for a live performance id say it was excellent... of course they wont be perfect... no Choir is perfect. But very well done. plan on using this as a teaching video in my choir class
Wow! my choir preformed this piece and so i understand the difficulty of it. i thought you all did an amazing job with it. the tone was outstanding. my choir is a selective group with only 14 people so it was a much different sound with the larger group and it was a pleasure to listen to. don't mind the people who are commenting about how the piece was not interpreted correctly or that it didnt sound good cause they probably dont know what they are talking about and dont know wat dissonance is.
Hmmm...seems like they're using either an omni microphone to capture the sound or someone forgot to unmute the right channel when this was recorded...
Either way, a wag of my finger to whomever recorded this piece. Unless you were using a faulty recorder or one of your preamps just decided to give out, I can't see any reason why you couldn't bounce mono to two-track stereo-interleaved...unless you DID, and this is the result. In which case, my condolences on your faulty audio equipment.
The comments on this post astound me. Being a composer and conductor myself, it is quite shocking that people would assume their worste attitudes towards a strong attempt to perform a difficult piece. Please, folks, if you have nothing positive to say, say nothing, and if you don't like the music (or this version), simply click one of the links to your right. It's less energy for everyone if you don't comment and do move on.
@BenMurrie Again, you failed to put your period before the quotation mark. If you possessed any comprehension skills, you would certainly understand what I mean when I say that a punctuation mark goes immediately before a quotation mark. I'm sorry, I meant to say you're not as smart as you seem to think you are. I'm also not a "sir." I'm female. By the way, I'd just like to let you know that you're ruining my love for this song.
@hippie1574 it's a freaking comment on youtube. quit being a "grammar nazi". (yes i did that just to piss you off) If you don't want something in a comment to ruin your love for a song, then stop paying attention to them. Andrea Bocelli once said that when you don't use your eyes, the music becomes even more meaningful. In other words, close your eyes if you have to.
@BenMurrie You spelled "recognizing" incorrectly. My second sentence was perfectly clear and straight-forward. If you're really as smart as you seem, you would have understood. Also, I'm sure your error was not deliberate. Good day.
None of them are "just fifths" for the tenor and bass parts. I pretty sure there are plenty of people that have insulted American musicians, writers, artists, or America in general, that doesn't change the fact that they can be amazing at what they do. Their attitudes towards certain people or nationalities shouldn't affect their talent. If so, then everyone is awful, because there is no one in this world that hasn't said something bad about somebody else.
all of eric whitacre's music sounds the same. its like, "hmm I don't know what the guys should sing...i guess I'll just split them up into fifths." like maybe for one or two thats fine, but the fact that it is every song almost kind of bugs me.
@Nf9456 Every composer has a style, so that their compositions can be recognized, if the listener does not know the title of the piece. This is Eric Whitacre's style. Chopin's music sounds similar, Mozart, Robert Franz, Schumann, Tchaikovsky, Liszt, Handel, Bach! THEY ALL HAVE THEIR OWN STYLE! So, don't criticize Eric Whitacre, because trust me when I say, he probably doesn't care what you think!
@rockstarinall Yeah they sound similar, but at least other composers write different part Eric Whitacre litterally just writes a bunch of 5ths and calls that the bass and tenor parts, and I'm sure he doesn't because Eric Whitacre is a douche bag.
@Nf9456 Being that I go to a Fine Arts school and being that I am a vocal major, I have sung many of Eric Whitacre's music for choir and I assure you the bass and tenor parts are not just a bunch of fifths. Also, Eric Whitacre is not what you called him, he's an amazing composer and obviously millions of other people find his music amazing because they're buying it, performing it, listening to it, uploading it on Youtube, watching it, etc.
@rockstarinall No, not all are, but many of them are just fifths. He really isn't a nice guy. I'm sure you heard about his tweets insulting all American musicians, including you. Thats pretty jerky if you ask me. Yes, he is a popular modern composer, however I wouldn't call him amazing. There are many more talented composers out there.
I like how my friend can't believe Eric's real she loves composers and classical kinds of work so , she isn't used to composers being alive. We're in choir so Mr.Whitacre was conducting and my friend was having a geekgasm :)
Today in choir our teacher played this for is and as he put it on the speakers and told us all to shut our eyes. When it was over we all opened our eyes and most of us were crying because it was so beautiful. :)
Hands down my favorite Whitacre piece, possibly my favorite choral piece. I cry every time I hear it. You can really picture the lives of these two people, first as young teens sitting on a grassy hill in the spring, then as middle-aged adults sitting on a beach in the summer, and finally as two small headstones in a graveyard on a chilly, gray, almost-raining autumn day. A faint breeze rolls over them throughout the entire piece; an unchanging force perpetually nestling their changing lives.
