The Lamb
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Added: 3 years ago
From: cantorisdecani
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  • The Music and words of Infinity....Eternal life behold one and all

  • One of the most beatiful pieces of music ever written; abslolutely exquisitely sung by probably the best choir in the world.

  • What movie/TV show have I heard this in? Its driving me nuts!

  • @crd4146 This piece was used in ITV's "William and Mary", series 3 Episode 1.

  • lammmmmyyyy

  • Can i just say, that about this girl vs. boy stuff...girls voices, when trained in the english choral tradition sound not too different from boys...and also can i just defend female singers, by saying we do NOT all sound like wobbly, over-done women as soon as we hit puberty? charterhouse school has a mixed choir i was a member of and the sound was exquisite, we'd regularly perform at st martins and people thought it was an all-male choir purely by sound...its just about training

  • @sorcussbabe77 Yes, fortunately not all sopranos insist on taking on the affectation of excessive vibrato. Interesting someone else mentioned The Sixteen in that respect. But to still say that girls with the same training sound "not too different" from boys is to ignore the evidence of your own ears or be unobservant. I have though heard boys trained to sound more like girls but I've yet to hear girls trained to sound like a decent set of trebles.

  • Just sit back... and let the notes wash over you.

  • ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS!

  • Superb !

    Merci !

    Les Loupiots

  • This music sounds as if ur in Heaven already. . .

  • i love the chords Xxx

  • As an animal lover, a poetry lover, and a lover of kings college choir this hymn is wonderful.

    So beautiful.

  • That is stunning. Thank you so much for posting this.

  • what i dont get is, why there are no girls; at my school, the girls and guys are both singing this. im in the choir, and its so beautiful when you hear all the parts together

  • @SavannahH132

    Read the top comments and all shall be explained x x

  • im surprised ther is no girls here, beautiful singing tho

  • My choir is preforming this for our Christmas concert.. and, may I just say, that when the tenors and basses sing together.. it's the most epic sound EVER.

  • Awesome Glad Scott Bond Took It to sample because his Trance Version sound Awesome also

  • one of Gods many voices. If that indeed exsists.

  • I love "The Lamb" but I'm wondering why I see no girls in this choir?

  • @weirdchickadee - because boys' voices are a different musical instrument to those of girls and because boys' voices have been heard singing like this in cathedral services for at least 1000 years, making it a valuable tradition.  Many cathedrals nowadays have a seperate choir for girls who will do different repertoire.

  • @cantorisdecani There is girls choir at Tyddewi (St. Davids Cathedral) who sound wonderful. It's amazing that a city with only1500 residents could keep a choir going, but they do...

  • @cantorisdecani - You do need to listen to Harry Christophers' & The Sixteen sing this and you may well change your mind about that!

  • @TheJanstie I've heard plenty of The Sixteen. But I stand by what I said - they are different instruments and usually sound distinctly different.

  • @cantorisdecani As my post below says, the voices of well trained primary age girls are no different to those of well trained primary age boys. The choral foundations and cathedrals should open places to prospective female choristers - it would enrich the tradition. Comparisons with the Sixteen, Tallis Scholars, Taverner Consort, etc are misleading as the female singers are adults.

  • @barcombehall If you honestly think a typical traditional cathedral choir which has boys commonly up to 13 or 14 but still singing treble, sounds the same as a cathedral girls choir then I have to say I couldn't agree with you less. These gender specific choirs need to be maintained as seperate entities; they do sound different and can each enjoy their own repertoire - surely far more enriching for all than a hybrid compromise?!

  • @weirdchickadee boys are better than girls?

  • @AcousticGeorge No they are not, rather, as Cantorisdecani says, the voice of a boy treble is different from an adult female soprano, particularly in tone but perhaps also by their inclination for vibrato. However, Harry Christophers gets the sopranos of The Sixteen, where appropriate (i.e. when singing early sacred music), to get as close to the purity of tone as I've ever heard, usually only achieved by the boy treble voice.

  • @TheJanstie

    After reading your comment about the sopranos in The Sixteen, I went to go search for a few of their recordings here on youtube, and I must say that there is definitely an absolutely clear and obvious difference between female voices and boy trebles. All one needs to do is listen to The Sixteen then immediately turn this video on and the differences are immediately clear.

    The female sopranos trying to do straight tone is a strident tight sound. Boy trebles are not as unbearable.

