British Contralto Clara Butt ~ Land of Hope and Glory (1930)

[EnglanEOfficial]

Dame Clara Butt is my 1st cousin twice removed, or something... She is in my bloodline and family tree! :) X

[CurzonRoad]

@EnglanEOfficial

An honour... THANK YOU!

[EnglanEOfficial]

@CurzonRoad Thank YOU for keeping her voice and memory alive! :) X

[georgeamery]

She sings it better than they do today.The last night of proms is a joke now with them to emmbarrassed to reallt sing it.

[mayatatyana1]

Doug, great stature and great voice. Thank you. Maya

[Glenmed]

I've listened to this so many times. Each time I've tried to think what to put down and each time I've failed. I can only conclude that it's well above my pay grade to analyze. Bivolari's comment makes me smile. No doubt I'll keep coming to listen again to the crashing of these gears.

[kintaroll]

good gad. was this sung in a corset? her waist in the first pic looks terribly small.

[Kumgll]

And I bet Elgar hated it.

[jozefsterkens2]

La voix la plus obscène du monde (Reynaldo Hahn).

[CurzonRoad]

@jozefsterkens2

Good for Mr. Reynaldo Hahn! (I'm afraid Clara Butt would have eaten him alive!)

Cheers, etc.

Doug --

[HM0880]

The picture at 1:20 reminds me of Boudica, the Celtic warrior queen. This song would inspire me to readily follow Dame Clara into battle! And after her stunning singing, the male chorus sounds almost weak. :-p Thanks for posting this and sending it to me, Doug!

P.S. I also like the picture of her and her family. It shows the more domestic side of this powerful singer. :)

[Gydinglight12]

Any youtube video of Land of Hope and Glory needs the scene from the movie Hope and Glory in which the mob of Brit housewives run out to cut up the silk parachute of the crashed Luftwaffe pilot who stands there smoking a cigarette and watching the whole scene. 

[KirstyGriffiths]

Apparently Elgar composed his Sea Pictures for Clara Butt to perform....if only there was a recording .... what a chest voice ... wow ....

[rudyeilabouni]

I first heard this song in a game called The Getaway in the cutscene of the final mission and since then I really like it!

But I can't find a good version of the song!

I would like to hear a solo man voice and and not million person singing it...

[rockgor]

@rudyeilabouni

Don't know of good version by a male singer. Jeanette MacDonald made

a wonderful recording with chorus, probably in the l940s.

Kinda funny that this patriotic piece by a British composer has become

part of Americana.

I read Clara Butt was 6 feet tall. She was very popular in her time. Of

course this recording was made when she was getting on, but it

sounds pretty bad to me. She has 3 or 4 registers, none of them

connected.

Tnx 4 the interesting post.

[tharmiya]

can someone give me lyrics to this?

[Herur22]

Extraordinary, what a voice.

[CurzonRoad]

@Herur22

Greetings... and thank you!

[Prometheus2013]

Her chest voice is magical

[CurzonRoad]

Yes.... absolutely!

Many thanks!

All Best.

Cheers, etc.

Doug --

[OlDoinyo]

Like the yodel at 0:53 and the nice solid A2 at 1:57! Yes, she was camping it up here, but she did so with style, and not many ladies can hit an honest 110 Hz in modal voice.

[LohengrinT]

you sure it is A2? sounds like A3 to me. A2 is a low baritone note

[andyrawn]

DOUG ~

Good Heavens, this is one of those RARE voices with ~ we'd imagine ~ unusually huge vocal chords.

I immediately think of Titta Ruffo in Clara Butt's time or, in our own, Ben Heppner ~ each a one of a kind.

~ ANDY

[althazarr]

Magnificent! 5***** Thanks for sharing this Doug!

[ginnykaren]

Doug,

What a great voice!!!

Excellent !!!

[Kievest]

Venerable and totally Memorable! Clara

Butt could have ruled the waves all by

herself! A Five Star Salute! Thanks

Doug!!!

[spannerworks1]

Doug my friend

For one who is very British patriotic I love this lady and her strong voice - must find a few recordings on 78 and LP. I am back at the Albert Hall London for last night of the Proms.

Regards

Richard

[meltzerboy]

A unique voice for sure. Dame Clara Butt's contralto was cavernous but also delicate. And it had great technique and expressive ability. One of the wonders of the modern world!

[AulicExclusiva]

Yes, but one wishes she hadn't clunked out those obscene low notes with quite so much coarse gusto! The woman had no taste. Not that this little ditty requires any.

[meltzerboy]

I guess you would agree with Melba, who, when accused of belittling Australian audiences by telling Clara Butt to "sing 'em muck," retaliated by saying that such advice to Butt would be totally unnecessary. Your last remark, I think, is more to the point. This kind of song is not a dainty piece; Clara Butt's "coarse gusto" seems to me appropriate and exhilarating.

[fairlytaleofnewyork]

Much enjoyed thanks Doug!

[paulostroff99]

Very enjoyable performance!!  TY.Doug.

[SENAFOREVER]

Marmorean.

[CurzonRoad]

Hi Fab: As in marble, yes? She's amazing... out of this world!

[AulicExclusiva]

Comme sa fesse. Sacre bleu!

[Bivolari]

Monumental! Grotesque! Inspiring! Fearsome! Unique!

There is only one Clara Butt. Here she is in all of her magnificent glory!!

[CurzonRoad]

Hi Stephen: LoL! Wow! Just as you have described... every word SPOT ON! THANK YOU! Doug --