A Mighty Fortress

[Williamsclassicmusic]

Whose arrangement is this?

[tinasp3]

It is too fast. We sing this in church and its not this fast.

[Autobotsunited]

@tinasp3 That's because you're singing it congregationally. This is a performance. 

[LittleLisha13]

so very very very very fast!!! crazy...i like it though....nice ending

[travisbreeding]

haha you should listen to the Halleleujah Chorus when he is conducting that.  He's an amazing conductor. I love his fast and furious motto as a trombonist.

[tbsigma1946]

thats really fast wow

[tommerrigan1956]

Beautiful!

[wsuprt]

Great vocal dynamics..but the speed took away from the lyrics. The song is too great of a song to be rushed over. The choir's sound is amazing- but would be better with a song meant to be fast.

[lvchoralman]

Great, and unique arrangement. What a FINE CHOIR!!

[HenryvKeiper]

Remember that scene from "Bye Bye Birdy" where they give the conductor some kind of speed or something and he speeds up the Russian ballet? That's what I thought of when I saw this video. Either that or the scene from the one Danny Kaye movie where they have to finish a ceremony quickly so they go through the steps super fast.

[futurelennon]

I know everyone says they sing it too fast, which I believe they do. But I give them props for trying something different. Sometimes choral staples such as these can become repetitive if nobody tries anything new or different..

[Tokkemon]

Very interesting arrangement.

[marham12]

This is wonderful, never heard it quite this fast though.

[Lon1719]

Interesting

[psalm3410]

That was incredible! Those are some very talented vocalists (and conductor too). I listened to it over and over. The harmony was awesome. They stayed together so perfectly, despite all the tempo changes. All I can say is, Wow!

[Tcrowe421]

Really great song, however really REALLY fast. As a Lutheran we never have song it this fast.

[DRfinest02]

wow, they really butchered this song. They sang it wayyyyy too fast

[trexler8]

Its a little on the herky jerky side but a great job!

[4vvard]

We sing this at our church. I like it a lot slower. Like, not snail slow, but not F1 fast.

[mhubbs2006]

The song splits into 8 part at the end, thats incredible!

[joshfontenot]

Very good..this is a difficult song..this is a fast song by the way for people that dont know this song!

[lastsonkrypton]

This is a lame arrangement

[futureindirector21]

wow that's super complicated i love it!

[zozottine]

Calmez-vous !

[b157566]

Did we in our strength confide, our striving would be losing;Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God's own choosing:Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;Lord Sabbaoth, His Name, from age to age the same,And He must win the battle.

[DellDude629]

Wow.....a super duper fast arrangement.....too fast!!! Still, the ending makes up for it. One of the most incredible endings I've ever heard...makes the whole thing worth it ten times over!!!!

[ItsAFluteThing]

muziq08, there is no sheet music. this is the old hymn arrangement. the difference is our conductor. he changes things up and does them differently.

[JAnthony37]

Actually this is arrangement by Carl Mueller.

[dutchmen84]

It's a nice sound, but I don't like the way it is arranged. It's more like a modern musicale or something like that. I miss the historicale way of music. But, that only my opinion.

[JAnthony37]

Modern musical? Hmm....well just FYI...the copyright date on this arrangement is 1937 so it's not exactly a new arrangement!! I think you don't like it because of the frenetic tempos he takes. Still.....I LOVE IT!!!!!! :-)

[muziq08]

can i get the sheet music to this

[Alex2Action]

I spy....no black people.

[ww54ww]

or asians or latinos

[carpeyourmom]

Its in the middle of Indiana... :' )

[pvvceid]

Or Eskimos.

[slappy1234567]

Faster, faster, sing it faster!!!!!!!!

[operaman20]

:35 hilarious...that conductor is too funny!!

[berniegurl07]

and anyone who can sing a song this fast diserves praise bc yall must have some AWESOME agility control...yall beta go head

[berniegurl07]

this needs to be taken slower...majestically

I am very familiar with this arrangement

but yall have a great sound

[biegel88]

Brilliant! Who arranged this version? I know the Luther Olds double choir version-

[bollikay]

fantastic! like it.

[NatashaNabokov]

The tempo is a tad speedy, at least for my taste. The again, I am a scandinavian lutheran....

[iwusinger]

How is it possible for a choir to sing with too much facial expression?!

[iwusinger]

How can you sing an arrangment the traditional way?! This an amazing arrangement. I love the fugue section.

Some people just don't like change I guess. That's fine. Don't say its horrible just because you don't care for the arrangement!

[waylifetruth]

ABSOLUTELY! Does this sound like the Battle Hymn of the Reformation??

[JostanVee]

This is THE BEST update of Luther's Great Standard that I have ever heard!

The reverence for the classic is heard throughout in the acapella format.

The interwoven andante, presto, and rallentando sections bespeak the desired thought that "The Ancient of Days is always up-to-date is presentation."

I have bookmarked this as a Favorite! :)

Excellent Testimony! thank You very much! :)

[tiernan87]

thank you JostanVee. serving the Lord through musical excellence is what the Chorale strives for every rehearsal and concert.

