The St. Olaf Choir - "Ehre sei Gott in der Höhe"

[Singliketom]

I GET TO SEE THEM LIVE FEBRUARY FIRST<3

[tantheman6254]

shut up and enjoy the music haters

[SheenaBrnai]

The only experience I ever had with choir was elementary honor choir, and was always taught to stand perfectly still. Then I got into a big kids choir when I reached college. Movement is integral to what we do. You CANNOT sing something as emotive as this without some movement. You feel the music from the inside out. That's why they're so wonderful. They feel it! LOVE IT!

[yourcatholicbrother]

This is a beautiful piece and the choir is wonderful Their German is very good too.

[Kroger121]

@frclough This is one of the best choirs in the world! If you have a problem with the way they are pronoucing a phrase, take it up with Anton Armstrong (World known choir director). I'm sure that conversation will go down well!

[blondeboy666]

There's a reason they're the best choir. Fabulous choir.

[sunbowler]

Dr. Christiansen would be so proud!

[kungfu416]

I'm sorry, but the swaying adds a physical aspect to singing. It shows how music is powerful enough to be shown emotionally, spiritually, and physically. I hope more choirs let the music guide them and move them.

[frclough]

The swaying is indeed distracting, but I find the pronunciation mistakes (e.g. 'Ehre' vs 'Ähre') much more problematic. The conductor should have paid a lot more attention to such details, especially if the mistakes affect the meaning of the text.

[ATLKapellmeister]

@frclough Who are YOU to criticize Anton Armstrong? I'm a Westminster grad and we sang it the same way.

[frclough]

@ATLKapellmeister I'm an experienced choral singer from the UK and I have sung with several choirs at Oxford University. I'm also bilingual, so I immediately spotted the pronunciation mistakes in this video. Just to give you one example: Instead of 'Glory [Ehre] to God in the highest', they're singing 'Ear of grain [Ähre] to God in the highest'. If Westminster sang it the same way, they've also added this rather amusing agricultural reference to Mendelssohn's piece.

[soleado10er]

@frclough I agree... I know for a fact that if you had lead us, we could have shined above the veil of perfection that you seek. But thank you for pointing out the flaws of a bunch of 20-22 year old singers.

[blondeboy666]

I'm in high school choir...and though I'm nowhere near at the level they are, I feel like swaying can put a a special effect on the song. I sway constantly and my choir members kinda get confused/annoyed...but I don't really notice it and I feel like it helps get more into the song and feel it better. This song is phenomenal, though.

[Churchcantor]

We didn't sway as much when I sang with them, but that was in Anton's first year as director, 1990-91. I can tell you that there is something profoundly spiritual about singing in this choir, the holding hands throughout the performance is just the beginning.

[sgsmozart]

Beautiful singing but the swaying is very distracting. I live in San Francisco and hear the Symphony choir perform regularly but have never seen this kind of movement. Also, a little strange that a black man conducts an almost lily white choir. Is there any effort for diversity in the 21st.century at St. Olaf?

[justinmeyer553]

great sound from the men. the overall sound seems too hesitant to ring on the forte sections and ends up sounding breathy. swaying is a little weird as it does not seem to correspond to the musical line...

[justinmeyer553]

great sound from the men... overall the choir seems a bit too hesitant to ring on the forte sections and perhaps a bit too breathy (a characteristic of american choirs). as for the swaying-- i'm all for it if it does not detract from the music. in this case it just seems weird, as they are not swaying with any obvious connection to the musical line.

[Zindar57]

Anyone who complains about "swaying" has either never been in a choir, or never felt the power of the music. Do we speak of hand gestures among politicians, ministers, etc.? These performers are expressing the crescendos, the pianissimos. Do you also criticize a violinists contortions or a rock guitarists gyrations? Each of us have our own expressions of feelings; some are just more willing to show it than others despite, or to spite, the ramblings of the insensitive.

[spintotenor83]

I think it's those three guys swaying at the same rate that really make the performance distracting. It was a legitimate comment, but with that level of music making you can enjoy them, look at another part of the choir or close your eyes. Superb! Sopranos are controlled without being strained. Very rare!

[2011Shelbie]

lol People are supposed to sway in a chior lol it's part of being expressive.

[Scootersinger]

Sopranos sound scared to stand out. Otherwise, wonderful....just what one would expect from the reigning champion of the Great MN College Choirs.

[pjayman93]

I think anyone complaining about the swaying is just upset they aren't in a choir this good. Can't we appreciate the beauty of this and also the passion exhibited by the singers? If that's not what music is really all about I think something is seriously wrong

[thelonearranger1]

@pjayman93 I was so focused on the beautiful tone quality and blend that I did not even notice the swaying. This music is so amazing.

