Words cannot describe how gorgeous and epic this piece is. My school's touring choir is doing it in a few months and holy hell, do we need to practice! (Then again, it is Whitacre.) The way that the syllable "la" can be used so epically is astounding. What I love about Whitacre's music and chords (most notable at 1:36 on "universe") is it sounds like nature and space and life and pure energy combined into one piece. Sops at 1:10 and the "tamer" lines are personal favorites of mine.
I love how mr. Whitacre writes as if the survivors are really the ones who have died,, and the ones who have passed are the widows/widowers. Even though he perceives the lost loved one as the one who will be in mourning, its obvious that hes trying to cope with his deep sorrow by creating this unique perspective of death.. I left you 'with a lily in your hand.' ... and his ultimate goal is to find his lost ones,, he'll make his way 'until the universe can fit inside his heart.' how beautiful
Ouch, I forgot the link xD. Here the poem "CURVA", in wich Eric Whitacre based this music (the lics are the same, but translated) "Con un lirio en la mano te dejo. ¡Amor de mi noche! Y viudita de mi astro te encuentro. ¡Domador de sombrías mariposas! Sigo por mi camino. Al cabo de mil años me verás. ¡Amor de mi noche! Por la vereda azul, domador de sombrías estrellas seguiré mi camino. Hasta que el Universo quepa en mi corazón. "
Beautiful! If somene wants to know it, this songs s based on a Federico Garcia Lorca's (one of the best spanish poets of all time) poem, "Curva". Here I post a linkto t poem (obviously in Spanish :P ) Can't wait to the next week, when Eric Whitacre is coming to my city and Choral!!! (Bilbao, Spain)
this is my favorite song ever. not even kidding. my choir director kept making me switch from first to second soprano throughout the song, mostly for the end :/ still gorgeous :D
i don't think thats true. i have perfect pitch (and this piece starts on an F# minor chord) but i think that around 50 % of the people that comment on videos like this actually know what they are talking about.
@ilovecats581 thanks to you, there are no capital letters left for me to use, and only a couple exclamation points, which i will have to use sparingly.
@ilovecats581 Because how DARE someone with no traditional musical experience be allowed to enjoy choral music. I'm a moderately advanced choir singer and electronic musician myself, and this is the most ridiculous comment I've seen on a Whitacre video.
@ilovecats581 Is there a problem if they don't? That doesn't make much sense though, seeing as how "a good fart" might actually have the potential of spelling out a b minor chord. Everyone has the right to enjoy the music they wish. If they enjoy the music, they should be free to listen. Just because you know a b minor chord doesn't make you any better or more knowledgable than them. And don't think I'm writing this defensively because I know music rather well
@ilovecats581 So what? Your comment is incredibly rude. I'm a music major but I don't rub my knowledge in people's faces, just like I wouldn't want someone to rub their knowledge of, say, calculus in my face. Please be considerate of other people's feelings. You may think that you can say anything on the internet and it won't affect others, but it does.
REALLY wish We sang this next choir season. Just got into my schools Chamber singers they have tackled stuff by Whitacre, Im really hoping this is one of the pieces the group can tackle... along with 5 hebrew love songs :D
This song is beautiful, the way the notes weave their way around each other in dynamics of volume and rhythm and form these complex yet executable chords just makes my chest well up with happiness. I can't wait for us to do this next year in High School Concert Choir
I LOVE THIS SONG!!! It's so wild and free. The meter constantly changes, and you sing faster and faster then it forces you to slow down, then you speed up again, and then...wow.
@Mittenz2468 Probably distinction. If you can really, really sing and know how to promote yourself, you don't need to know how to spell. If not, then you need remedial learning. Good luck.
My state's All-State chourus sang this. I have to admit that when we were first learning it, we hated it cause it was so hard to sing. After we learned it, we LOVED this beautiful piece, used it to end our concert, and knocked the audience's socks off! This piece is musical genious.
this is an awesome song! I've listened to it like 5 billion times now. Thumbs up if you're collecting eric whitacre songs since you heard the first one...
I'm BEGGING my director to let us do this. We've done Eric pieces before, we've done stuff this hard, we wanted to do "Sleep" but the other choir got it. *rants*
Eric Whitacre has got to be one of the weirdest composers of all time. In a related story. Eric Whitacre has got to be one of the best composers of all time.
@spamodell I don't think he is a strange composer, his music is just very interesting. He uses a lot of "fire chords" as the great Morten Lauridsen calls them (he was one of the first composers to use said chords). Whitacre's music "shines" because of these. I am a huge fan of his and my band director emails him for assistance with phrasing in his pieces. Play "Contre Qui, Rose" and you'll see what i mean. Personally, I think it's great.