Is it wrong that I've been sitting at my desk for the last 1 1/2 hours listening to this song over and over? I love Eric Whitacre so much. He is a true genius. Everything he writes is absolutely beautiful.
You can tell who the real musicians commenting here are. Every conductor 'interprets' the music.
There is no reason for anyone to be negative about this performance. I've sung this differently as well, but I would not critcize these fine young people.
For those criticizing this recording, some of the sound issues that you're mentioning are due to the hall and recording equipment. This hall (D.F. Cook Recital Hall) is a highly resonant room, and it often sounds like a player is playing even after they have stopped, and it is easy for musicians using this hall to not compensate enough or to overcompensate. Also, this recording was done with the mic on the video camera on the technician catwalk above the audience, very far from the stage.
Wow, everyone's a critic. University choir doesn't equal perfect. Y'all need to settle down and stop judging good performances just because they're not "the best you've ever heard." Save it. I think they're pretty darn good.
My high school Chorale choir performed this song for our spring concert and I'm sorry, they're in high school and they sounded way better than this Chamber choir at a University. The director at this University wouldn't hold out a single note and it seemed like he just kep cutting off every phrase
You're not supposed to hold out the notes. The sound is supposed to resonate in the performance hall for a couple moments after they have cut out to create a really eerie and amazing sound.
@xjroseexxo I think you misread his message. The way I read it was that he was defending the performance against another critic who maybe said that they needed to hold the notes out longer, which is not true.
Actually I believe you're partially correct. I think that yes they went sharp. But, at the same time whoever did the recording wasn't keeping the proper levels on the mic. Thus, peaking out the input of recording. What they also could have done is used a compressor during the recording to regulate the sound and keep it from peaking out.
Aside for that however, this was a great performance and I would have loved to attend it in real life :D. Good job.
This is probably my favorite choral piece ever. But I agree that it's much too bright. The vowels need to be taller. Like "nahthing" and "strehtched aht"
Great piece, great performance, but it's a bit bright. If they would open their mouths just a bit, we would hear more of "Laweek" instead of "lyeeek," etc. Just techie stuff.
I don't know why people are giving you thumbs down.
Whitacre is awesome, but this piece doesn't really hit home with me all that well either. I like Lux Aurumque and stuff, but ya, glad you voiced your own opinion.
I love this piece and so do my high school students. The poetry and dissonance are the best! Thank you Eric Whitacre for all of your marvelous choral compositions.
unfortunately when 80-90& of the choir actually is made up of real musicians, but the rest are "just singers" who want to be pop stars, the music tends to suffer.
thank god the choir managed to somewhat overcome them
@DopoNotte I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with you here. True a choir needs energy. But that can be obtained without unnecessary vibrato. Vibrato prevents the chord from locking in because not everyone has exactly the same vibrato. About "boring block chords of nothingness", that is the purpose of dynamics. You have to sing musically. crescendo long tones. crescendo to the peak of a phrase then back off towards the end. Energy is found in musical dynamics, not vibrato.
@DopoNotte yes, and water is water and lets say juice is juice. but you use water to make juice. it's one of the key ingredients. The two are different(crescendos and energy), but you use crescendos and decrescendos to create energy in a piece. to create suspense and feeling. also, by your logic vibrato is vibrato don't confuse it with eneergy.
I'm not fond of the spread-vowels OR your spelling abilities. Or people who insult in such an uncouth manner. Their tuning is good, but with proper mature (more British, perhaps?) vowels the chords would have a much stronger impact.
I agree. The sopranos vowels on this song are too bright. The altos need taller, rounder vowels because the "give" was out of tune. It wouldn't have been if they relaxed more, but I love anyone that attempts to sing an Eric Whitacre piece. My choir sang this song 2 years ago and he sent us an autographed copy of the music. We felt soooo honored.
I have to agree with you. The vowels are NOT good, the first sopranos are reaching far too high, making it sound forced. But it's Eric Whitacre, meaning the song is virtually impossible to ruin. =]
I heard it originally sung by the St. Olaf Choir when my chorus was the pre-show for them. I love the song, but I like their rendition much better. It was a capella and therefore much stronger and more moving.
That's true. My computer's audio is rather fuzzy on this, so it is hard to tell. Though, when I saw the St. Olaf Choir perform this song, they didn't use an instrument to begin.
this is probably my favorite song ever...last week I was on choir tour in Seattle and I heard and ammmmazzzing high school choir sing this song and I just got back from our homecoming concert a few hours ago and MSU was there and sang it for us. HOLY CRAP I LOVE IT.
