as a brass player(tuba) i have major respect for this song!!! i played it in a brass choir at stetson university the best thing i have ever played in my life
Beautifull, A very nice choir to listen to, and to it seems a very difficult peace of music. I did sing some Magnum Mysteriums, but from composers out of the 16th century, Also difficult but beautifull
I sob every time i hear this. This piece is absolutely beautiful. I played this with my wind ensemble last year. It was great, but I like it as a choral piece better, the way should be. Well done :)
I sang this song my junior year in high school and the first time I heard this I cried because it was so beautiful. Six years later its still the only piece I have clearly remembered singing and to this day when song beautifully like this I cry (more like sob). This was beautifully done and if you cant appreciate this then you dont understand what it means to love music and to feel it in your soul.
Very beautiful. I don't usually click on American choirs since they are usually full of sops who vibrato the heck out of gorgeous music but this was lovely. Well done.
My friends, there is no need to bicker over opinion. One man argues his point, another his. Let us not forget we are here because of the music! This is a beautiful work and extremely difficult to balance. While not precisely perfect, UUS does a fantastic job of bringing this composition to life. Don't find an uncommon ground; listen and feel the warmth spread over you like a wave and learn to appreciate one another :)
Beautiful piece of music and a very good interpretation. A bit fast for my taste. But really well done otherwise for a very difficult piece of music.
This is a beautiful song with an amazing group singing. But I feel like it would be amazing as a trombone choir piece as well, which is exactly what I'm working on right now. But I don't think it will ever amount to anything a real vocal choir can do, this is just stunning.
Wow... really takes me back to my concert choir days at college. How I miss this sort of ensemble singing. So glad this piece and others like it have been posted. Well done, kids.
I'm a sophomore in high school and my top choir is singing this song as a challenge. It is absolutely beautiful when we get it perfect, or close to perfect at least. While it is an extremely difficult, almost impossible piece, it will always be my favorite work i have ever sung. With a Christmas concert coming up, my choir is working so hard to make it perfect. We are a group of about 20 people and at one point it splits into 9 parts~its a challenge, and i love it :)
I remember the international choral competition I was in in Spital Austria and this choir sounds as good as they come. May we all get to sing this stuff in Heaven forever and ever at that great University in the sky or on some other dimension of time and space discussed by physicists and alluded to In the Song of Bernadette where only Bernadette could see the Mother of God.
helloandrea83. It's not its ;-) Singers aren't reading, which I like; the choir sings very well, but the dry room doesn't help set aside the cathedral reverbs we are used to: actually dry acoustics require more precision that reverant ones, quite obiously. It isn't easy when sopranos soar and basses are supposed (from 3:15) to keep volume consistent on a deep pitch. Personally I prefer sacred music sung by choirs with boys, as it gives more timbrical continuity. Thumbs up, for the Utah Singers!
My college chamber singers group only consists of about 16 or 17 people and our variation of this is way different and is more melodic... I can't find our version anywhere on here.
Not the University of Utah Singers' best piece. They have a great blend and sound, of course, but i feel as though the performance doesn't have the necessary passion for it. Part of it is I think the director took it a little too fast at the beginning. It didn't have enough space to grow because of that. I much prefer their performance of Kverno's Ave Maris Stella and I prefer UST's Alumni Singer's rendition of this piece.
Why is it that EVERY choral piece I find on youtube theres some asshole on his pedestal giving a critique!? Let's celebrate music instead of putting it down so often. This happens too much, especially at choir competitions.
@arnel1 It's not that we're putting it down, it's that we're giving constructive criticism. Unless someone's being rude about it. But being harsh tends to be the way to go when giving critique.
Like, this is much too fast for me. That tends to mean that the choir didn't have the breath support to sing it at its original tempo.
Correct me if I'm wrong, though.
Sometimes directors just want to speed things up, and I understand that.
@YaoiRocksYourSocks everyone has preferences for the tempo of this song and many directors, of course, have different ideas of how the tempo should be. However, if ur going by what the composer intended, the university of utah singers are not that far off. Im looking at the sheet music right now and at the end of the sheet music it says the song, based on the tempo, should be 5:38 and this choir is right about there at 5:31.
@arnel1 I'm confused, your saying that saying that their is to much criticism at choral competitions. That's the reason for a choral competition or a competition of any kind. You cannot improve unless someone points out where there is room for improvement. The judges are not being paid to placate everyone as if they're toddlers needing approval of their actions. As a singer I appreciate compliments but I will only truly remember the criticisms so that I can improve every chance I get.
@arnel1 You know you are probably going to think I'm an asshole, but people are entitled to their opinions. If everyone thought everything was brilliant and amazing there would be no room for improvement and everything would be perfect. But this is not heaven, we are on earth where things are not perfect. Thus, getting back to my original point, people are entitled to their opinions.
@somanyusernames1 Correction my friend :) We are in Heaven if we want to be in Heaven. Being in Heaven(Utopia) Is a mind-set :) Never forget that. Everything is a mind-set and everything begins with a thought :) In my mind everything is perfect. Being able to constantly grow and change makes us perfect.
I Love You! Remember who you are. Remember what our purpose is.
@arnel1 I half agree with you. There are those that provide comments of an uneducated nature. But, if we are to just enjoy the music, eventually everyone will just be mediocre, instead of actually bettering themselves. This is the problem we face as choral conductors.
This is VERY nice. I have listened to many renditions of this piece, and this is just another interpretation of it. I have no negative comments at all. God job!
I hope the harpist got a talking-to. Really? Moving before this piece was over, and then tilting her harp back before the audience even started clapping? Amateur.