@Shadowbunnyjedi Oh no! I don't think he's not great. I think (as I said) that he's outstanding, and he's one of my greatest influences as a composer myself.
Perhaps 'weird' is not the right word, 'different' or 'unconventional' may be better. I say that because his music is very different from most composers, sometimes it can be hard to tell who wrote what, but you KNOW if you're listening to an Eric Whitacre piece. And all of his pieces are beautiful.
Andover High School's octet will be doing this song. If we can get a good recording, i'll have it posted it as a reply to this video. Thanks for posting.
I think the strong diction used in this piece actually hurts instead of making it better. I think my old high school's choir's version is better. It's much dreamier because it's sung with more emotion. I find there's a lack of connection between the singers and the music in this version.
I heard this being performed at Choir of The Year on saturday. It was like a solid wave of sound travelling through the hall, sent shivers down my spine. An experience i will never forget <3
@suzi32 we too just started that song!!!! I was soo excited and it really is the most beautiful song ever. (another choir teacher introduced Whitacre to my choral teacher :) yayyyy
Well, singing a high B is very challenging, that is bread and butter for most sopranos. I give them props for not over shooting it and ruining the chord. I like BYU's version a lot better.
i LOVE this song!! ever since i heard eric whitakers waternight i've been entranced by his work and ever since i heard this osng i've wanted to do it. im a senior though and i don't know if i'll be able to do it before i graduate. :( i hope to it someday though!! we are doing sleep for our spring concert though which im pretty psyched about... :D
i LOVE this song. ever since i heard eric whitakers waternight i've been absolutely entranced by his work and ever since i heard this song i've wanted to do it in my choir. im a senior though and i don't know if i'll be able to do it before i graduate. :( but i hope to do it someday!! we are doing sleep in our spring concert though, which im pretty psyched about. :D
This is so haunting! Throughout the song you smile, but the last little fraction of a phrase just makes you want to laugh (in a good way!) It's so joyful!
My high school symphonic choir took this piece to state contest in central Ohio and recieved a rating of 1. I sang bass and I always liked from when the guys sing "until the universe" through to the end.
The beginning is truly spectacular. It's almost as if you hear the chorus taking a breath in the introduction. They have a miraculous talent for supporting their notes. Around the ending the transition "inside my heart," you can barely hear the ending of inside or the beginning of my, this contributes to the airy, amazing sound they produce. I LOVE IT!!
@VanSensei If I recall correctly, it's not. I know for sure the basses and sopranos split. The tenors might but I'm almost sure the altos don't. Like I said, I'm not sure, but I sang this about a month and am trying to remember the music xD
I am currently singing this song for my school's touring choir and it is such an amazing song! I love it. I sing the baritone vocal part and it is soooo much fun! I LOVE Eric Whitacre. He's an incredible composer.
My choir is going to the State contest for Oregon and we usually screw up on the "little widow" part. It sounds like "little widow, widow, widow, widow" D:
it's a heavier, more swallowed sound than i prefer. i, for one, prefer the BYU Singers' recordings of his pieces because of the lightness and spryness of their voices. admittedly, i could be biased--i am in the ensemble and work with Dr. Staheli every day. the man is a choral god. what a blessed privilege.
do you know of any other decent choirs who have recorded his stuff and have their albums out on the market (no high school choirs, please)?
My school's choir was singing this song, and I decided to go for the high A near the end in the tenor part, and I was actually able to sing it, and I was so happy I was smiling for the rest of the day. Never been able to sing that high before except with the aid of helium :)
My choir just got this piece yesterday, and I love it! the girls make the song though, we have a great choir but our baritones are really new, and unexperienced. this is going to be great for states though!
@CrescentFenix> 15 is pretty small.... its damn small. you need almost a minimum of 30 voices to get a Whitacre song to sound this powerful. (that is without the studio boost)
this is one of my favorite eric whitacre songs! along with leonardo dreams of his flying machine. and the man himself is amazing! i got to meet him too, which was just totally this coolest thing ever :)
This comment has received too many negative votesshow
I sang this in Honor Choir, high school choir stuff. JUST GET YOUR LA-LA'S RIGHT! And be sharp. Be very sharp. Don't underestimate yourself... and believe BELIEVE that you are doing an AMAZING job and you'll live.
That's definitely correct. It is an extremely common error to fall flat on your face in this one. First time our choir was capable of going all the way through it, we were probably a half step flat. It wasn't pretty.
@TrueSpartan177 I agree, my choir sang this song for Eric at Carnagie Hall and he talked about this pitch wasn't easy. Although, a LOT of his songs are challenging, so it isn't really saying much. Damn good composer!