Stretched out on the grass, a boy and a girl. Savoring their oranges, giving their kisses like waves exchanging foam. Stretched out on the beach, a boy and a girl. Savoring their limes, giving their kisses like clouds exchanging foam. Stretched out underground, a boy and a girl. Saying nothing, never kissing, giving silence for silence.
Anyone who isn't a professional musician/ choral musician, shouldn't be criticizing this piece. You guys probably spent a really long time making this as perfect as it could be. Great work! I wish I could hear a better recording of your choir though! Some parts distorted and I wanted to hear more of your wonderful sound.
I loved it. And it was done very well! I think someone on here said something about "you're not supposed to use vibrato on Whitacre songs." I personally think that there is a level of vibrato that SHOULD be used in most pieces...and this chorus used the perfect amount for this song. Great job.
not bad at all but work on not spreading your vowels so much. it makes the song sound out of tune & it can mess with your diction but all in all not bad at all. :)
You guys were able to sing that out of your sections and still sound so good?! Did you practice like that all the time? We tried it with my choir, but we could only do it in our sections. This is a nice version.
Like so many other people who said this the girls are overpowering the guys but the girls sound fanomial! they're not pushing it far enough on some spots but they are nice and soft when they need to be. The vowels seem to get bright but that's prolly the sound quality. but extremely amazing choir!!
I didnt mean to give you a thumbs down, i totally agree with you, I mean I love choral music and watching choirs on here but only real professionals should be criticizing these kinds of choirs, and real professionals prolly are not sitting on youtube for hours on end
i agree. not to mention that sound gets distorted when recorded like this then posted on youtube. so i think the only people that should be criticizing them are pros that were at the concert.
the vowels are too bright and in the louder parts the girls dominate too much and the guys are lost, it should be slowed down and so that time is taken, this song is meant to be subtle yet powerful, and quiet yet loud. but the pitched were great
I completely agree. Nice voice and great job painting the picture of Whitacre's innocence. But it was a bit too bright. The minor chord was a bit out of tune as well. Also, this song or n e of Whitacre's songs for that matter arnt supposed to have vibrato. Just straight tones. Pure ones at that.
spreading vowels makes it seem bright, because the overtones produced are farther apart. in other words, you hear a shallow sound rather than a deep one.
so spreading it makes the sound "bright" (nasal) but the perception "dull" (boring).
I don't like how these guys sing it. I'm not sad at all when they get rabies and die. Note they savor oranges and limes before exchanging foamy kisses. Possible mutant fruit?
i sang this in high school. we all loved it. it is truly beautiful. i could listen to it forever.
katyramos1 5 days ago
A beautiful performance! :)
musicavivaserbia 1 month ago
@BaggerTheVance no it's impossible
biznock19 3 months ago
@BaggerTheVance then you do it
RJones306 3 months ago
@BaggerTheVance Oh please. Not everyone can write music this beautiful. In fact most people cannot.
NoahDanielson 3 months ago
This song is so wow. The chord change at the end is yummy.. ;)
vampknight45 3 months ago
i got to sing this song at my school :) LOVED IT
coda5494 4 months ago
Im not getting any sound?
littlehagg94 6 months ago
@littlehagg94 turn up the volume
12321gigi 4 months ago
for a live performance id say it was excellent... of course they wont be perfect... no Choir is perfect. But very well done. plan on using this as a teaching video in my choir class
FRBABandMan 7 months ago
Wow! my choir preformed this piece and so i understand the difficulty of it. i thought you all did an amazing job with it. the tone was outstanding. my choir is a selective group with only 14 people so it was a much different sound with the larger group and it was a pleasure to listen to. don't mind the people who are commenting about how the piece was not interpreted correctly or that it didnt sound good cause they probably dont know what they are talking about and dont know wat dissonance is.
twjp726 7 months ago
It's a beautiful piece, and very well performed. Love it.
CJBrewification 7 months ago
Not many choirs preform songs like this any more =')
00nerd4 7 months ago
@00nerd4 Usually some advanced type of choirs, mostly chamber.
951murr 6 months ago
@hippie1574 grow up
rwoz 8 months ago
what the hell happend to the volume,....
rwoz 8 months ago
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Briansmart1 9 months ago
Hmmm...seems like they're using either an omni microphone to capture the sound or someone forgot to unmute the right channel when this was recorded...
Either way, a wag of my finger to whomever recorded this piece. Unless you were using a faulty recorder or one of your preamps just decided to give out, I can't see any reason why you couldn't bounce mono to two-track stereo-interleaved...unless you DID, and this is the result. In which case, my condolences on your faulty audio equipment.