@daamqc For your information, the intention of the choir was to go straight into their next piece. The harpist was getting ready to play on the next song. Dr. Allred dropped his arms because the audience began clapping before he could go on.
This is a lovely rendition of a most difficult piece and I agree with your comments. I also like Westminster and King's Colege versions, but my favorite is the Nordic Chamber Choir. We are singing this again for Christmas and since I'm a 2nd alto, I like that the Nordic version has individual parts so I can work on it at home.
Well I liked it. This choir is a young choir but they give a lovely rendition of this piece - one they can be justifiably proud of.
Comparing them to the likes of Westminster Cathedral Choir and King's College Chapel Choir may be a little harsh - Polyphony less so perhaps - but that's just my opinion.
@hueys5 hueys5. I wasn't comparing them to the other choirs, just stating that "I also like...." other renditions. This is beautiful and sung at a nice tempo. Some directors take it way to slow. I sang in college concert choir so I do know how our voices change over the decades. I liked the UofU singers very much and I hope they are very proud!
I recomend looking up the LA Master Chorale version of this song. Although this is beautiful, they have a bit richer sound and slightly better phrasing which makess the musical experience even greater
@thewakecrush COMPLETELY agree. Im more of a fan of darker and richer sound and thus like the La Master chorale version better. this performance is excellent but their sound is a little too bright for my tastes. I think the phrasing is better in that version because their director, Paul Salamunovich, is an expert in chant and uses that as a basis for his phrasing. Also, Lauridsen wrote this song specifically to take advantage of the master chorales sound so thats y i think it sounds better.
We played this for the brass choir, it sounds awesome, there would be times when we had to sing it or AWWW it, and it sounded good, i got goosebumps from this stuff.
Beautiful! Brought me to tears, when I was in college my choir sang Lauridsens Lux Aerterna in full... it was the most magnificent thing I have ever sung in my whole entire life. Brings me to tears when I listen to it over again!
i had sang this song with my choir during the Christmas of year 2009 in a shopping mall...is not easy to sing this song...but just hope our song can bring more people to understand how great is our God~!!
@791Pisto (ignore the account change, I am TwinLsrBatteries)
My choir director emphasizes dark vowels so much that when I hear a group ignore it completely it just ruins it for me. It has made me more critical of other groups, but I understand it better when a group does it right. I'm sure anyone can tell you that making good music is more than just hitting the right notes.
@psycholian agreed. they have this eastern european pronunciation of the latin "e". Most eastern and northern european choirs (including the germans), pronounce the latin "e" brightly w/ a diphthong. Im not a fan myself cuz my choir director also emphasized darker vowels, but perhaps they are doing it to ensure that they dont get flat.
@bimmerboy87...quite possibly because look where they are preforming...an accoustically perfect hall, but darker vowels would have been better I think...brighter and kinda dipthonged vowels add character and a contemporary feel to the selection.
@tkaminsk honestly its a matter of opinion. Im not a fan of "contemporary" sound or feel. I was brought up singing in a more traditional setting i guess u could say since thats how my choir directors were taught. I personally dont like bright and diphthonged vowels. I find bright sound to be a little jarring, tonally. But it also depends on how bright the sound is. a little brightness is ok especially to keep things in tune, but overall i like a darker, mature sound
@psycholian I can understand now what you were talking about. I don't really have any choir experience. I just thought that this song sounded amazing because I played it when I was in disrict band.
another response...sometimes okay most of the time repertoire sung in Latin is never understood. This is not the case...the Latin is amazing and crisp and clear, sends shivers somewhere in my happy place.
I love the work of this choir and esp. this director. I think it is interesting to hear the criticisms. There may be some vowels and intonation that didn't come out perfectly but this was a live performance. I watched them in rehearsal the day before and it was absolutely inspiring to hear this live. Your standards have to be pretty darn high to not call this beautiful.
bass line is extremely a dynamic higher. if they were a little softer in volume it would've been amazing. this is what happens when spaces are accoustically perfect...you hear everything that is supposed to happen and what is wrong. not fair to the ear, but thats accoustics for you.
@tkaminsk Well said. I suppose you might agree with me in saying that this might be the wrong acoustic for this motet. I personally think that the piece is better suited to a cathedral-like acoustic, allowing the harmony to carry down the building.
However, the main issue is that of the singers on a sectional (and maybe even individual) level. Tuning needs to be perfect, regardless of where one performs, so "the acoustic" is no excuse for sloppy tuning.
@skypiercer03 - the reason I disliked this is because of vowel shapes and intonation at spots. Lauridsen is one of my favorite living composers.. this just isn't one of my favorite recordings of it.
this is amazing! my high school chorus is going to do this for our gala so i thought i would look it up...sadly we are nothing near close to this. lol :) amazing job
Dude at 3:15 it sounds like there's a ghost note that's really faint but really high. I barely hear it when they just hit the climax. It's my fav part. <3
The focus here is on making a nice sound, rather than singing a genuine performance, so even though the notes are there, it's lacking that special something. I much prefer this piece as done by either Westminster Cathedral Choir, King's College Chapel Choir or Polyphony.
However, the bass tuning is unfortunately all over the place and fails to truly settle, which ruined this for me. The SA tuning is very nice though. The acoustic isn't very friendly, which I imagine didn't help the bass line...