Oh my goodness. I'm just giving advice to a fellow choir member. I am saying be sharp, not out of key sharp, but like hit the la-la's right and you'll do good. The rest is easy. We were.. pummeled by the la-la's. Jeeves, why you gotta bash my comment? It's advice. And you just gotta believe that you're doing an awesome job on the song and everyone will love it. And, yes, it's very easy to go flat on this song if you don't know what you're doing.
@RoseandButterflies I get what you're saying. I'm an alto II and my section tends to go flat (especially with our Whitacre piece), but our director often says to think high and sharp and that'll put us on the correct pitch.
@oliverbreen89 Yea definitely. if you want, you can watch my choir sing this on my channel. not trying to spam, but you can see my teacher conducting through most of the video
This is absolutely amazing. I'm in a college choir that sings a Whitacre piece every semester...how awesome it would be to sing this...I can't wait until Sleep, My Child actually comes out!
I LOVE Eric Whitacre's works. He is amazing. We sang Sleep a few years ago, and it has changed me. It made me interested in choir, in music like this. Thanks for the vid.
Their rendition of thes piece is phenomenal!! Their tone is so clear and all fo their accents are so well executed. we sang this last semseter in chamber singers, and we did it justice, but it would have been even better if we sounded like this.
I love Eric Whitacre! We played a band arangement of Sleep and listened to the choir performance by Polyphony to get a feel for it. Our director had us sing our parts (without the words of course since band kids diction is terrible) and it sounded really cool. I was wondering where you found the awesome picture of the lily. Is it on Google?
I love Eric Whitacre! His songs are truly amazing! My high school choir sang Lux Aurumque! It was a challenge at first but it improved our overall tone and trained our ears amazingly! Loved iit!
I sang this two years ago in high school as an alto and it was a blast. We got statewide awards for our performance. =D
Then a year ago we sang Go, Lovely Rose, (a newly turned soprano...singing the solo!) and at the state festival, the judges told us it was just as good as the BYU Singers. I had the best high school choir with the best director in the whole world. College choir isn't the same. :(
I love Whitacre's music and I love Lorca's poetry, making this one of my always favourites.
peng1pete 6 days ago
holy shit people. i would be willing to bet that 99% of people that respond to @ilovecats581's comment don't have a sense of humor.
lilphlip27 1 week ago in playlist YouTube Mix for Eric Whitacre
Words cannot describe how gorgeous and epic this piece is. My school's touring choir is doing it in a few months and holy hell, do we need to practice! (Then again, it is Whitacre.) The way that the syllable "la" can be used so epically is astounding. What I love about Whitacre's music and chords (most notable at 1:36 on "universe") is it sounds like nature and space and life and pure energy combined into one piece. Sops at 1:10 and the "tamer" lines are personal favorites of mine.
StrongBad27Returns 3 weeks ago
God...I love Eric Whitacre's songs
kittysuperhero 1 month ago
That bass line o.O so good...
Thanks for sharing.
HanoverianHorse 1 month ago in playlist YouTube Mix for Eric Whitacre
I love how mr. Whitacre writes as if the survivors are really the ones who have died,, and the ones who have passed are the widows/widowers. Even though he perceives the lost loved one as the one who will be in mourning, its obvious that hes trying to cope with his deep sorrow by creating this unique perspective of death.. I left you 'with a lily in your hand.' ... and his ultimate goal is to find his lost ones,, he'll make his way 'until the universe can fit inside his heart.' how beautiful
tahoementhol 1 month ago
i ship this song for virtual choir 3
FEARxdotxCOM 2 months ago 2
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gurriata 2 months ago
Comment removed
gurriata 2 months ago
Beautiful! If somene wants to know it, this songs s based on a Federico Garcia Lorca's (one of the best spanish poets of all time) poem, "Curva". Here I post a linkto t poem (obviously in Spanish :P ) Can't wait to the next week, when Eric Whitacre is coming to my city and Choral!!! (Bilbao, Spain)
gurriata 2 months ago 2
Polyphony is just soooooooo good!!! :D
MrMayorCheezIII 3 months ago in playlist Eric Whitacre
I cannot even express how much I LOVE THIS SONG!!! XD Favorite Eric Whitacre piece of all time! <3 <3 <3
polkadotpanda33 3 months ago
@Icoulter32724 me too! ALTO 1, FTW! c:
AbbeyRoad926 4 months ago
Florida Allstate 2012 :D
lcoulter32724 4 months ago 6
@lcoulter32724 Same. XD
mousy2294 3 months ago
well, i'm a tenor, and I I love this song
amohotepv 4 months ago
Halo music vid. i can see it now.