Zinge99 9 months ago
Very nice!
jproknapp10 9 months ago
Very nice!
bearbottomhoney 9 months ago
The comments on this post astound me. Being a composer and conductor myself, it is quite shocking that people would assume their worste attitudes towards a strong attempt to perform a difficult piece. Please, folks, if you have nothing positive to say, say nothing, and if you don't like the music (or this version), simply click one of the links to your right. It's less energy for everyone if you don't comment and do move on.
Thank you.
TK3music 9 months ago 27
@TK3music i agree>>>>>
tagakumpas 9 months ago
@TK3music well said. Thank you.
MaryKateEAFeola 8 months ago
is it just me or does this only have sound in the left channel?
stewmberto 10 months ago
@BenMurrie Again, you failed to put your period before the quotation mark. If you possessed any comprehension skills, you would certainly understand what I mean when I say that a punctuation mark goes immediately before a quotation mark. I'm sorry, I meant to say you're not as smart as you seem to think you are. I'm also not a "sir." I'm female. By the way, I'd just like to let you know that you're ruining my love for this song.
hippie1574 10 months ago
@hippie1574 it's a freaking comment on youtube. quit being a "grammar nazi". (yes i did that just to piss you off) If you don't want something in a comment to ruin your love for a song, then stop paying attention to them. Andrea Bocelli once said that when you don't use your eyes, the music becomes even more meaningful. In other words, close your eyes if you have to.
guitarman14339 10 months ago 5
@BenMurrie You spelled "recognizing" incorrectly. My second sentence was perfectly clear and straight-forward. If you're really as smart as you seem, you would have understood. Also, I'm sure your error was not deliberate. Good day.
hippie1574 10 months ago
@BenMurrie You spelled "fragment" incorrectly. Also, quotation marks should be placed directly after the punctuation mark.
hippie1574 11 months ago
None of them are "just fifths" for the tenor and bass parts. I pretty sure there are plenty of people that have insulted American musicians, writers, artists, or America in general, that doesn't change the fact that they can be amazing at what they do. Their attitudes towards certain people or nationalities shouldn't affect their talent. If so, then everyone is awful, because there is no one in this world that hasn't said something bad about somebody else.
rockstarinall 11 months ago
all of eric whitacre's music sounds the same. its like, "hmm I don't know what the guys should sing...i guess I'll just split them up into fifths." like maybe for one or two thats fine, but the fact that it is every song almost kind of bugs me.
Nf9456 11 months ago
@Nf9456 Every composer has a style, so that their compositions can be recognized, if the listener does not know the title of the piece. This is Eric Whitacre's style. Chopin's music sounds similar, Mozart, Robert Franz, Schumann, Tchaikovsky, Liszt, Handel, Bach! THEY ALL HAVE THEIR OWN STYLE! So, don't criticize Eric Whitacre, because trust me when I say, he probably doesn't care what you think!
rockstarinall 11 months ago 2
@rockstarinall Yeah they sound similar, but at least other composers write different part Eric Whitacre litterally just writes a bunch of 5ths and calls that the bass and tenor parts, and I'm sure he doesn't because Eric Whitacre is a douche bag.
Nf9456 11 months ago
@Nf9456 Being that I go to a Fine Arts school and being that I am a vocal major, I have sung many of Eric Whitacre's music for choir and I assure you the bass and tenor parts are not just a bunch of fifths. Also, Eric Whitacre is not what you called him, he's an amazing composer and obviously millions of other people find his music amazing because they're buying it, performing it, listening to it, uploading it on Youtube, watching it, etc.
rockstarinall 11 months ago
@Nf9456 Also, if his music bugs you and it all sounds the same to you, then why are you wasting your time listening to it? That intrigues me.
rockstarinall 11 months ago
@rockstarinall No, not all are, but many of them are just fifths. He really isn't a nice guy. I'm sure you heard about his tweets insulting all American musicians, including you. Thats pretty jerky if you ask me. Yes, he is a popular modern composer, however I wouldn't call him amazing. There are many more talented composers out there.
Nf9456 11 months ago
Chillest song ever :)
Acoontey 11 months ago
I sang this song my sophomore year in high school. It is definitely hard to keep in tune.
laurarisley09 1 year ago
Our choir is doing this song this spring. So excited to learn it after hearing this!
ineffablexalice 1 year ago
I like how my friend can't believe Eric's real she loves composers and classical kinds of work so , she isn't used to composers being alive. We're in choir so Mr.Whitacre was conducting and my friend was having a geekgasm :)
cubana2 1 year ago
Comment removed
Nateisbored 1 year ago
They sound as through their tone is too bright.
