the monk and his cat

[MegaMegaRawr]

Awesome. I was assigned this piece this morning. Suddenly, I'm afraid of it.

[Sellerofpurple00]

Aniyia, your vocal teacher obviously wanted to show you off by assigning this very difficult piece of music. My daughter is a singer, as well, and you execute this song with joy, triumph, and beauty. You are a beauty made by our great God, may you use your talent and beauty as Esther did, "for such a time as this." God bless your career.

[judgeholden79]

This piece is murder. Gutsy choice. Very nice job.

[hcassand]

I am learning this song right now and the counting is rediculous, so I totally get it!!

[peachy2191]

Hey Aniyia :) This version is beautiful and helped me soo much when I was trying to learn this song for my own recital. I recently uploaded my performance to my channel to help any other people who needed to listen to this difficult song rather than go insane trying to count the whole thing. I'd really appreciate it if you took a look sometime.Thanks xx

[chicaboricua09]

gorgeous voice, wonderful diction. well done.

[CrystalFlames]

omgsh I'm also doing this for my college junior recital. it was a beast to learn but I finally got the hang of it.

[archrelyrist]

what was she doing this for? like, what recital- senior, junior- high school, college, grad school?

[ania1026]

it's a junior-year recital in college.

[eckertbeth]

I consider myself to be slightly hard to please with peoples voices some times but I adore your voice. Clear! ringing! Full! Wonderful!!

[michsampson]

Very rare I feel moved to comment on YouTube - I really enjoyed this video! Lovely singing, so thank you for sharing.

I'm working on this piece at the moment...so far, so good! (Probably right until I take the sheet music away!)

[tylerjordanbennett]

I performed this song my junior year, and it was one of the most challenging pieces I've ever performed. It's a song that requires so much counting that you almost can't count it. You just have to feel it. The vocal part is completely independent, and if you get one beat off you're screwed. I love this song and I think you did a great job :)

[skippyjonjones23]

i as told once that the piano accompaniment is supposed to mimic a cat walking across a key board.

[jevalles]

{Couldn't fit this line in earlier):

Your shining eye watches the wall;

my feeble eye is fixed on a book.

[jevalles]

When I "attempted" to sing this in a vocal class run under Robert Shaw for the ASO chorus in Atlanta, I was told that the voice cannot rely on the piano for any help as the vocal line is independent of it, with its own phrases, etc., and this is exactly the way Leontyne Price recorded it--to perfection--in the mid 1950's--and at a much slower speed, if truth be known.

[BlatantInvisibility]

Haha, along with several other commentors, I am studying this piece. Your recording helped me to hear the whole thing and get an idea of how the pieceworks. With no meter, The piece is a little Crazy. You sound beautiful! great job! Thanks for sharing this performance!

[maryjivinjane]

You sound really great... and these songs aren't exactly easy!

[Talk2ben]

I have almost every recording of voice students I hear on youtube, but this one is actually way pretty

[singurheartout4]

i feel like you can have more fun with this song. you've master the vocal aspect but its supposed to be a fun song! have fun!

[blowbigbubbles]

you have a beautiful instrument! i'm studying this song now and your recording really helped. thank you so much for putting this up here!! <3

[Frankizzle4]

Beautiful body ;)

[meaghanec]

I have to agree with the other two comments- your voice is wonderful! You've done a really good job with this piece too- I am working on this right now, myself, and I found this video while looking for a good recording... I guess I found it!

[TryingElaine]

this was amazing. Your voice is really clear. I don't get what the song's about though.

[wesleyan97]

It's about the pleasure a monk takes in his cat's company.

[jevalles]

This is based on a famous Old Irish language gloss written in a medieval Irish manuscript. The monk who was reading the tiring text took a moment and jotted down the poem about himself and the cat that was in the monastic cell with him. He compares the task each of them must do: the cat strives to excel at catching a mouse, while the scholar hopes to catch the meaning of what he is reading. The original poem in Old Irish can be read in Thurneysen's Old Irish Reader.

[jevalles]

Oh yeah, the cat's name was Pangur.

[TryingElaine]

thanks. the title seemed a little strange at first 'the monk and his cat', but now it seems more meaningful sort of beautiful really. the small pleasures a monk recieves in the company of his cat :)

[jevalles]

Samuel Barber's English text: Pangur, white Pangur, How happy we are Alone together, Scholar and cat. Each has his own work to do daily; For you it is hunting, for me study... You rejoice when your claws entrap a mouse; I rejoice when my mind fathoms a problem. Pleased with his own art Neither hinders the other; Thus we live ever without tedium and envy. Pangur, white Pangur, How happy we are Alone together, Scholar and cat.

[jevalles]

It translates as "Whitey"...

[gene3steph]

Hey NINI, this brought back memories from CAPA...nobody plays like Cormier though lol. keep doin ya thang chika

[sirensong2456]

you have a fantastic voice. how long have you been training?

[ania1026]

thanks! about 3 years of private voice