[EmbraceLife2000]

One word "Horrible"

[tiernan87]

come now, no learned musician would call the IWU chorale "horrible". perhaps you did not like the interpretation?

[chinaisright08]

I do...not...like...it! Please, please sing it the traditional way. This is just silly.

[Fozzybearo]

it's called an arrangement... not meant to be sung the "traditional" way, and i think it was amazing, a little fast though

[JostanVee]

The speed (presto) is superb! This is an exquisite arrangement!

[TessieTee]

Fantastic, Just at times it is so fast you can barely tell what they are saying! I loved it none the less

[jopachem]

Bravo! Wonderful! They have shown that old hymns can be made NEW! Praise God for giving talented directors of music round the globe. Filipinos love such creativity and dynamics in music.

[Badboy2354]

cool

[zappadead13]

Americas future Godspeed to all of you

[zappadead13]

@zappadead13 you rock!!

[Spadealchemist]

very unique interpretation of the piece. it's very uniqu. i would like to comment on your superb soprano section. i heard very little decressendo where it said our striving would be loosing.... other than that, it was quite good! ^_^

we're taking the same song to the ATL Heritage Festival.

[moivivant]

a little fast but...let's say it's interesting...

[flippysnotze]

ohhh boyyy?

[caddyorganist]

Um....interesting interpretation... Personally I much prefer the California Baptist University Choir and Orchestra or the Orpheus Choir from Olivet Nazarene University's renditions of this arrangement of A Mighty Fortress.

[gneisenau321]

Too fast for my liking but good job any way.

[lucson06091975]

I love when choirs have a new take on hymns but why does this choir feel they have to go immensely fast on the hyms? I love this song and This Is My Father's World but this choir sings too fast and too much facial expression. They have brought nothing new to these hyms that I like.

[truthman10200]

Not a good remake at all. I couldn't follow it. Way too fast.

[googoo42]

way too go dynamics

[OneStar4UrVid]

These people need to lay off the crack rock.

[OneStar4UrVid]

Way too fast, way, way too fast.

[LucyLouWho15]

I completely agree with oneandtwo...they have loads of talent, but goodness...

[Ritzounett]

Oh, sorry, Idiana. I should have checked before asking. Well the University of Utah choir is good too ! But well done in this one.

[Ritzounett]

Is it the University of Utah Choir ? I love this.

[rickincasa]

Exhilarating! A great old hymn is made new!

[Fozzybearo]

What is a terrible mess?

[oneandatwo]

Showing off is the ruination of any vehicle.

[sivadnadia]

you, oneandatwo, are a pompous windbag.

[IUFTR]

What a terrible mess, and with all that talent!

[buddmar]

Sorry, I was being unkind and cruel! I apologize. They are not third rate - just second rate. And this performance is second rate in my opinion. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir they are not.

[buddmar]

Yikes! One of finest Christian hymns - written by Martin Luther himself - ruined by this third rate choir. How sad.

[Horse1888]

NONSENSE!! It's a beautiful arrangement and the performance is superb. BRAVO IWU!!!

[DASH629]

Fantastic! This is a good choir!!

[JAnthony37]

I'ver never heard this song paced quite this way either but my goodness....it doesn't matter! This was a fabulous and spirited performance that brought me to tears at the end- I just loved it!! What's more, the faces of the singers say so much about how much they love what they are doing. Wonderful!!!!

[NJLouis66]

Wow.  Fantastic. Praise God.

[Fozzybearo]

I'm glad that GBJPhotoWorks knows how Mueller wanted his song to sound like, because I don't. GREAT SONG, GREAT SOUND, GREAT GROUP.

[alexfandros50]

love it! love it! love it! love it! one of my top 5 hymns. Please do you have a version of 'Praise to the Lord, the almighty' ....would really love to hear this rendition.

[GBJPhotoWorks]

This is my favorite arrangement of "Mighty Fortress", but I've never heard it paced like this. Although fairly well performed, I think the director's choice to race through it, in fits and starts, absolutely ruins Muellers incredible arrangment. Sorry... hated it.

[chiken900]

HEY MR SCOTT...can u pls tell me where can i get the recordings of these chorale?

[pianoman777]

holy crap!!!! this is so awsome!!! i mean i'm in chorus but i never heard anything this good!!! great expression on there faces and the best chord i have ever heard at the end!11 sent cold chills down my back.... just wow man...

[TheNinthDoctor]

Lovely! This song is so amazing.

[AnneRice41]

Another beautiful expression of faith in the Lord, and faith in the beauty and power of music. Thanks to whoever took the time to put this up. I hear you. Anne Rice.

[MuKuAXX]

Scott, well done. I was hoping some of your videos would make it on here... I'm tempted to put some stuff from my last spring break on here as well.

[zanebeima]

I don't know what Leon is talking about that is a magnificent group. So what if diction isn't their strong suit. That is not an easy song to sing and those guys sound awesome in the beginning. A group of 80 this good is hard to come by.

[leonheart00]

great job singing it but I have no idea what was said and music goes good with that song. seriously. Is that the all seeing mason architechts eye behind you in that video or something else?