This may just be my preference.
wowdanalise 1 year ago
his music is like something I've never heard before.
RyGil91 1 year ago
is this in mono?
FCO0710 1 year ago
Can't you people just sit and listen without criticizing??? Geez, this isn't a choral festival.
choirboybjs 1 year ago 2
out of tune!!!!!!!!!
MegaMacDuckFaceLips 1 year ago
@MegaMacDuckFaceLips its supposed to do that, its eric whitacres style.
TheArtCrazyGuy 1 year ago
I love listening to the wanna-be conductors who give their two cents on these recordings. :)
todwfish 1 year ago 3
I love listening to the wanna-be condoctures who weigh in. :)
todwfish 1 year ago
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amalsee 1 year ago
i really like this.
MrDominiccooper 1 year ago
Today in choir our teacher played this for is and as he put it on the speakers and told us all to shut our eyes. When it was over we all opened our eyes and most of us were crying because it was so beautiful. :)
IThinkThatsAllie 1 year ago 3
Hands down my favorite Whitacre piece, possibly my favorite choral piece. I cry every time I hear it. You can really picture the lives of these two people, first as young teens sitting on a grassy hill in the spring, then as middle-aged adults sitting on a beach in the summer, and finally as two small headstones in a graveyard on a chilly, gray, almost-raining autumn day. A faint breeze rolls over them throughout the entire piece; an unchanging force perpetually nestling their changing lives.
DevoutPatriot 1 year ago 3
saving the limes!?!? i saved the limes!!
timmy1000100 1 year ago
@timmy1000100 savoring.
Krizuki 1 year ago
saving the limes!?!?
timmy1000100 1 year ago
why just the one channel?
Rikk303 1 year ago
I'm amazed by Eric Whitacre. I'd love to perform and maybe one day conduct a piece of his. It's insane.
michelleyyyx33 1 year ago
what the hell is going on between 1:31 and 1:38??
alery998 1 year ago
@alery998 I'm guessing the camera couldn't handle the noise input.
Firemoonsoul 1 year ago
this is one of my all time favorite choral songs.
bobbymagee01234 1 year ago
Is it wrong that I've been sitting at my desk for the last 1 1/2 hours listening to this song over and over? I love Eric Whitacre so much. He is a true genius. Everything he writes is absolutely beautiful.
Liles1zc 1 year ago 3
Beautifully sung and conducted. What a great piece! thanks for sharing.
resonancechoir 1 year ago
I love this soooo much!!!!!
wirelesspaperclip 1 year ago
You can tell who the real musicians commenting here are. Every conductor 'interprets' the music.
There is no reason for anyone to be negative about this performance. I've sung this differently as well, but I would not critcize these fine young people.
SkiesVibrant 1 year ago
every conductor has their own idea of how they want it to sound so youll have a hard time finding it done the exact same
13139Allyson 1 year ago
I just feel like their vowels could have had a bit more darkness, rounder. Otherwise, very nice.
BetahimeTsukiko 1 year ago 2
I thought the singing was pretty good, but I had to stop it because all the audio was in my left ear, which I can't stand.
mpjmt 1 year ago
@mpjmt thought my headphones broke for a moment...
RollerCoasterManiac 1 year ago
For those criticizing this recording, some of the sound issues that you're mentioning are due to the hall and recording equipment. This hall (D.F. Cook Recital Hall) is a highly resonant room, and it often sounds like a player is playing even after they have stopped, and it is easy for musicians using this hall to not compensate enough or to overcompensate. Also, this recording was done with the mic on the video camera on the technician catwalk above the audience, very far from the stage.
JosephMesh 1 year ago
we're singing this in my choir :] its a beautiful song..the chords and the notes are amazing..whitacre is a genius
LaurastarX 1 year ago
When they clash, I get get goosebumps.
emilyevolution 1 year ago
Wow, everyone's a critic. University choir doesn't equal perfect. Y'all need to settle down and stop judging good performances just because they're not "the best you've ever heard." Save it. I think they're pretty darn good.
liebelukiperman 1 year ago 27
My high school Chorale choir performed this song for our spring concert and I'm sorry, they're in high school and they sounded way better than this Chamber choir at a University. The director at this University wouldn't hold out a single note and it seemed like he just kep cutting off every phrase
michellemybellelove 1 year ago
You're not supposed to hold out the notes. The sound is supposed to resonate in the performance hall for a couple moments after they have cut out to create a really eerie and amazing sound.
Who676 1 year ago 15
@Who676
You're not "supposed" to do a lot of things in life, yet people still do them.