  • @DopoNotte The Listener (or some such magazine) tested this rather long-lived myth some time ago by conducting blind auditions of male and female pre-adolescents. The results showed that the researchers were unable to distinguish between them with any consistency. A well-trained primary age girl singer will sound as 'good' as a well-trained primary age boy singer.

  • @barcombehall I've seen some of this research before and thought its methodology flawed.

    I got a CD once of 4 cathedral choirs - 2 of girls and 2 of boys all singing cathedral repertoire. The choirs appeared in a random order thoughout the 20-odd tracks. I played them through and wrote whether I thought I was listening to boys or girls and then afterwards checked my tally against the CD booklet. I got one wrong - and that was the one occasion where I'd changed from my original answer.

  • @barcombehall I'm sure you are correct that they will sound 'good', but they will sound different.

  • @weirdchickadee are you serious ????

  • Because it's a boy choir.

  • how do such young boys have such big ears to hear that stuff with?

  • Tavener has captured the mysticism of life in his music. It's brilliant.

  • absolutely astonishing, and chilling to the bone. A masterpiece worthy of much praise and recognition, i must say tavern is gifted beyond belief.

  • I love this piece...John Tavener, props to you sir.

  • @roquefort88888 check out song for ATHENE it was sung at Dianas funeral... it is as hauntingly beautiful.... based on a pedal tone throughout the piece.... it talks about the handmaid of the lord receiving her crown in heaven....

  • Congratulations! Excellent interpretation!

  • I LOVE this piece. Studied it for A level, it's so...breathtaking.

  • This is sung sooooooo stunningly! My schoo choir sung this at a carol service and I remember being so baffled with the harmonies but it sounded great - having said that, this is about a MILLION times better!! :)

  • @roquefort88888 Listen to his "Song for Athene" =)

  • This is chant & A cappella innit ?

  • Did you know, this was composed in half an hour, and also it is made up of only seven different notes. Im studying this for A levels, lol. It is amazing, according to the corriculem, the piece was composed for the composers nephews birthday... or birth... either way, it also has lots of biblicle refrences... its great!

  • it sounds kind of tragic really beautiful...

  • Does anyone else get choked up (dare I say even sobbing) when listening to this, or am I alone?

    Hearing this kind of music actually brings me closer the Lord and ministers more to me, sometimes, than the pastors message.

    I pray there should be more Churchs whose congregations encourage and support Sacred Music Choirs. It is more moving, spiritual and ethereal than anything I have experienced.

  • Beautiful, emotive and meloncholy

    I had the privaldge pf performing this in my University of Ulster Chamber Choir.

    Beautiful

  • even though theres only 7 notes its very hard to sing because of the clashes!! (i am singing it in a choir im in.)

  • oh my friend is singing this song and its wonderfull! This choir did awesome!

  • there's also loads of inversions, retrogrades, etc and the fact the Tavener only used 7 notes in the whole piece which amazed me a lot

  • marvelous

  • This performance just hits the spot - smooth, flowing yet intense. Such a beautiful and very moving piece.

  • *shivering from that bass*

  • great piece, better than music these days, you can never beat the best

  • Little Lamb, I'll tell thee,

    Little Lamb, I'll tell thee.

    He is called by thy name,

    For He calls Himself a Lamb.

    He is meek, and He is mild;

    He became a little child.

    I a child, and thou a lamb,

    We are called by His name.

    Little Lamb, God bless thee!

    Little Lamb, God bless thee!

  • Little Lamb, who made thee?

    Dost thou know who made thee?

    Gave thee life, and bid thee feed,

    By the stream and o'er the mead;

    Gave thee clothing of delight,

    Softest clothing, woolly, bright;

    Gave thee such a tender voice,

    Making all the vales rejoice?

    Little Lamb, who made thee?

    Dost thou know who made thee?

  • We sang this tonight: I love the mystery and disssonance. Your performance is awe inspiring. Thank you for posting it!

  • 99% of Christmas these days is just a tacky, cheesy, materialistic fun-fest. The best part of it for me is always Carols from Kings.

    And the hauntingly beautiful and sacred melancholy of The Lamb brings tears to my eyes. I suffer from severe MS but this exquisite hymn helps me to believe I will be in a better world one day.

  • @ceaselessidleness Perhaps, at last Great News!!! Angioplasty...opening blood vessels helps MS Patients!!!!!!