@jakeyjazz im not sure if its the acoustics of the building that isnt helping the bass line so much as its the tone quality of the basses. The basses have too much of a buzzing sound instead of a lighter but more resonant sound. Their buzzing sound makes them stick out even more. My choir director was a huge stickler for the kind of buzzing sound these basses in this video produce. They should try to produce a more warm, yawning type sound and i think it would help there blend significantly
@bimmerboy87 Well said, and I agree. I take that yawning quality (i.e. the lifting of the soft palette) as a must for singing (seeing as such lifting opens resonant spaces in the head, leaving out the need to force to resonate - but I'm sure you know that already!). All I mean by "it's not helping" is that the dry acoustic is making the lack of tonal quality stick out. Sometimes a softer acoustic can mask it (not that people should be relying on that instead of good technique!) Best wishes :-)
@jakeyjazz yes, by yawning i meant a lifting of the soft palette. seems that the basses in this choir in general have a very buzzing sound instead of lifting the soft palette. My choir director stressed lifting the soft palette, which she learned from her mentor paul salamunovich. Paul used to conduct the la master chorale and lauridsen wrote this piece for him and the chorale.
@bimmerboy87 I hear what you mean about the buzzing. I think that intonation too is playing a part (Though I am a musician, my degree is in Classical Languages!). Their over-pronunciation of the Latin will be causing unnecessary tension in the mouth and neck, thus contributing to a tuning issue. To those who might think we are just choir-bashing, we're not. I hope I speak for us both when I say we both love Choral music, but there is nothing wrong with sharing one's opinion in a public forum.
@jakeyjazz Yeah the Westminster Cathedral Choir would sound good with anyone singing there you understand that right? Not taking anything away from their choir, because they're fantastic, but this choir singing in the Westminster Cathedral would have sounded just as good.
@sfcougars45 I understand your point but I have to disagree, as it rests on the assumption that an expansive acoustic makes all choirs sound the same. All choirs have their own distinct sound, all depending on a variety of factors, not least of all the fact that every voice is unique. It's a matter of tuning. Expansive acoustics do not eliminate bad tuning - the tuning in the other versions is simply better. This choir is skilled (I'm not disputing that), but this isn't their best performance...
@jakeyjazz having sung this myself, the bass part at times is extremely hard to keep in tune...especially hitting the low D and keeping it there is hard...took me a few days to be able to sustain the note and stay in tune....and you are right about the acoustics here
This is absolutely beautiful. I sing in the Westmont college choir in santa barbara CA and we performed it during our Christmas concert last year.
Im a little upset about the fact that the conductor or the choir RUSHES the piece so much. its not supposed to be that fast.... otherwise its not great or mysterious....its short and fast :/
@boniverlover in the score is written quarter note ca.72 this version is not that faster. i feel it's just his aim to lead the choir onwards. in any case it's an amazing piece.
Wow, one of the best live renditions of this piece on YouTube. (Should've had the harpist go sit offstage, though...unless you're going into some other song right away...well done, regardless.)
My choir is doing this piece of music, but a diffrent vocal arrangement. And everytime we try to get to the high part at the begining, we go sharp. This take tallent, and "they got it"
Wow. Absolutely stunning! This piece always reduces me to tears. Thanks be to God for the gift of music, for those who write it, those who sing it, and the rest of us--to whom He has given ears to hear. Alleluia!
I love this song and I cry every time I listen to it/sing it. It is an amazing piece of music that I really think God wrote through Morten Lauridsen. The only thing that was remotely displeasing about this was that the vowels were slightly not tall enough for Latin. Amazing song. Great job.
I heard this song for the first time last weekend at Christmas at the Cathedral...a new xmas favorite...amazing....makes you want to close your eyes and indulge. Great job.
I have listened again and again to this and let me say, this time without spelling errors I hope, LOL, this is the most awesome vocal performance of this piece ever!! Thank you so much to the University of Utah Singers and their talented Professors of Music. I am confident all of the members of the Department of Music at Reinhardt University would agree that you "mastered" this piece in all of it's beauty. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!
@eztobeme Hi EZ! .......and Westminster Cathedral Choir, London, England (Roman Catholic) during midnight mass LIVE on the BBC 24/25 December 2009. Best wishes EF1
I don't necessarily think it's too slow. I think a lot of the reason he chose this tempo is to keep the audience's attention. It's such an amazing song, but when you've been listening to song after song in a choir, if it's too slow, you tend to drift, especially if you're not really into choral music to begin with. I think there were bits and places it could've been a little slower, but overall I love the tempo. It's more engaging. :D
@UhmmSaraaa which is much easier with more acoustics. in this dry room I think this is very good, the music lives. I might like some more alto, though.
im not [articular about the pronunciation but i have something to pick with the sops.... their voices sound too weak compared to the men... it would be good for them to sound more like the fillipino sops from UST singers for this song
@zippyninny What is with the UST singers fans trolling these videos? Both choirs are well decorated in both honors and competition. Lets just leave it at that.
that sent me to my happy place
donho1950 6 days ago
as a brass player(tuba) i have major respect for this song!!! i played it in a brass choir at stetson university the best thing i have ever played in my life
TBproudoctions 1 week ago
This is such a beautiful rendition of a difficult piece.
JohnLaurain 1 week ago
Enchantingly touching and beautiful.
RICKYRASPER 1 week ago
This has been flagged as spam show
i love it.. its so in tune
KristianRuffin 2 weeks ago
bravissimi... but i prefear it a bit slower... sing musica sacra mean take the sense of the prayer and of the words. beautiful voices.
thehillcefis 2 weeks ago
Beautifull, A very nice choir to listen to, and to it seems a very difficult peace of music. I did sing some Magnum Mysteriums, but from composers out of the 16th century, Also difficult but beautifull
muzieknootjedoremi 2 weeks ago
The Basses sounds wonderful but I don't know if i'm just saying that because i'm a bass.