The conductor did what he did for a reason and it still turned out beautiful. Stop being such a critic and enjoy the beautiful voices.
xjroseexxo 6 months ago
@xjroseexxo I think you misread his message. The way I read it was that he was defending the performance against another critic who maybe said that they needed to hold the notes out longer, which is not true.
poopr1221 4 months ago
the dynamics are amazing! i loved the feeling of this like eerie echo after a long note :D
sanaselemon 1 year ago
i love this song but if you've heard the lyrics, its really sad :(
princessoops95 1 year ago
I lovee this song.
galleryofbrokenparts 2 years ago
i love this song
Annel11111 2 years ago
Comment removed
HearrtOnMySleeve9 2 years ago
its not just the mic that sucks. at 1:31 the sopranos went sharp and a few of their vowels were bright.
evacify 2 years ago 3
Actually I believe you're partially correct. I think that yes they went sharp. But, at the same time whoever did the recording wasn't keeping the proper levels on the mic. Thus, peaking out the input of recording. What they also could have done is used a compressor during the recording to regulate the sound and keep it from peaking out.
Aside for that however, this was a great performance and I would have loved to attend it in real life :D. Good job.
frankthatank0325 2 years ago
That's how the song goes! the first sopranos sing higher at that part!
anabautumn2 2 years ago
maybe its just the microphone but this recording is horrid
blackgaurd 2 years ago
its not in stereo =[
apandes 2 years ago
i think this is amazing
dolphinsrule92 2 years ago
kokeapellie is better
bird123100 2 years ago
Does the conductor think hes a bird?!
no but seriously. It's really quite powerful. Just sad that it sounds a bit sour every here and there..
ssotaren 2 years ago
This is probably my favorite choral piece ever. But I agree that it's much too bright. The vowels need to be taller. Like "nahthing" and "strehtched aht"
kassiem2k 2 years ago 2
Great piece, great performance, but it's a bit bright. If they would open their mouths just a bit, we would hear more of "Laweek" instead of "lyeeek," etc. Just techie stuff.
Kellywa76 2 years ago 3
This comment has received too many negative votes show
My high school choir is doing this. Its most definately not all that great of a piece compared to what we have done before but its okay.
DragonLcver 2 years ago
I don't know why people are giving you thumbs down.
Whitacre is awesome, but this piece doesn't really hit home with me all that well either. I like Lux Aurumque and stuff, but ya, glad you voiced your own opinion.
Silverfenix2456 2 years ago
this song makes me cry!
TheGarry827 2 years ago
My choir sang this last year before i was in it :) i always thought it was astounding.
JoeyTheGuitarDude 2 years ago 2
we are singing this with my choir, it's simply amazing, i love eric whitacre :]
LaurastarX 2 years ago 2
Those lyrics are just beautiful.
lacedupnightmares 2 years ago 3
I love this piece! I am doing it in my chorus this semseter and I have fallen in love with it!
takemi2broadway 2 years ago 2
I love this piece and so do my high school students. The poetry and dissonance are the best! Thank you Eric Whitacre for all of your marvelous choral compositions.
jcauter 2 years ago 3
This is a good song. :) :P :D
G0d0fHope 2 years ago 2
Why is the balanced all the way on the left?
Aphotic0221 2 years ago
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this song is just so amazing
DomitaJoDoll06 2 years ago 2
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Why was this comment marked as spam?
showofas 2 years ago
They have good phrasing but the recorder isnt professional which would explain sound
sosmystar5 2 years ago
I agree with Nettersisadorable100 agreeing with Monty LOL
bozzie5796 2 years ago
where could i find that piece../?
Mrtorchbearer 2 years ago
agree with monty
Nettersisadorable100 2 years ago
holy diva in the soprano section. all and all good, but vowels are an issue. and the diva needs to go. or at least tone it down a little.
monty110890 2 years ago 53
unfortunately when 80-90& of the choir actually is made up of real musicians, but the rest are "just singers" who want to be pop stars, the music tends to suffer.
thank god the choir managed to somewhat overcome them
LandotheDrummer1 2 years ago 2
@monty110890 I think EVERY choir has that one soprano that just doesn't stfu. But it's s'all good xP
ClosedProductions 1 year ago 3
@monty110890
On the contrary... thank God she is there! If only everyone had her energy! Otherwise this just boring block chords of nothingness......