    So sorry that you too have MS - - that you have severe MS....please Search CCSVI...Chronic Cerebrospinal Venous Insufficiency ...MS may simply be Insufficient Brain Drainage from Veins...treatment: angioplasty!!!!!!!

    9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved! Romans 10

  • @ceaselessidleness

    Thank you for your touching comment. I am a singer, and have always thought that it were we, the singers, who were the lucky ones. To be singing in a great choir, surrounded by other wonderful singers is what i envision heaven to be. I am glad that listeners, like you, are also uplifted.

  • It is truly a prayer.  God is truly with Sir John Tavener and this incredible choir.

    It is balm for my soul....

    I thank God everyday for YOUTUBE.

  • @archivist26

    Amen

  • Beautiful! ......brings tears to my eyes.

    I also love that bass line xx

  • Not bad. Should be number 1 at Christmas

  • Am finally getting to sing this piece with our choir. Bliss on a stick!

  • ha - we're doing this in music AS

    I love how eerie it sounds - hauntingly beautiful

  • yhh same, best piece we've done so far!!

  • aha same, it took time to grow on me, at first i didnt like how it clashed

  • I did it too :) I think it was my favourite of the ones we studied.

  • On top of the sheet music for this it says:

    "For Simon's 3rd Birthday"

    As much as a beautiful peice of mucis this is you'd still be well gutted if this was your 3rd birthday present

  • @Jeffacakes1 Haha, that's what I thought when we studied it and got told he wrote it for his son xD What a depressing (but beautiful) thing to write for your son. I think it'd turn me manically depressed.

  • I love how it echoes x Beautiful

  • the bass is wonderful.

  • haunting, love it.

  • Damn right!!

  • This is on the edexcel AS music sylabus. I'm so glad cos its so good! Kings college choir are known for being really good and this is just incredable. :)

  • YES!!! this is absolutely immense and so cleverly created!! wicked little reflection mirror inversion retrograde thingies everywhere!!!

  • I loved singing this song...beautiful (:

  • Sorry, not my thing.

  • well done

  • The atonality is only from a western-key perspective, which came long after the Greek modes. I've done a thoughtful remix of the last part and I'm looking for permission for copyright issues. Any tips would be welcome...

  • i think this is gorgeous, and i get to sing this with my choir next semester =D

    i think it's a little fast though, because there are a few clashes and suspensions, and i wish they would hold them for longer =P

  • My father get a choir. With my sister we were singing The Lamb is magnificent !

  • fantastic, introduction is atonal, wich makes the tonal part following, sounds fantastic, these guys are great

  • Actually it's retrograde. The single line is sung, then the treble divisi (or alto) states the first line in reverse as the accompanying harmony on the second line. Quite ingenious.

  • im talking about the harmony, and how it changes in tonality in the later bars

  • The harmony in the later bars is e minor, with cluster chords. The melody in the earlier parts is has G major as a compass, and also is pentatonic for the second half of the melodic line (E Flat, F natural and A flat). It is not atonal.

    And HamerD, Tavener's meter notes are a quarter note (crotchet) = 40, so Dr. Cleobury is taking it faster than noted. But Tavener also notes "With extreme tenderness-flexible-always guided by the words". The tendency is to emote.

  • yes i understand the piece, and the E minor section makes the first part sound atonal in comparison, ENOUGH OF THE CRAP JUST LISTEN TO IT!! lol

  • You need to grow up. Listen to it? I've sung it more times than years you are old.

    And instead of being rude on You Tube and shooting your mouth off on something you know nothing about, get active in an Anglican choir near you if this means so much to you.

  • quite difficult for a pianist to get active in an anglican choir? lol, i study music at uni so sort of have an idea about music, i was joking, dont take it to heart!

  • Good. You can think seriously of getting an organ scholar gig, that is when you're done with Harmony, then Counterpoint, then Form & Analysis. Should be about right for your second year.

    Was a Vocal Performance Major twenty years ago and have had paid gigs here and over there as well.

    Music will never pay much, but it will feed you for a lifetime.

  • i didn't understand anything i just liked the voices lol

  • It's a poem by William Blake: Little Lamb, who made thee? Dost thou know who made thee? Gave thee life, and bid thee feed, By the stream and o'er the mead; Gave thee clothing of delight, Softest clothing, woolly, bright; Gave thee such a tender voice, Making all the vales rejoice? Little Lamb, who made thee? Dost thou know who made thee?
  • lovely, thank you.