MrGundownmark 3 weeks ago
I sob every time i hear this. This piece is absolutely beautiful. I played this with my wind ensemble last year. It was great, but I like it as a choral piece better, the way should be. Well done :)
twinkletwinkle681 3 weeks ago
Beautiful. Our honor band played this, and i almost cried everytime. I may be just a freshman, but music has moved me so much in the past 3 years.
DeAnnaLeighBroskiii 3 weeks ago
I sang this song my junior year in high school and the first time I heard this I cried because it was so beautiful. Six years later its still the only piece I have clearly remembered singing and to this day when song beautifully like this I cry (more like sob). This was beautifully done and if you cant appreciate this then you dont understand what it means to love music and to feel it in your soul.
shortigetlow 1 month ago
the strings arrangement to this is nowhere near as good as this
MrSuperDagangsta 1 month ago
There are 12 people who do not understand what music is...
BelaBartok14 1 month ago
Very beautiful. I don't usually click on American choirs since they are usually full of sops who vibrato the heck out of gorgeous music but this was lovely. Well done.
Jubilajane 1 month ago
According to St Francs De Sales Latin, Greek, and Hebrew are the three angelic languages.
uncatila 1 month ago
Your blend as a choir is great. Great job.
jqd5 1 month ago
My friends, there is no need to bicker over opinion. One man argues his point, another his. Let us not forget we are here because of the music! This is a beautiful work and extremely difficult to balance. While not precisely perfect, UUS does a fantastic job of bringing this composition to life. Don't find an uncommon ground; listen and feel the warmth spread over you like a wave and learn to appreciate one another :)
bggrthnslicedbread 1 month ago
We're doing this song for our spring concert!
TheColgrove4 1 month ago
I absolutely love this! My highschool choir is doing this piece for our spring concert, but we are nowhere near as good as this! Makes me jealous:)
alytheincredible 1 month ago
Beautiful piece of music and a very good interpretation. A bit fast for my taste. But really well done otherwise for a very difficult piece of music.
tuckeyman 2 months ago
just a tad too much bass in my opinion. Everything is amazing and correct though
TheGodKingOfMusic 2 months ago
@TheGodKingOfMusic No such thing as too much bass. Ever.
jRent2011 1 month ago 2
This is a beautiful song with an amazing group singing. But I feel like it would be amazing as a trombone choir piece as well, which is exactly what I'm working on right now. But I don't think it will ever amount to anything a real vocal choir can do, this is just stunning.
TrombonePlayah 2 months ago
Wow... really takes me back to my concert choir days at college. How I miss this sort of ensemble singing. So glad this piece and others like it have been posted. Well done, kids.
keinark 2 months ago
This is stunning! Very well done on a difficult piece!
youthinkso03 2 months ago 3
This is beyond any measure; I could be Jewish, Catholic, German, African....it hits your heart as a resonant frequency... ♫
mcampeau11 2 months ago 3
I'm a sophomore in high school and my top choir is singing this song as a challenge. It is absolutely beautiful when we get it perfect, or close to perfect at least. While it is an extremely difficult, almost impossible piece, it will always be my favorite work i have ever sung. With a Christmas concert coming up, my choir is working so hard to make it perfect. We are a group of about 20 people and at one point it splits into 9 parts~its a challenge, and i love it :)
TheInspirationPower 2 months ago 13
I listen to UUS often on Youtube. They are beautifully balanced.
trompeter68co 2 months ago
This is one of the most powerful choral pieces I have ever heard and performed. Nice Job!!
This piece gives me goose bumps!!
flormtr1 2 months ago
Learn2latin
Mello934 2 months ago
I remember the international choral competition I was in in Spital Austria and this choir sounds as good as they come. May we all get to sing this stuff in Heaven forever and ever at that great University in the sky or on some other dimension of time and space discussed by physicists and alluded to In the Song of Bernadette where only Bernadette could see the Mother of God.
uncatila 3 months ago
Comment removed
uncatila 3 months ago
the attack of every chord is completely together... flawless especially 1:23
DavidCovalent 3 months ago
helloandrea83. It's not its ;-) Singers aren't reading, which I like; the choir sings very well, but the dry room doesn't help set aside the cathedral reverbs we are used to: actually dry acoustics require more precision that reverant ones, quite obiously. It isn't easy when sopranos soar and basses are supposed (from 3:15) to keep volume consistent on a deep pitch. Personally I prefer sacred music sung by choirs with boys, as it gives more timbrical continuity. Thumbs up, for the Utah Singers!
oiznas 3 months ago
Amazing. everyone Who says otherwise is either jealous or uneducated. its perfect
hellloandrea83 3 months ago
My college chamber singers group only consists of about 16 or 17 people and our variation of this is way different and is more melodic... I can't find our version anywhere on here.
xteamstreetglowx 3 months ago
Un canto molto espressivo...non smetterei mai di sentirlo. Tocca le corde dell'Anima. Vorrei tanti cantarlo col mio coro....
stedario1 4 months ago
I was watching this video to study the sheet music and sing along. i have to replay the video again because i couldnt stop crying.
ChrisGuitarbeast 4 months ago
Alto section kills this song every time!
M3i3n3d3y 4 months ago
Not the University of Utah Singers' best piece. They have a great blend and sound, of course, but i feel as though the performance doesn't have the necessary passion for it. Part of it is I think the director took it a little too fast at the beginning. It didn't have enough space to grow because of that. I much prefer their performance of Kverno's Ave Maris Stella and I prefer UST's Alumni Singer's rendition of this piece.
bwaybrat92 4 months ago
Nice sound. One of the sopranos seriously needs to learn to use Latin flipped R's or else fake it better. Nice blend and tone though.