XxNightHybridxX 4 months ago
Ahem.. Is this a god time for a Bass/Bari to jump in on he party?:D
Singliketom 4 months ago
epic
crazypickachu678 4 months ago
im a soprano, but i love the tenor part in this piece.......awk
gymgirl2896 5 months ago 3
@gymgirl2896 I'm an alto, and 95% of the time, I love the tenor part in songs... Not really awks....
aseretkavon 4 months ago
altos ftw ;)
lizodie 5 months ago
Soprano party right here. woot.
Whitacre is an AMAZING composer. I love his work :)
ChlorineHeart 5 months ago
this is my favorite song ever. not even kidding. my choir director kept making me switch from first to second soprano throughout the song, mostly for the end :/ still gorgeous :D
meagisamazingbro 5 months ago
I had a BLAST singing this song. Sopranos forever! :)
madeline12795 5 months ago in playlist Choir 2
@madeline12795 Ya Sopranos!!! First or second?
Jennalovesrainbows 5 months ago
is 1:44 like his signature chord? Its the best! I love it
Jennalovesrainbows 5 months ago 2
His musical emphasis on words is amazing.......<3 Your music more and more Mr. Whitacre
squirrelbuddi 5 months ago
The tenor forte at the end made me spaz <3
aimiakahana 5 months ago
Love this song
mimori24 6 months ago
This is not performed in a studio. It is recorded in a church in London called "The Temple Church".
novoconfuso 6 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
iMQUITE SURE THAT 99% OF THE PEOPLE THAT COMMENT ON CHOIRS ON THESE SITES WOULDNT KNOW A B MINOR CHORD FROM A GOOD FART!!!!!!!!!
ilovecats581 7 months ago 42
@ilovecats581 Including me probably. Is that such a problem?
TrueSpartan177 7 months ago 46
@TrueSpartan177 ahhahahaaha XD haha smart ass
eojadiius 5 months ago
@TrueSpartan177 good one.
meerahrox 5 months ago
@ilovecats581
i don't think thats true. i have perfect pitch (and this piece starts on an F# minor chord) but i think that around 50 % of the people that comment on videos like this actually know what they are talking about.
elgarcello100 6 months ago 2
@elgarcello100 I am quite jealous of your perfect pitch, sir.
superstriker00 5 months ago
@ilovecats581 @ilovecats581 Really? And you felt the need to post that because...?
kkellygeorge 6 months ago
@ilovecats581 thanks to you, there are no capital letters left for me to use, and only a couple exclamation points, which i will have to use sparingly.
WernerUnderbheit 6 months ago 2
@WernerUnderbheit best......comment........ever :3
squirrelbuddi 5 months ago
@ilovecats581 Because how DARE someone with no traditional musical experience be allowed to enjoy choral music. I'm a moderately advanced choir singer and electronic musician myself, and this is the most ridiculous comment I've seen on a Whitacre video.
poopr1221 5 months ago 2
@ilovecats581 I guess I'm part of that one percent =]
Shadowbunnyjedi 5 months ago in playlist Eric Whitacre
@ilovecats581 Nothing wrong with a good fart now and then.
Greeblimus 4 months ago
@ilovecats581 You need not know the workings of music creation and structure to fall in love with it(:
Singliketom 4 months ago
@ilovecats581 let alone to hear such complex and beautiful suspensions!
kimdpham 3 months ago
@ilovecats581 Is your caps lock stuck? I've got a D-flat major 7th chord that'll fix that right up for you.
Poultrygeist99 3 months ago 8
@ilovecats581 including you?
lizodie 3 months ago in playlist Chorus Songs
@ilovecats581 actually, farts can contain many different tones.....nonetheless it takes a tasteful ear to enjoy Whitacre.
inspirationalsoul333 3 months ago 7
@ilovecats581 i can tell a an A B Minor from a pompous ass though.
LonelyCheeto 2 months ago 11
@LonelyCheeto Youtube needs a "love" button for comments such as this one :)
xxryroluvxx 1 month ago
@ilovecats581 Is there a problem if they don't? That doesn't make much sense though, seeing as how "a good fart" might actually have the potential of spelling out a b minor chord. Everyone has the right to enjoy the music they wish. If they enjoy the music, they should be free to listen. Just because you know a b minor chord doesn't make you any better or more knowledgable than them. And don't think I'm writing this defensively because I know music rather well
xFLOYDxMUSICx 2 months ago
@ilovecats581 So what? Your comment is incredibly rude. I'm a music major but I don't rub my knowledge in people's faces, just like I wouldn't want someone to rub their knowledge of, say, calculus in my face. Please be considerate of other people's feelings. You may think that you can say anything on the internet and it won't affect others, but it does.
xxryroluvxx 1 month ago
REALLY wish We sang this next choir season. Just got into my schools Chamber singers they have tackled stuff by Whitacre, Im really hoping this is one of the pieces the group can tackle... along with 5 hebrew love songs :D
JJBRMusic 7 months ago
This may be random - but I recognize that font! That;s Estrya's Handwriting by Jellyka, isn't it? :) :)
Oh and this has to be my favourite song... ever,...