  • Little Lamb, I'll tell thee,

    Little Lamb, I'll tell thee.

    He is called by thy name,

    For He calls Himself a Lamb.

    He is meek, and He is mild;

    He became a little child.

    I a child, and thou a lamb,

    We are called by His name.

    Little Lamb, God bless thee!

    Little Lamb, God bless thee!

  • I think english choirs tend to sing a lot of songs fast.

  • Go listen to John Scott at St. Paul/London, then tell us that.

  • That doesn't exactly contradict the word 'tend'.

  • This song is really sweet! I love it!

  • OMDZ, this is actually AWESOME!! I agree, this is by far the best recording I heard!!

  • Same :)

  • that is a woderful recording

  • definitely one of the best recordings available, i'd say. who doesn't love the boy's treble voices on this piece? it's absolutely perfect.

  • too fast for my taste, other than that good singing.

  • is that kid's name Jeremy?

  • Wonderful.

  • Sorry if i sound stupid, but do you mean Tavener's composition style is orthadox, or do you mean he is an orthadox christian? I would not say that 'The Lamb' is written in a orthadox style.

  • the poster that said "but he is orthodox" was answering the poster who said Tavener is "a shining contemporary star in the scintillating constellation of the Anglican Choral Canon."

    We do tend to think of him as "Anglican" even though he is Orthodox Christian, since his works are so widely performed in Anglican settings along with acapella motets from the Anglican church music "canon."

  • I see.

  • Orthodox is like a synomen (cant spell it) for traditional or sticking to the old- like people who are orthodox in belief are very traditional. ORTHODOX CHRISTAINS EG GREEK IS VERY DIFFERENT EXPLANATION. sorry for caps, have done it 4 times today already.

  • John Tavener is a genius.......a shining contemporary star in the scintillating constellation of the Anglican Choral Canon.

    Thank You for uploading this treasure.

  • he is a genius indeed, but he is orthodox

  • Indeed! :) Which you can hear in the piece, of course. The best recording on youtube, agreed, indeed.

  • orthodoxy is an arguably difficult system to create new things in, although it does tend to lead to pleasing results more easily. the reason i say this is because there's no reason for you to say but, only and...

  • perfect...best "The Lamb" on youtube

  • Nothing short of exquisite.

  • whats the name of the artist and song name?

  • john tavener - the lamb.... words are from and clearly the piece was inspired by william blakes poem. I love this piece, the haunting element and when the rich harmonys come in. I study this piece as part of my music course and can never tire of it.

  • "The Lamb", a haunting and beautiful Christmas piece by John Tavener of England, sensing from the manger the life of Jesus to come and his death and resurrection.

  • This clip was taken from "Carols from Kings' College" aired on BBC on Christmas Eve 2006

  • This video is from a 1998 broadcast.

  • this piece is so unnerving

  • What is this video from? Where can I get it??

  • This was off TV some years ago. The service from 2000 is available on DVD although I'm not sure if it had this piece on as I don't currently have my DVD of it to hand. Looking online, it looks as though it does not.

  • I loved being a treble, its a fantastic feeling producing music like this for Chapels full of listeners who adore each note and chord. You always miss being able to attain those higher octaves, after that quick slide down to Bass though... Nothing compares to the purity of an all boys choir.

    I absolutely love this recording; I could listen to it for the rest of my life.

  • "Nothing compares to the purity of an all boys choir."

    I agree. I never tire hearing King's. Though Tallis is great, I still prefer the boys/men sound. It's straightforward the same way siblings' voices blend.

  • ...and it's the best version you ever will hear. There is not a choir in the world that compares to this one, particularly at this type of music.

  • best version i've seen of this - beautiful

  • I've been looking for a good recording of this on youtube for ages. thanks for posting! there's a lovely version of 'The Lamb' by Elizabeth Poston; it tends to get bypassed for this piece. It's very different but sweet in its own way - I suggest you all check it out!

  • That is a lovely track. It make me tingle every time I hear it. The vocalists in this choir are extremely good. Well done.

  • Excelente obra de John Tavener, y muy buena interpretación.

  • Who is their director? What a wonderful job of phrasing, blending, shading!

  • It's Stephen Cleobury.

  • Absolutly Beautiful, subscribe to me and keep me updated with choral vides please. HOC Astle

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