it's supposed to sound! Hahaha, what idiots. ... pshh, when I thought I was the idiot. ;)

[Stupak289]

There is a difference between dissonance and bad intonation.

[geeko101]

that isn't just dissonance they slide sharp. Some sections were nearly 100% while others were more noticeable.

[mybluecastle]

I don't think sour is the word--that has a bad connotation. I think you meant off in a musical way. Their intonation is not bad, but it *is* off in a few places. I have listened to this song a lot, and some of the chords sound off--and not in the right way.

[Yugatoran]

Sorry for the tripple post, but to all those curious about the lyrics, you're welcome. :) I've sung this in choir about 3 or 4 years ago. Their sound is VERY good. They blend the chords very well. My only nit-picks are: The accent (I adore it though, but some of the words are clearly not english :P) and then the fact that the lines are sylabic instead of phrased without interuptions. Other than that, amazing.

[Yugatoran]

Then I surrender unto sleep, where clouds of dream give second sight. What dreams may come both dark and deep; of flying wings and soaring leaps, as I surrender unto sleep. Sleep. Sleep. Sleep.

[Yugatoran]

The evening hangs beneath the moon. A silver thread on darkened dune. With closing eyes and resting head I know that sleep is comming soon. Upon my pillow safe in bed, a thousand pictures fill my head. I cannot sleep, my mind's aflight and yet my limbs seem made of lead. If there are noises in the night, a frighting shadow, flickering light.

[rksherman]

I meant to say, "simply wonderful," not, "simply video." heeee

[rksherman]

This video was simply video. This is a piece I love by an American composer that I love. It makes me so happy when I see music crossing cultural bounderies. Music is truly the universal language and it makes me so happy to be able to connect with people across the world spiritually and musically through a piece of choir music :) Thank you!

[yoamolaupi]

It started on tune, and then... disaster. Most times the chords are just too sharp.

[TheKnightWhoSaidNi]

Everytime I hear a piece this extraordinary sung with skill like this, I get chills. The blend, tempo, tone, and dynamics are perfect. The performance is hindered only in the slightest by the soprano vibrato during the climax, which is excessive and unnecessary, given the tranquility of the literature.

On another note, I think it's hilarious that the best live recordings of this piece on YouTube are by singers who don't even speak english.

[bimmerboy87]

Vibrato is good but it should be controlled. its ok 2 have what i call shimmer. shimmer is basically a light vibration and not a wavering vibrato. Sometimes 2 much vibrato can cause the pitch to sag (however the same goes with 2 much straight tone) W/ that being said, w/ eric whitacre pieces, because the chords are so tight, there really is no room for much vibrato cuz the chords will lose its dissonance. if u listen 2 polyphony sing sleep, they sing w/ no vibrato

[TheKnightWhoSaidNi]

"With Eric Whitacre pieces, because the chords are so tight, there really is no room for much vibrato cuz the chords will lose their dissonance."

That is VERY true! Excellent point!

[zjoke]

Well, not to mention in choir singing I believe it's GENERALLY considered to be better technique (in terms of the group as a whole) to stick to straight-tone singing. And to the comment musicandpmt, a trained singer can sing healthily without a vibrato so wide you could shoot a cannon through it :) Not that they did that here, just sayin'...

[musicandpmt]

what is with the vibrato haters? vibrato is HEALTHY. skilled musicans CAN, in fact, stay in tune with vibrato.

and wtf guys, do they LOOK like english is their first language? give them a break. perfect your own art instead of being assholes and being critical of others. or if that's what you really need, GET A MUSIC EDUCATION DEGREE AND DIRECT YOUR OWN CHOIR.

[crasher72]

"hungs" or Hangs?...hmmm...we'll never know wont we? but nevertheless sounded good. Good Job!

[thejazztenor]

i agree with tophercm and sandcrab, definatly NO vibrato, please

[klickenpod]

i'm glad i'm not the only one who feels that way about vibrato.

[sandcrab132]

its a little fast.

[lala132435]

exactly, vibrato is out. pls take not of pitching. dynamic changes are way too abrupt. bad english too.

[topherucm]

not bad... but there shold be absolutely no vibrato... and the consonants need to be very clear. good though!

[Crystal0418]

Good job!

[1337evan]

wow... just awesome!

[pianvioguy]

The vowels are not right, but English is difficult so good job.

[BandNazi]

Beautiful to watch, beautiful to listen to.