KaworusFallenAngel 4 months ago
@ arnel1 ~ cursing on the same page with this beautiful music is just wrong. you can express yourself without it.
LittleWing53 4 months ago
@LittleWing53 amen to that. that was so contradictory of him.
manchester4ever7 4 months ago
Why is it that EVERY choral piece I find on youtube theres some asshole on his pedestal giving a critique!? Let's celebrate music instead of putting it down so often. This happens too much, especially at choir competitions.
arnel1 4 months ago 63
@arnel1 It's not that we're putting it down, it's that we're giving constructive criticism. Unless someone's being rude about it. But being harsh tends to be the way to go when giving critique.
Like, this is much too fast for me. That tends to mean that the choir didn't have the breath support to sing it at its original tempo.
Correct me if I'm wrong, though.
Sometimes directors just want to speed things up, and I understand that.
YaoiRocksYourSocks 4 months ago
@YaoiRocksYourSocks everyone has preferences for the tempo of this song and many directors, of course, have different ideas of how the tempo should be. However, if ur going by what the composer intended, the university of utah singers are not that far off. Im looking at the sheet music right now and at the end of the sheet music it says the song, based on the tempo, should be 5:38 and this choir is right about there at 5:31.
bimmerboy87 4 months ago
@arnel1 I'm confused, your saying that saying that their is to much criticism at choral competitions. That's the reason for a choral competition or a competition of any kind. You cannot improve unless someone points out where there is room for improvement. The judges are not being paid to placate everyone as if they're toddlers needing approval of their actions. As a singer I appreciate compliments but I will only truly remember the criticisms so that I can improve every chance I get.
mavoricky 3 months ago 2
@arnel1 You know you are probably going to think I'm an asshole, but people are entitled to their opinions. If everyone thought everything was brilliant and amazing there would be no room for improvement and everything would be perfect. But this is not heaven, we are on earth where things are not perfect. Thus, getting back to my original point, people are entitled to their opinions.
somanyusernames1 3 months ago
@somanyusernames1 Correction my friend :) We are in Heaven if we want to be in Heaven. Being in Heaven(Utopia) Is a mind-set :) Never forget that. Everything is a mind-set and everything begins with a thought :) In my mind everything is perfect. Being able to constantly grow and change makes us perfect.
I Love You! Remember who you are. Remember what our purpose is.
Peace, Love, Harmony :)
DrummerLocsForLife 2 months ago
Theres even criticisms on my post! You guys are hilarious. Keep 'em coming. Keep trying to justify being ridiculous.
arnel1 3 months ago
@arnel1 I half agree with you. There are those that provide comments of an uneducated nature. But, if we are to just enjoy the music, eventually everyone will just be mediocre, instead of actually bettering themselves. This is the problem we face as choral conductors.
JRichardYoung 2 months ago 3
@arnel1 maybe due to lack of confidence/self-security
RAKSOZGAR 3 weeks ago
@arnel1 Thank goodness for you and for other people like this, that actually appreciate music.
MaryKateEAFeola 3 weeks ago
If I ever want to take a nap, I open this, and it only takes one listen. I love it.
nckjrd27 5 months ago
One of my favorite texts to sing.
anzanderz 5 months ago
This is such a beautifully crafted sound. Job well done indeed.
walterwbishop 5 months ago
This is VERY nice. I have listened to many renditions of this piece, and this is just another interpretation of it. I have no negative comments at all. God job!
tsanf20008 5 months ago
too fast, too short and not artistic. Very skippy. Though the harmonics and keys are perfect.
lty2k84 5 months ago
Mmmmm I love the swell. I think my high school choir director would have been all over us about the enunciation. She was like no other, though.
1littlezim 6 months ago
I hope the harpist got a talking-to. Really? Moving before this piece was over, and then tilting her harp back before the audience even started clapping? Amateur.
daamqc 6 months ago
@daamqc For your information, the intention of the choir was to go straight into their next piece. The harpist was getting ready to play on the next song. Dr. Allred dropped his arms because the audience began clapping before he could go on.
jdjeagle 3 months ago
This is a lovely rendition of a most difficult piece and I agree with your comments. I also like Westminster and King's Colege versions, but my favorite is the Nordic Chamber Choir. We are singing this again for Christmas and since I'm a 2nd alto, I like that the Nordic version has individual parts so I can work on it at home.
ckmiller66 6 months ago
Well I liked it. This choir is a young choir but they give a lovely rendition of this piece - one they can be justifiably proud of.
Comparing them to the likes of Westminster Cathedral Choir and King's College Chapel Choir may be a little harsh - Polyphony less so perhaps - but that's just my opinion.
Well done UoU Singers!
hueys5 6 months ago in playlist Choral
@hueys5 hueys5. I wasn't comparing them to the other choirs, just stating that "I also like...." other renditions. This is beautiful and sung at a nice tempo. Some directors take it way to slow. I sang in college concert choir so I do know how our voices change over the decades. I liked the UofU singers very much and I hope they are very proud!
ckmiller66 6 months ago
I recomend looking up the LA Master Chorale version of this song. Although this is beautiful, they have a bit richer sound and slightly better phrasing which makess the musical experience even greater
thewakecrush 6 months ago
@thewakecrush COMPLETELY agree. Im more of a fan of darker and richer sound and thus like the La Master chorale version better. this performance is excellent but their sound is a little too bright for my tastes. I think the phrasing is better in that version because their director, Paul Salamunovich, is an expert in chant and uses that as a basis for his phrasing. Also, Lauridsen wrote this song specifically to take advantage of the master chorales sound so thats y i think it sounds better.
bimmerboy87 5 months ago
I sense some scooping...