unforgettable903 7 months ago
This song is beautiful, the way the notes weave their way around each other in dynamics of volume and rhythm and form these complex yet executable chords just makes my chest well up with happiness. I can't wait for us to do this next year in High School Concert Choir
Buddhagon 7 months ago
I LOVE THIS SONG!!! It's so wild and free. The meter constantly changes, and you sing faster and faster then it forces you to slow down, then you speed up again, and then...wow.
jazzterluvsalice 7 months ago
My chorus sand this for Nyssma majors....our school got 3 gold with digstintice (idk how to spell) lol.......
Mittenz2468 7 months ago
@Mittenz2468 Probably distinction. If you can really, really sing and know how to promote yourself, you don't need to know how to spell. If not, then you need remedial learning. Good luck.
geoh7777 7 months ago in playlist choral
My state's All-State chourus sang this. I have to admit that when we were first learning it, we hated it cause it was so hard to sing. After we learned it, we LOVED this beautiful piece, used it to end our concert, and knocked the audience's socks off! This piece is musical genious.
Th3Mi55ingPi3c3 8 months ago 2
@Th3Mi55ingPi3c3 funny my chorus did the same!
Mittenz2468 7 months ago
Our high school a cappella choir sang this back in 2008 for our spring concert. I gotta admit that this is way better than we sang it, though.
KnucklesEchidna125 8 months ago
My Choir is performing this song tonight, and I get to sing first soprano. SO PUMPED. <3
EmilyyyyyyxD 8 months ago 7
I've heard rumor our chamber singers are doing this next year. If so, I am pumped xD
xXJawruWolfXx 8 months ago
this is freaking awesome
shelby0210 8 months ago
I enjoyed singing this in all state 2011 :) Dr. Z Randall Stroope conducted it. EPIC.
hpluvr888 8 months ago
2:05 = best chord of my life; my spine is still shivering
777bookwurm 8 months ago
i get chills every time i hear this piece
bassoon437 8 months ago
I SOOOOO want our Chamber Choir to do this piece! My director won't let us do Sleep. Wahhhhh :(
Reneyney2012 9 months ago
@Reneyney2012 I know EXACTLY how you feel.
narutofangrl 8 months ago
Why couldn't it have been longer?!?! :(
My repeat button is starting to bruise...
Firemoonsoul 9 months ago 2
Wow. This is so intense and beautiful, those sopranos are awesome :)
TheLastDingoTV 9 months ago
Did this song in my high school choir a few years back, crazy piece. Amazing though.
m8cct 10 months ago
this is an awesome song! I've listened to it like 5 billion times now. Thumbs up if you're collecting eric whitacre songs since you heard the first one...
dreamcatcher131 10 months ago 23
playing this song in brass ensemble... fuck this key..
BdubzM322 10 months ago 5
@BdubzM322 DUDE (Or dudet) LUCKY.
xXJawruWolfXx 9 months ago
@BdubzM322 well in choir its b flat:) we've got it easy:)
JuyoNi 8 months ago
=)
arielswill 10 months ago
...
arielswill 10 months ago
the 3 people who disliked this had such intense chordgasms that they accidentally clicked the dislike button.
chinchillaqueen13 10 months ago 12
@chinchillaqueen13 lol i have an eargasm
ballcapmusicbox 10 months ago 2
I would love for my school's Concert Choir to tackle this song:)
suzi32 10 months ago
@suzi32 Our concert choir is doing it... It's quite amazing!
Anaklus 10 months ago
no one gives a shit whether your choir is #1 or not for all you people being cocky assholes
its music
not a competition
aznnGUITAARplaya 11 months ago 90
@aznnGUITAARplaya and u should tone down your aggressivity and buy some manners.
saintsaens21 8 months ago 4
Learning this in the # 1 choir in the country
AnberlinFlip 11 months ago
whoa this is incredible! i love all Whitacre's compositions. they're all just so amazing. =) i think a some people missed the like button.
angeliaklee 11 months ago
That is SO COOL.
LoverlyLadyHatter 1 year ago
O_O instant goose bumps. Doing this at Castleton State. Go Spartans! :D
iluvrandomshiz 1 year ago
O_O instant goose bumps
iluvrandomshiz 1 year ago 2
I'm BEGGING my director to let us do this. We've done Eric pieces before, we've done stuff this hard, we wanted to do "Sleep" but the other choir got it. *rants*
Love this song. C'mon, Mrs. T!
narutofangrl 1 year ago 3
This has been flagged as spam show
learning this in NY states #1 choir. Beautiful song
mrSparkyKev 1 year ago
learning this in NY states #1 choir. Beautiful song
mrSparkyKev 1 year ago
Working on this song in the NS chamber choir.