DopoNotte 1 year ago
@DopoNotte
a choir is about blend, not about sticking out like a sore thumb
if everyone sang like her you'd have an opera chorus..not a choir
capachina 1 year ago
@DopoNotte I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with you here. True a choir needs energy. But that can be obtained without unnecessary vibrato. Vibrato prevents the chord from locking in because not everyone has exactly the same vibrato. About "boring block chords of nothingness", that is the purpose of dynamics. You have to sing musically. crescendo long tones. crescendo to the peak of a phrase then back off towards the end. Energy is found in musical dynamics, not vibrato.
rosenstyle 1 year ago
@rosenstyle
Crescendo is crescendo. Energy is energy. Do not mistake the two
DopoNotte 1 year ago
@DopoNotte yes, and water is water and lets say juice is juice. but you use water to make juice. it's one of the key ingredients. The two are different(crescendos and energy), but you use crescendos and decrescendos to create energy in a piece. to create suspense and feeling. also, by your logic vibrato is vibrato don't confuse it with eneergy.
rosenstyle 1 year ago
@rosenstyle
You are correct, vibrato is NOT energy. When did I say vibrato is energy?
DopoNotte 1 year ago
Comment removed
TheGarry827 1 year ago
@monty110890 She's probably a Dramatic Soprano. They need True 1sts for a soft song like this. <3
TheTheatreKid6 1 year ago
I remember the "honors" choice in my high school sang this. We were horrible! But this is a good recording!
TheChipster91 2 years ago
vowels....
westonzor 2 years ago
some parts of this remind me of the song i am not yours...love eric whitacre
OperaticRockstar 2 years ago
i love that song
sosmystar5 2 years ago 2
these guys are good
cooper92i 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
There vowels suck balls....
Sacraeo 2 years ago
Spell 'their' correctly please before you insult.
shutyoudown 2 years ago 32
lmao.
kappyxisxscene 2 years ago
I'm not fond of the spread-vowels OR your spelling abilities. Or people who insult in such an uncouth manner. Their tuning is good, but with proper mature (more British, perhaps?) vowels the chords would have a much stronger impact.
christoperfect 2 years ago
I agree. The sopranos vowels on this song are too bright. The altos need taller, rounder vowels because the "give" was out of tune. It wouldn't have been if they relaxed more, but I love anyone that attempts to sing an Eric Whitacre piece. My choir sang this song 2 years ago and he sent us an autographed copy of the music. We felt soooo honored.
songbyrd2013 2 years ago
Of course, some of that brightness could be due to the microphone/recording equipment. It's always better live, anyway.
Neo88Classical 2 years ago
My chamber choir is singing this piece, it is a cappella.
cecechery 2 years ago
Go Tenors!
JulitoPapitoo 2 years ago
my youngest brother was in all state choir when he sang this song.
ahauswal 2 years ago
Nice- I laughed when I heard the base come in with the Sop.'s at 2:26 and then back away when he realized "SHIT, thats not my part"
dramadudeinbham 2 years ago
good ear :)
RileySapphire 2 years ago
very good ear.
lilpinaypinaychic 2 years ago
Foooaaaammmm
:)
Zouski 2 years ago
some vowels are spread and their tone isn't very warm. the soprano ones are terrible, they can't blend and they are pressing their voices.
the soprano twos and basses are very nice though. yay color tones!
but the song is still beautiful...
p.s. to whoever said this wasn't a cappella is wrong.
pinkray1745 2 years ago
I have to agree with you. The vowels are NOT good, the first sopranos are reaching far too high, making it sound forced. But it's Eric Whitacre, meaning the song is virtually impossible to ruin. =]
musiciansheart 2 years ago
that is debatable. It is in fact very easy to ruin Whitacre because of the skill level needed in order to perform his works as he intended
capcrusader10 2 years ago
I'd have to say that these people need to work on this song a little more
Kloocle 2 years ago
They sound really good. i love that they all sound like one voice and that they are not fighting to sing over each other. GREAT JOB CHOIR!!!!!!!!!!!
garry9790 2 years ago
I heard it originally sung by the St. Olaf Choir when my chorus was the pre-show for them. I love the song, but I like their rendition much better. It was a capella and therefore much stronger and more moving.
BassBunnieGirl 2 years ago
What? This song is a cappella? They only used the piano to take pitch... haha
spiffybardman 2 years ago 2
the piano was to get the starting chord, this is a capella
eamonnoneill 2 years ago
That's true. My computer's audio is rather fuzzy on this, so it is hard to tell. Though, when I saw the St. Olaf Choir perform this song, they didn't use an instrument to begin.
BassBunnieGirl 2 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
oh god this song is terrible
XXXBLACKZOMBIE19 2 years ago
this song just...... is amazing
THIS CHOIR however not so much.
deadly990 2 years ago 3
haha didn't look low enough. nvm
ilovezim4gir 2 years ago
lyrics anyone? anyone have them?
ilovezim4gir 2 years ago
This song gave me goose bumps the first time
I heard it (performed by the Capital University Chapel Choir). Last part made me want to cry.