JTSHHS 7 months ago
ANGELICAL, mi Dios de los cielos, esto es hermosísimo ,en adelante trabajaré mas fuerte en la coral Alabanza para adorarte de ésta manera .
nacha746 7 months ago
Maravilloso, oh mi Señor Jesús y Dios de los cielos de esta manera es que deseo alabarte por siempre.
Varrimathras 7 months ago
Ay Dios, esta música me acerca más a ti ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡
tlaltecatzin 7 months ago
We played this for the brass choir, it sounds awesome, there would be times when we had to sing it or AWWW it, and it sounded good, i got goosebumps from this stuff.
EBE246 7 months ago
I agree with barberjazz. The piece and the performance are awesome and inspiring.
DrOrion62 8 months ago
Beautiful! Brought me to tears, when I was in college my choir sang Lauridsens Lux Aerterna in full... it was the most magnificent thing I have ever sung in my whole entire life. Brings me to tears when I listen to it over again!
jlukes14 8 months ago
is it just me who's hearing admirabile as "admirabileyy"?
nfamiliar 8 months ago
@nfamiliar I've learned this piece and it's in entirely in Latin, so it's pronounced right. :)
ThEDrEaMkEpPeR 8 months ago
i had sang this song with my choir during the Christmas of year 2009 in a shopping mall...is not easy to sing this song...but just hope our song can bring more people to understand how great is our God~!!
navimaf 8 months ago
Just wonderful! Thanks so much!
vercio1972 9 months ago
congratulation, really great performance, i am also singer... in the german youth chamber choir
musicandi88 9 months ago
Oh jesus this hurts my ears "mys tEEEEEEEREEEEEEEum" did the concept of dark vowels never occur to anyone?
TwinLsrBatteries 9 months ago
@TwinLsrBatteries What are you talking about? This music sounds magnificent!
791Pisto 9 months ago
@791Pisto (ignore the account change, I am TwinLsrBatteries)
My choir director emphasizes dark vowels so much that when I hear a group ignore it completely it just ruins it for me. It has made me more critical of other groups, but I understand it better when a group does it right. I'm sure anyone can tell you that making good music is more than just hitting the right notes.
psycholian 9 months ago
@psycholian agreed. they have this eastern european pronunciation of the latin "e". Most eastern and northern european choirs (including the germans), pronounce the latin "e" brightly w/ a diphthong. Im not a fan myself cuz my choir director also emphasized darker vowels, but perhaps they are doing it to ensure that they dont get flat.
bimmerboy87 9 months ago
@bimmerboy87...quite possibly because look where they are preforming...an accoustically perfect hall, but darker vowels would have been better I think...brighter and kinda dipthonged vowels add character and a contemporary feel to the selection.
tkaminsk 8 months ago
@tkaminsk honestly its a matter of opinion. Im not a fan of "contemporary" sound or feel. I was brought up singing in a more traditional setting i guess u could say since thats how my choir directors were taught. I personally dont like bright and diphthonged vowels. I find bright sound to be a little jarring, tonally. But it also depends on how bright the sound is. a little brightness is ok especially to keep things in tune, but overall i like a darker, mature sound
bimmerboy87 8 months ago
@psycholian I can understand now what you were talking about. I don't really have any choir experience. I just thought that this song sounded amazing because I played it when I was in disrict band.
791Pisto 9 months ago
@TwinLsrBatteries...probably not.
tkaminsk 8 months ago
the harpist is so lucky :)
ianlongan 9 months ago
another response...sometimes okay most of the time repertoire sung in Latin is never understood. This is not the case...the Latin is amazing and crisp and clear, sends shivers somewhere in my happy place.
tkaminsk 10 months ago
What a stunning performance!! Plz would u all check our choir videos, Voices Inc from the University of Free State, South Africa!!!
Ssipha 10 months ago
Oh the knowledge of all the 17 - 20 year old individuals that have so much to say!
syrus96 10 months ago
I love the work of this choir and esp. this director. I think it is interesting to hear the criticisms. There may be some vowels and intonation that didn't come out perfectly but this was a live performance. I watched them in rehearsal the day before and it was absolutely inspiring to hear this live. Your standards have to be pretty darn high to not call this beautiful.
scottmorrise 10 months ago 8
Nothing to do with original composition. But it´s grat
maurorock445 10 months ago
Absolutely breathtaking!
LyngJeanette 10 months ago
bass line is extremely a dynamic higher. if they were a little softer in volume it would've been amazing. this is what happens when spaces are accoustically perfect...you hear everything that is supposed to happen and what is wrong. not fair to the ear, but thats accoustics for you.
tkaminsk 10 months ago
@tkaminsk Well said. I suppose you might agree with me in saying that this might be the wrong acoustic for this motet. I personally think that the piece is better suited to a cathedral-like acoustic, allowing the harmony to carry down the building.
However, the main issue is that of the singers on a sectional (and maybe even individual) level. Tuning needs to be perfect, regardless of where one performs, so "the acoustic" is no excuse for sloppy tuning.