Sutidude 1 year ago 2
@AnaLoves2Sing Oh man, the alto part is amazing. And altos themselves are great. The part is just extremely difficult.
TrueSpartan177 1 year ago 2
@TrueSpartan177 Which is why we altos sing it. 'Cause we rock. ;)
narutofangrl 1 year ago
The best choir at my school did this song for their last concert... I nearly cried, it was so good. I love Whitacre
Anneliselove 1 year ago
Eric Whitacre has got to be one of the weirdest composers of all time. In a related story. Eric Whitacre has got to be one of the best composers of all time.
spamodell 1 year ago 163
@spamodell I don't think he is a strange composer, his music is just very interesting. He uses a lot of "fire chords" as the great Morten Lauridsen calls them (he was one of the first composers to use said chords). Whitacre's music "shines" because of these. I am a huge fan of his and my band director emails him for assistance with phrasing in his pieces. Play "Contre Qui, Rose" and you'll see what i mean. Personally, I think it's great.
Shadowbunnyjedi 8 months ago in playlist Eric Whitacre
@Shadowbunnyjedi Oh no! I don't think he's not great. I think (as I said) that he's outstanding, and he's one of my greatest influences as a composer myself.
Perhaps 'weird' is not the right word, 'different' or 'unconventional' may be better. I say that because his music is very different from most composers, sometimes it can be hard to tell who wrote what, but you KNOW if you're listening to an Eric Whitacre piece. And all of his pieces are beautiful.
Did that help clarify?
spamodell 8 months ago
Andover High School's octet will be doing this song. If we can get a good recording, i'll have it posted it as a reply to this video. Thanks for posting.
BASS II FOR THE WIN!!!!
Mitsushiru 1 year ago
@Mitsushiru HELLS YEAH! GO BASS II'S!
narutofreak774 1 year ago 3
I think the strong diction used in this piece actually hurts instead of making it better. I think my old high school's choir's version is better. It's much dreamier because it's sung with more emotion. I find there's a lack of connection between the singers and the music in this version.
KaylaKay1213 1 year ago
I dream of becomming a composer aswell :) Eric Whitacre's works tells me that the world is already open to the music I would make from my mind.
rosenvitae 1 year ago
1.09 is my FAVORITE!
MegaVeloceraptor 1 year ago
I heard this being performed at Choir of The Year on saturday. It was like a solid wave of sound travelling through the hall, sent shivers down my spine. An experience i will never forget <3
TheSpidergav 1 year ago
Our director was thinking of giving our choir this, but she gave it to the Rhapsody class (I'm in Chamber) instead. Arrrrg.
narutofangrl 1 year ago
I would LOVE to do an Eric Whitacre song but unfortunetly I sing in an all womens choir and girls singing the mens part just wouldn't sound the same.
emma0x3 1 year ago
@emma0x3 my women's choir is singing the SSA version of "Seal Lullaby" and it is absolutely beautiful:)
suzi32 10 months ago
@suzi32 we too just started that song!!!! I was soo excited and it really is the most beautiful song ever. (another choir teacher introduced Whitacre to my choral teacher :) yayyyy
emma0x3 10 months ago
my choir sang this last year... UGH SO BEAUTIFUL. i love it.
kmyres14 1 year ago
loving Eric Whitacre is hard when you're an alto. but he's just too good to NOT live him...
StarLine317 1 year ago
Well, singing a high B is very challenging, that is bread and butter for most sopranos. I give them props for not over shooting it and ruining the chord. I like BYU's version a lot better.
THSChoir 1 year ago
this song is so beautiful, we're doing it at my school in our chamber choir and i'm obsessed!
littlemissunshine01 1 year ago
i LOVE this song!! ever since i heard eric whitakers waternight i've been entranced by his work and ever since i heard this osng i've wanted to do it. im a senior though and i don't know if i'll be able to do it before i graduate. :( i hope to it someday though!! we are doing sleep for our spring concert though which im pretty psyched about... :D
polkadotpanda33 1 year ago
i LOVE this song. ever since i heard eric whitakers waternight i've been absolutely entranced by his work and ever since i heard this song i've wanted to do it in my choir. im a senior though and i don't know if i'll be able to do it before i graduate. :( but i hope to do it someday!! we are doing sleep in our spring concert though, which im pretty psyched about. :D
polkadotpanda33 1 year ago
sang this in first tenor...wont ever forget any of my Whitacre!