So ridiculously beautiful. 5/5
Einalem230 2 years ago
this is probably my favorite song ever...last week I was on choir tour in Seattle and I heard and ammmmazzzing high school choir sing this song and I just got back from our homecoming concert a few hours ago and MSU was there and sang it for us. HOLY CRAP I LOVE IT.
melodiouslove 2 years ago
this choir has excellent tone but needs to really pay attention to their vowels.
walkingggSIN 2 years ago
the sopranos need some work in this
slashess 2 years ago 6
ILoveKevinLuering 2 years ago 5
eargasm
maluchub 2 years ago
i love this song i can;t wait for me and my choir to do this song
boogbabygurl135 2 years ago
My choir is attempting at this song as well. You guys did a great job
Swany243 2 years ago
Beautiful :)
apostolicguy89 2 years ago
Anyone who isn't a professional musician/ choral musician, shouldn't be criticizing this piece. You guys probably spent a really long time making this as perfect as it could be. Great work! I wish I could hear a better recording of your choir though! Some parts distorted and I wanted to hear more of your wonderful sound.
wingalinged 3 years ago
thats him, right?
joetheazl 3 years ago
Keep in mind that many of the chords are supposed to clash. That's what makes the piece so beautiful, and dark.
We're singing this in my choir. I've never been so happy to be a soprano I, it's probably the least complex of all of the parts.
Individually its not challenging, but the clashes are hard to train your ear to get used to.
coolerthancheyanne 3 years ago
I loved it. And it was done very well! I think someone on here said something about "you're not supposed to use vibrato on Whitacre songs." I personally think that there is a level of vibrato that SHOULD be used in most pieces...and this chorus used the perfect amount for this song. Great job.
onilink220 3 years ago 2
not bad at all but work on not spreading your vowels so much. it makes the song sound out of tune & it can mess with your diction but all in all not bad at all. :)
Pianist4308 3 years ago
You guys were able to sing that out of your sections and still sound so good?! Did you practice like that all the time? We tried it with my choir, but we could only do it in our sections. This is a nice version.
Eclipstar 3 years ago
if you're a fan, you should check out my video response! comments appreciated! thanks
muzikjunkie14
muzikjunkie14 3 years ago
This sounds so amazing! great job! Words cannot describe how amazing this song is !
meier099 3 years ago
too bad you can't spell phenomenal :]
jonknott09 3 years ago
Like so many other people who said this the girls are overpowering the guys but the girls sound fanomial! they're not pushing it far enough on some spots but they are nice and soft when they need to be. The vowels seem to get bright but that's prolly the sound quality. but extremely amazing choir!!
TykisTeez 3 years ago 2
More than likely, anyone sitting on youtube criticizing people singing in this video isn't someone who should be in any position to be doing so.
joeFCKNenabnit 3 years ago
I didnt mean to give you a thumbs down, i totally agree with you, I mean I love choral music and watching choirs on here but only real professionals should be criticizing these kinds of choirs, and real professionals prolly are not sitting on youtube for hours on end
choirjunkie01 3 years ago
i agree. not to mention that sound gets distorted when recorded like this then posted on youtube. so i think the only people that should be criticizing them are pros that were at the concert.
jhartman09 3 years ago
remember ladies and gentlemen
you were not personally there
voice and video recordings are very inaccurate
;]]]] just a thought
muffinsann 3 years ago
the vowels are too bright and in the louder parts the girls dominate too much and the guys are lost, it should be slowed down and so that time is taken, this song is meant to be subtle yet powerful, and quiet yet loud. but the pitched were great
zachRG90 3 years ago 4
I completely agree. Nice voice and great job painting the picture of Whitacre's innocence. But it was a bit too bright. The minor chord was a bit out of tune as well. Also, this song or n e of Whitacre's songs for that matter arnt supposed to have vibrato. Just straight tones. Pure ones at that.
reprobeing 3 years ago
the vowels are way too spread, which is making it extremely bright
choralfreak123 3 years ago
spreading makes them dull does it not?
sherbetstraw 3 years ago
spreading vowels makes it seem bright, because the overtones produced are farther apart. in other words, you hear a shallow sound rather than a deep one.
so spreading it makes the sound "bright" (nasal) but the perception "dull" (boring).
chinter 3 years ago 2
I don't like how these guys sing it. I'm not sad at all when they get rabies and die. Note they savor oranges and limes before exchanging foamy kisses. Possible mutant fruit?
ALLSTATE 2008
crazyninja2011 3 years ago