I also agree with tmoore on intonation.
jakeyjazz 10 months ago
@skypiercer03 - the reason I disliked this is because of vowel shapes and intonation at spots. Lauridsen is one of my favorite living composers.. this just isn't one of my favorite recordings of it.
tmoore192 11 months ago
this is amazing! my high school chorus is going to do this for our gala so i thought i would look it up...sadly we are nothing near close to this. lol :) amazing job
4lifeMusic2014 11 months ago
Dude at 3:15 it sounds like there's a ghost note that's really faint but really high. I barely hear it when they just hit the climax. It's my fav part. <3
WaffleQueen101 11 months ago 2
absolutely excellent recording. bravo.
drummingblind 11 months ago
The focus here is on making a nice sound, rather than singing a genuine performance, so even though the notes are there, it's lacking that special something. I much prefer this piece as done by either Westminster Cathedral Choir, King's College Chapel Choir or Polyphony.
However, the bass tuning is unfortunately all over the place and fails to truly settle, which ruined this for me. The SA tuning is very nice though. The acoustic isn't very friendly, which I imagine didn't help the bass line...
jakeyjazz 11 months ago 5
@jakeyjazz im not sure if its the acoustics of the building that isnt helping the bass line so much as its the tone quality of the basses. The basses have too much of a buzzing sound instead of a lighter but more resonant sound. Their buzzing sound makes them stick out even more. My choir director was a huge stickler for the kind of buzzing sound these basses in this video produce. They should try to produce a more warm, yawning type sound and i think it would help there blend significantly
bimmerboy87 9 months ago
@bimmerboy87 Well said, and I agree. I take that yawning quality (i.e. the lifting of the soft palette) as a must for singing (seeing as such lifting opens resonant spaces in the head, leaving out the need to force to resonate - but I'm sure you know that already!). All I mean by "it's not helping" is that the dry acoustic is making the lack of tonal quality stick out. Sometimes a softer acoustic can mask it (not that people should be relying on that instead of good technique!) Best wishes :-)
jakeyjazz 9 months ago
@jakeyjazz yes, by yawning i meant a lifting of the soft palette. seems that the basses in this choir in general have a very buzzing sound instead of lifting the soft palette. My choir director stressed lifting the soft palette, which she learned from her mentor paul salamunovich. Paul used to conduct the la master chorale and lauridsen wrote this piece for him and the chorale.
bimmerboy87 9 months ago
@bimmerboy87 I hear what you mean about the buzzing. I think that intonation too is playing a part (Though I am a musician, my degree is in Classical Languages!). Their over-pronunciation of the Latin will be causing unnecessary tension in the mouth and neck, thus contributing to a tuning issue. To those who might think we are just choir-bashing, we're not. I hope I speak for us both when I say we both love Choral music, but there is nothing wrong with sharing one's opinion in a public forum.
jakeyjazz 9 months ago
@jakeyjazz This is good and it's always good to hear great Catholic music bringing Glory God King's choir notwithstaning
uncatila 7 months ago
@jakeyjazz Yeah the Westminster Cathedral Choir would sound good with anyone singing there you understand that right? Not taking anything away from their choir, because they're fantastic, but this choir singing in the Westminster Cathedral would have sounded just as good.
sfcougars45 5 months ago
@sfcougars45 I understand your point but I have to disagree, as it rests on the assumption that an expansive acoustic makes all choirs sound the same. All choirs have their own distinct sound, all depending on a variety of factors, not least of all the fact that every voice is unique. It's a matter of tuning. Expansive acoustics do not eliminate bad tuning - the tuning in the other versions is simply better. This choir is skilled (I'm not disputing that), but this isn't their best performance...
jakeyjazz 5 months ago
@jakeyjazz having sung this myself, the bass part at times is extremely hard to keep in tune...especially hitting the low D and keeping it there is hard...took me a few days to be able to sustain the note and stay in tune....and you are right about the acoustics here
singerboi588 5 months ago
good job, you have a very nice and sweet sound, right for this song
margotlorena1 11 months ago
this is one of my favorite songs ever
whitout12345 1 year ago
their vowels ar eweird...
kaylalynnfisher 1 year ago
We got to sing this in my chior this year. We went to contest and got a 1+ with it! (for those of you who dint know, a 1+ is the best score)
JorianLovesPurPle 1 year ago
paolocristiano 1 year ago
That's not rushing, its called rubato. speed up a little to build tension, then slow down to release tension. It makes it more expressive.
syrus96 1 year ago
we played this in band when i was in high school. we butchered it, bu i still enjoyed it. these guys are really good!
siraleckingofterrors 1 year ago
This is absolutely beautiful. I sing in the Westmont college choir in santa barbara CA and we performed it during our Christmas concert last year.
Im a little upset about the fact that the conductor or the choir RUSHES the piece so much. its not supposed to be that fast.... otherwise its not great or mysterious....its short and fast :/
boniverlover 1 year ago
@boniverlover this conductor seems to like rushing. most of their other songs are the same way.
TitusBrownMusic 1 year ago
@boniverlover in the score is written quarter note ca.72 this version is not that faster. i feel it's just his aim to lead the choir onwards. in any case it's an amazing piece.
YTzHK 1 year ago
Wow, one of the best live renditions of this piece on YouTube. (Should've had the harpist go sit offstage, though...unless you're going into some other song right away...well done, regardless.)
3d30 1 year ago
I Love this song and brittney that is one of my favorite parts! :)
I sang this in High school.
esilanna954 1 year ago
I Love this song and brittney that is one of my favorite parts! :)
esilanna954 1 year ago
my high school is doing this piece...what a challenge.
wafflesrock567 1 year ago
my high school is doing this piece...what a challenge.
wafflesrock567 1 year ago
tears to my eyes, all who have a soul must surely be touched!!!
adonistx041074 1 year ago
awesome job, it's just too fast... very well sung though.
tydydpony93 1 year ago
Sung from memory, too - how wonderful!
gurney134 1 year ago
My percussion teacher sean is on tenor... Weird.
xznon1 1 year ago
Fantastic! Y'all are an incredibly talented choir.