Ricokardashian 1 year ago
This is so haunting! Throughout the song you smile, but the last little fraction of a phrase just makes you want to laugh (in a good way!) It's so joyful!
omgzorzlikewow 1 year ago
I always felt like I was going to pass out at the end of this song. :P
It's so worth it though :)
007spoofyd 1 year ago
i love this song<33
seems to be a bit fast though...
still good and very mature :]
"until the universe" is my favorite part!!
KRAMER33TrueTitan 1 year ago
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KRAMER33TrueTitan 1 year ago
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KRAMER33TrueTitan 1 year ago
My high school symphonic choir took this piece to state contest in central Ohio and recieved a rating of 1. I sang bass and I always liked from when the guys sing "until the universe" through to the end.
buckeyepride92 1 year ago
The beginning is truly spectacular. It's almost as if you hear the chorus taking a breath in the introduction. They have a miraculous talent for supporting their notes. Around the ending the transition "inside my heart," you can barely hear the ending of inside or the beginning of my, this contributes to the airy, amazing sound they produce. I LOVE IT!!
PeacefulStrife 1 year ago
@PeacefulStrife Polyphony is quality.
seizetheday224 1 year ago 2
Is this song SSAATTBB? With 8 parts?
VanSensei 1 year ago
@VanSensei If I recall correctly, it's not. I know for sure the basses and sopranos split. The tenors might but I'm almost sure the altos don't. Like I said, I'm not sure, but I sang this about a month and am trying to remember the music xD
MidwestSingerDude 1 year ago
Another one of my favorite pieces I have ever sang
BigJovich91 1 year ago
sounds like i'm in a disney movie :D
PapayaFreakX3 1 year ago
I am currently singing this song for my school's touring choir and it is such an amazing song! I love it. I sing the baritone vocal part and it is soooo much fun! I LOVE Eric Whitacre. He's an incredible composer.
pvdrumline2011 1 year ago
My choir is going to the State contest for Oregon and we usually screw up on the "little widow" part. It sounds like "little widow, widow, widow, widow" D:
BenBenBen46 1 year ago
:16 Ohhh my good golly gosh. Amazing. This song is amazing. I'm indescribably awestruck.
CantoUcello 1 year ago
Bowling Green State University's A Capella Choir is singing this song this semester. Tenor part is amazing.
barnsroybarns 1 year ago
it's a heavier, more swallowed sound than i prefer. i, for one, prefer the BYU Singers' recordings of his pieces because of the lightness and spryness of their voices. admittedly, i could be biased--i am in the ensemble and work with Dr. Staheli every day. the man is a choral god. what a blessed privilege.
do you know of any other decent choirs who have recorded his stuff and have their albums out on the market (no high school choirs, please)?
logues85 1 year ago
im losing my head
artislifepeace93 1 year ago
My choir is singing this and Sleep. We sound awesome. XD
LustLolita 1 year ago
i love this piece. it's so beautiful. i enjoyed singing it.
AOfTheKAC 1 year ago 2
My school's choir was singing this song, and I decided to go for the high A near the end in the tenor part, and I was actually able to sing it, and I was so happy I was smiling for the rest of the day. Never been able to sing that high before except with the aid of helium :)
historygenius 1 year ago
My choir just got this piece yesterday, and I love it! the girls make the song though, we have a great choir but our baritones are really new, and unexperienced. this is going to be great for states though!
compton9991 1 year ago
@jeremiahbutterfly> a small enough amount, anywhere from 20-40
@CrescentFenix> 15 is pretty small.... its damn small. you need almost a minimum of 30 voices to get a Whitacre song to sound this powerful. (that is without the studio boost)
emoK1345 1 year ago
@emoK1345 nah. you can get it done with 20 people. as long as they are any good. xD
singerguy93 1 year ago
@emoK1345
Chamber Singers at my university is doing this song with 1 on each part.
fanlotr91 1 year ago 2
how many people are in this choir? its quite impressive
jeremiahbutterfly 1 year ago
Polyphony is actually pretty small, about 15 voices at least...
CrescentFenix 1 year ago
You put a baritone on a high F# and see what happens. Especially when there are only 2 baritones who really are comfortable up there.
Love me some Eric Whitacre. He really knows how to make a song hurt, haha.
fanlotr91 1 year ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
alright who the crap gave me a thumbs down?
whitelitning75 1 year ago
we sang this at state my senior year, i love winning state championships :)
whitelitning75 2 years ago
so beautiful. my high school touring choir is doing it, we sound good :)
bishthemighty 2 years ago
this is one of my favorite eric whitacre songs! along with leonardo dreams of his flying machine. and the man himself is amazing! i got to meet him too, which was just totally this coolest thing ever :)
italianskaprincesa16 2 years ago 4
This comment has received too many negative votes show
I sang this in Honor Choir, high school choir stuff. JUST GET YOUR LA-LA'S RIGHT! And be sharp. Be very sharp. Don't underestimate yourself... and believe BELIEVE that you are doing an AMAZING job and you'll live.