[erytanthes]

@haugwi01 Hey, we weren't in our standard formation in this vid.  Don't be hating on all the tenors, you're looking at the basses and second tenors. The latter of whom, I must say, were TERRIBLE to stand behind. ^ - ^

[jones2884]

wow americans that can pronounce an Ö :-) no they are actually beautifully singin

[2011Shelbie]

@jones2884 This is why it's called a Minnisota O lol

[jones2884]

away from the great sound their pronounciation is also very good i actually needed some time to recognize that they are no german native speakers

[cellorocker14]

A lot of the moving happens because of Ole Choir's tradition of holding hands. If you look closely they're all holding hands, so if one person sways everyone sort of comes with him. : )

[Mifli]

@cellorocker14  what a sweet tradition ^ ^

[ellye73]

ok their swaying isn't super crazy, and how is it distracting? all that this vid for was prob for was to hear their beautiful voices not complain about movement that makes them sound better, what else is there to pay attention to? just my opinion, not trying to hate on anybody.

[giovaluci]

Bravissimi, complimenti a tutti, siete grandiosi :)

[26Sundrops]

beautiful :) I hope that someday I am able to sing in this choir! amazing <3

[singndance4evr]

love how they keep moving. It really adds to the piece. Bravo!

[Correctivemind]

OOHH NICE RRRRRRR at :45

[moe4psu23]

They are the closest thing to perfection in my opinion. Such an ensemble sound.

[JWEST456]

The St. Olaf Choir is arguably the best a cappella choir in the US. The swaying is not distracting. Moving with the music is what a lot of ensembles should learn to do. Standing in one place can become stiffening and that could have an adverse effect on the sound of the group. Movement aids in musicality, expression, and the breadth of the choral sound. And as long as it's not excessive, it does nothing detrimental to the technique of the singers. Bravo Dr. Armstrong and this great group. : )

[reecty01]

@JWEST456 I completely agree with the amazing musicality and group sound that you are talking about within the St. Olaf choir, but before you consider them the best, I strongly urge you to check out the Luther College Nordic Choir.

[twojsmi]

@reecty01 HAHAHA...no.

[eztobeme]

Wonderful sound and blend. But, the swaying reminds me of a wheat field.

[WAB0090]

The St. Olaf Choir ranks among the best in the world!

[agriffio]

UM YA YA

[drumstk724]

regardless of what it does to the human body, or how their diction is, they are singing with music and passion, and this choir is possibly one of the best in the world, most certianly the United States. and I'd like to see ANY of you who are dissing this choir do a quarter of the job dr. armstrong is doing.

[mitchelljazz]

perfection

[dancingrosedoll]

german!! OMG I love you!

[zarikh313]

saw them live in Kalamazoo!!! sooooooo wonderfully fantastic, liked their movement :)

[LetItBe920]

Good choral sound...but the German diction is TERRIBLE.

[apca08]

well im glad we can agree to disagree! lol! :) but we cant deny there sound is HEAVENLY! :)

[apca08]

@haugwi01 i IDISagree 100% being a college choral student and seeing st.olaf live...when you are singing a piece properly, your ENTIRE body is literally engaged and you are seeing that done here...so you are experiencing a total body engaging, not just the voice...its AMAZING!!!

[EltaLBunner]

A group of singers achieving an exquisite choral sound. Bravo!  Thanks you for sharing.

[TisNagim]

The swaying comes from how St. Olaf students are taught to sing. They are taught not to stand perfectly still. Rather, if they feel that the music has the power to move, to move with the music. And with the holding of hands between singers to form a communal singing bond with each other, when one person starts swaying, you can't but help to start swaying yourself.

[FrPhen]

The swaying pretty distracting, but the group is amazing!

[1037pm]

Just listen to the music that they create when swaying, doesn't matter if they are swaying or not to the listener.

[raimarti]

Ich finde das es 1a gesungen ist. Stimmlich hervorragend...5*

[Anavyia]

Beautiful harmony in voices

[SemiconBCL]

Müssen die Kerle auf Klo oder befinden die sich alle aufm Schiff im Sturm oder warum wippen die da hin und her? Gehört sich nicht! Die Akustik ist ja mal zum Abgewöhnen - aber die Leistung des Chores ist super!!! :)

[abzpoker27]

The St. Olaf Choir is lovely and my choir teacher said one day that we will all grow up to be like a singer in the st. olaf choir.

[Bespecific08]

The St Olaf Choir sounds wonderful, as always! I've followed them for decades and also feel that the random swaying is quite distracting and does evoke a rough ride at sea.

[xforeverfadingx]

They're so amazing!

We're preforming after them in a conference at Orchestra Hall, I'm so honoured to be able to!

[caddyorganist]

So glad to see movement in the choir!

[trigerfinger1]

Lovely singing, really awesome. Diction as crisp as the Scottish winter mist. But the swaying was making me sea sick. Quite funny.

[sakefinau]

dis is mean ass

[ReAgAnIsMe]

wtf is that supposed to mean? Grow a brain.