SeamusUbersax 1 year ago
Beautiful singing!
thegreatestliason 1 year ago
Amazing! Perfect!
juniohrl 1 year ago
Comment removed
latidaax 1 year ago
My choir is doing this piece of music, but a diffrent vocal arrangement. And everytime we try to get to the high part at the begining, we go sharp. This take tallent, and "they got it"
emir2479 1 year ago
Sang this for an audition, very challenging, even the small bit i preformed.
evzachary1 1 year ago
I also like O Magnum Misterium by Poulenc, and especially the one composed by Messiaen
MrGorbokan 1 year ago
siete meravigliosi, dizione perfetta, soprani delicatissimi anche negli acuti, fusione invidiabile........bravissimi!!!!!!
otages65 1 year ago
It brings back memories. I sang this in my high school choir.
Nickidewbear 1 year ago 2
i love it !!
jeromealvarez27 1 year ago
this choir is just for university students???
juanito2686 1 year ago
Wow. Absolutely stunning! This piece always reduces me to tears. Thanks be to God for the gift of music, for those who write it, those who sing it, and the rest of us--to whom He has given ears to hear. Alleluia!
barberjazz 1 year ago 34
I love this song and I cry every time I listen to it/sing it. It is an amazing piece of music that I really think God wrote through Morten Lauridsen. The only thing that was remotely displeasing about this was that the vowels were slightly not tall enough for Latin. Amazing song. Great job.
KolegrahmH 1 year ago 2
Dude...I'm from BYU, and I think this is incredible. That's saying something.
TheRealPadfoot 1 year ago 2
WOW... like hearing Angels singing.. great job guys and this is not an easy piece to sing I know my self !!!....
Woofycat 1 year ago
where's the 1st bass part in bar 6???
Gazjh1973 1 year ago
I heard this song for the first time last weekend at Christmas at the Cathedral...a new xmas favorite...amazing....makes you want to close your eyes and indulge. Great job.
aowenw09 1 year ago
I have listened again and again to this and let me say, this time without spelling errors I hope, LOL, this is the most awesome vocal performance of this piece ever!! Thank you so much to the University of Utah Singers and their talented Professors of Music. I am confident all of the members of the Department of Music at Reinhardt University would agree that you "mastered" this piece in all of it's beauty. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!
texmustangbullitt 1 year ago
@texmustangbullitt I AGREE 100% this is the best performance of this beautiful piece that has been put on YouTube.
Patick478 1 year ago
@Patick478
How about the version by King's College Cambridge? They do a bang-up job, although with boys singing treble and men singing alto.
eztobeme 1 year ago
@eztobeme Hi EZ! .......and Westminster Cathedral Choir, London, England (Roman Catholic) during midnight mass LIVE on the BBC 24/25 December 2009. Best wishes EF1
Eurofrank1 1 year ago
This a beautifil performance!! It rivals any! Thank you!!!
texmustangbullitt 1 year ago
this is amazing. just lovely.
averagexperson 1 year ago
My gosh. So amazing.
sexynat50 1 year ago
das ist so schön!!!
ErdbeereRot 1 year ago
I have to sing this, and your music is way more complicated than mine.....
i love yours so much better!
tacocereal 1 year ago
I don't necessarily think it's too slow. I think a lot of the reason he chose this tempo is to keep the audience's attention. It's such an amazing song, but when you've been listening to song after song in a choir, if it's too slow, you tend to drift, especially if you're not really into choral music to begin with. I think there were bits and places it could've been a little slower, but overall I love the tempo. It's more engaging. :D
performingfreak8 1 year ago
megoldja. kicsit érzéketlen,de jó. mi szarabbak vagyunk.
mrtrumpet82 1 year ago
megoldja. kicsit érzéketlen,de jó.
mrtrumpet82 1 year ago
Hmm I have to do this song for choir and I can't tell if I like it or not
TaylorIreland 1 year ago
they are great!!!LDS CONDUCTOR-good job!
MrAlexanderromero 1 year ago
Absolutely mesmerizing.
punkloser92 1 year ago
This is a beautiful peace of music and is done very well!!! Gives me chills everytime and you cant help but sing along!!
TubaPlayer2010WHS 1 year ago
AHAHAHA! I knew he would do the fingers thing at the last chord.
001Asoer 1 year ago
why is everyone such a critic? just enjoy the beauteous music being created!
koolkp729 1 year ago 2
way too fast
fishie9407 1 year ago
@fishie9407 meh. It's an alright tempo for me. I don't know if I could handle it any slower without enjoying it. Then again that's just my opinion.
MadWizard321 1 year ago
so cool that you are giving away the mp3!
WillsWords 1 year ago
The song is meant for a much slower pace than what you are directing.
UhmmSaraaa 1 year ago 3
@UhmmSaraaa which is much easier with more acoustics. in this dry room I think this is very good, the music lives. I might like some more alto, though.
felix1360 1 year ago
im not [articular about the pronunciation but i have something to pick with the sops.... their voices sound too weak compared to the men... it would be good for them to sound more like the fillipino sops from UST singers for this song
zippyninny 1 year ago
@zippyninny What is with the UST singers fans trolling these videos? Both choirs are well decorated in both honors and competition. Lets just leave it at that.
MonzaMan08 1 year ago
Damn.
MelodiousTrance 1 year ago
the chord change at