RoseandButterflies 2 years ago
why wouldnt you sing in tune...?
FCO0710 2 years ago
uhm i think that what roseandButterflies is saying is think sharp...it's probably uber easy to go flat on this song
yoyoma1428 2 years ago
That's definitely correct. It is an extremely common error to fall flat on your face in this one. First time our choir was capable of going all the way through it, we were probably a half step flat. It wasn't pretty.
TrueSpartan177 2 years ago
@TrueSpartan177 I agree, my choir sang this song for Eric at Carnagie Hall and he talked about this pitch wasn't easy. Although, a LOT of his songs are challenging, so it isn't really saying much. Damn good composer!
person1259 1 year ago
yes seeing how the baritones are expected to sing E's and F#'s in this
superman84241 2 years ago
@yoyoma1428 It is for the fact it goes into C#M half way through and of course everyone would like to go to CM
oliverbreen89 2 years ago
Oh my goodness. I'm just giving advice to a fellow choir member. I am saying be sharp, not out of key sharp, but like hit the la-la's right and you'll do good. The rest is easy. We were.. pummeled by the la-la's. Jeeves, why you gotta bash my comment? It's advice. And you just gotta believe that you're doing an awesome job on the song and everyone will love it. And, yes, it's very easy to go flat on this song if you don't know what you're doing.
RoseandButterflies 2 years ago
@RoseandButterflies I get what you're saying. I'm an alto II and my section tends to go flat (especially with our Whitacre piece), but our director often says to think high and sharp and that'll put us on the correct pitch.
samblify 1 year ago
@RoseandButterflies agreed. this song is really easy to get flat in this song. and even harder to get back on top.
whitelitning75 1 year ago
My high school choir is braving this song. I'm terrified, but I think it will be a fun ride!
miaxlovesxMCR 2 years ago
lol. It's bound to be interresting!
~Maddie
MissMadz007 2 years ago
@miaxlovesxMCR its actually really easy. :) been learning it since monday :D
JoeyTheGuitarDude 2 years ago
@JoeyTheGuitarDude Easy to sing yes ...conduct ...now there is a different story entirely. lol
oliverbreen89 2 years ago
@oliverbreen89 Yea definitely. if you want, you can watch my choir sing this on my channel. not trying to spam, but you can see my teacher conducting through most of the video
JoeyTheGuitarDude 2 years ago
wow, mooi dit
Baloe98 2 years ago
I love lily
Beauitiful song!!
lilylessons 2 years ago
This is absolutely amazing. I'm in a college choir that sings a Whitacre piece every semester...how awesome it would be to sing this...I can't wait until Sleep, My Child actually comes out!
misslenny23 2 years ago
Eric Whitacre is so amazing! I think this is my favorite piece of his
annakratos 2 years ago 2
nice choir, great composer, awesome photo
Varjele 2 years ago 31
This has been flagged as spam show
goddamn dis fuckin song sucks ass
yo fuckin ears must be fuckin broke or somethin if you actually like dis bullshit music
blackmosesmothafucka 2 years ago
great picture of the lily also
TheFlutegirl15 2 years ago 3
I LOVE Eric Whitacre's works. He is amazing. We sang Sleep a few years ago, and it has changed me. It made me interested in choir, in music like this. Thanks for the vid.
destaniofhearts 2 years ago 25
Their rendition of thes piece is phenomenal!! Their tone is so clear and all fo their accents are so well executed. we sang this last semseter in chamber singers, and we did it justice, but it would have been even better if we sounded like this.
TheFlutegirl15 2 years ago 2
It's polyphony man, no one could be as good as these guys.
MrMortabit 2 years ago 3
I love Eric Whitacre! We played a band arangement of Sleep and listened to the choir performance by Polyphony to get a feel for it. Our director had us sing our parts (without the words of course since band kids diction is terrible) and it sounded really cool. I was wondering where you found the awesome picture of the lily. Is it on Google?
AGW05 2 years ago 2
I love Eric Whitacre! His songs are truly amazing! My high school choir sang Lux Aurumque! It was a challenge at first but it improved our overall tone and trained our ears amazingly! Loved iit!
Benion630 2 years ago 3
I sang this two years ago in high school as an alto and it was a blast. We got statewide awards for our performance. =D
Then a year ago we sang Go, Lovely Rose, (a newly turned soprano...singing the solo!) and at the state festival, the judges told us it was just as good as the BYU Singers. I had the best high school choir with the best director in the whole world. College choir isn't the same. :(
raeofsunshine17 2 years ago 2
I'm almost positive that Whitacre brings out the best in high school choirs. It's a good potential finder ahha. Our school started sin