Polyphony & Stephen Layton - Lux Aurumque

[bggrthnslicedbread]

I wonder if Angels in heaven are singing this right now...

[dorkraable]

my choir performed this eric himself at lincoln center!

[Felttheneedtocomment]

The chord at 1:18 never fails to make shivers go down my spine...

[pilchard96]

Only a true genius can make dissonance shiveringly beautiful. This is incredible.

[gergatron300]

tis a beautiful tune but i feel that it is more beautiful on LSD

[congelatore]

0:42 to 0:48, every time... Heaven.

[MrDominicMark]

That last note in the sopranos from 3:05 lasts for a minute...

[uppersnseniors]

@MrDominicMark staggered breathing

[DepthOfMyBrain]

OH... MY..... GOD......

[childofvincent]

This...is the most beautiful thing I have EVER heard. It's like I've stepped into another plane of existence.

[MrWatsuphomies]

We used this in my marching band this year. A wonderful piece by Eric Whitacre. Love his music, and this has really inspired me

[gwreeves1987]

The 'landing' at 2:17 is pure gold.

[lovealwaysforever21]

I want to hear this when I die.

[TheEric1203]

@lovealwaysforever21 that's exactly what I thought when I heard this

[tuberwupp]

Breathtaking - i`m almost crying. This music is opening an unknown glorious dimension.

[XjWoRk18]

This is waht I imagine would be playing at the end of an epic movie as the world is exploding in slow motion

[rupert10]

so thankful i had the opportunity to sing this in choir when i was in college

[DJLiko81]

Light, warm, heavy, pure as gold, and the angels sing to the newborn babe.

[GBall8Forever]

lux. lux. lux. lux. calida. calida. gravis que. gravis que. gravis que. pura. pura. ve lut aurum canunt et canunt et canunt et canunt et, angeli. canunt. canunt. canunt. mo. li. ter. natum. natum. natum. mo. do. natum.

[TheSorgen]

That crescendo/decrescendo in the soprano solo kills me every time

[AnyaKrystina]

I can't think of anthing that is more incredible than this.

[decoren45]

@AnyaKrystina sex, but its only a close second.

[guibox3]

Whitacre is amazing, no doubt and his music is glorious. However much of his music is frustrating. It's the 'almost there' kind of music that would elevate it into the stratosphere of beauty but it never manages to get there. It doesn't take your ear where it desperately wants to go. Sometimes that is a good thing, but too much of the 'non melody' is frustrating. This one and 'Sleep' are clear exceptions, however. That is why I like Arvo Part's music. It has the best of both worlds.

[ychs09]

This song is amazing....just like in his song sleep....this song would not be as amazing if that beautiful soaring high note at 0:24 was not in there

[BleuberryIceCream]

Is honey to my ears <3

[rooneyrythm]

3:04 is the most beautiful part. Eric Whitacre is an utter legend.

[KDMAnderson]

3:03

[rkt739]

Lyrics: Lux calida gravisque Pura velut aurum Et canunt angeli molliter Modo natum. Translation: Light, warm and heavy, Pure as gold And the angels sing softly To the newborn. P.S. Lux Aurumque means Light And Gold Now thumbs up so people can see what it means! :)

[1chick1camera]

just have to point out that the bass line is INSANE at the end :] i think it's around a C# in like...the lowest octave ever :]

[GibsonLesStrat]

@1chick1camera Haha I believe it is a C#. Its an amazing ending. And i am one of three people in my high school choir that can actually hit it. Its insane.

[Yockenthwaite1]

@1chick1camera singing that is awesome... the air thrums

[TerryTheKidd]

Hmm BYU or Polyphony?They are both amazing. I like more of the emphasis of the dissonance in the chords from polyphony though.

[AleahLovesChuu]

I love this, this being my marching band song, movement 2.

[Rjnmct]

This choir containing a smaller number of members allows a much cleaner, concise performance in this song. Fantastic!

[lovealwaysforever21]

this is love. ♥

[musicman8493]

I am blown away by this piece, especially this particular recording. I think Polyphony is easily the best choir I have ever heard, and this is my favorite piece of all time. I listened to this during a rainstorm the other day, and I literally broke down crying. God Bless you, Eric Whitacre!

[Icyveins906]

@musicman8493 Recording wise, I enjoy Polyphony a lot too, but in a real performance, this piece benefits from a larger choir that can fill the hall. It doesn't have to be louder, but the overlapping sub tones get richer and richer the more competent voices you add. That said, nice bass sound. I could feel it pounding in my chest even through headphones at the end.

[xBlAcKxxIcEx]

3:04 A prayer has just been answered

[liveforlife2494]

I'm an Alto I and we're doing this song in Chamber Choir....I first heard about Eric Whitacre/the Virtual Choir/this piece a few months ago and when my director announced we were doing this piece, I was SO excited!! We're doing "Sleep" too, for a Choral Day festival that's coming in several months. Eric Whitacre, you are a god of choral music, did anyone ever tell you that?

[Brivixxycej8]

I like this better than the BYU singers recording of this piece. Which is saying something, because I ADORE the BYU singers recording.

[margotlorena1]

@Brivixxycej8 I agree, polyphony's version of lux aurumque is superior to the one by the byu singers

[FelComposer]

Oh god... this is perfect.

[JuyoNi]

i love how the tenors move with the altos in "gravisque" :DDDD so beautiful:)))

[Vagabond1951]

If some of those languid, sustained chords don't send shivers up and down your spine, you're probably stone dead. I'm particularly thinking of the last syllable of "calida" at about 0:42.

[Stoptapingme]

2 people have no sense or taste in great/beautiful music.

[ruhruhryanne]

I think Whitacre and Mantyjarvi are by far the best composers of our time.

[siLveRscOpe13x]

@ruhruhryanne I agree completely.

[MissMaddiem00]

@ruhruhryanne The Mantyjarvi Lord's prayer is awesome to sing xD

[lhc9494]

Ahhh all the dissonance...so beautiful.....

[siLveRscOpe13x]

@lhc9494 Goes great with the Latin text, eh?

[liyah4ord]

omg!!! this song never ceases to amaze me... I wish my college choir would do it...ahhhh the ending is the best part it gives me chills.

[BaBbiIeSpIcE]

ThiS sonq iS so BeautiFul. Makes a tear iN ma eye. lol

[jl343]

Anyone who thinks dissonance cannot be beautiful and musical clearly does not know the name Eric Whitacre

[MissMaddiem00]

@sephiroth3782 I know now :) when we started learning it last week, it was explained. Last wednesday we had a visit from a guy called Tom Williams who was actually part of Polyphony :D

[charmclover]

I have given up trying to wrap my mind around the genius of Eric Whitacre. Absolutely increadible

[Mercyfuldeath]

Tnx!<3 <3 <3

[VanSensei]

This song is just so amazing.

[MissMaddiem00]

I've just listened to this whilst reading the music, not only is it beautiful, but the 1st soprano has a very hard part from bar 38.. i couldn't sing the same note for 44 beats 0_o

[sephiroth3782]

@MissMaddiem00

you wouldn't have to =P

I'm pretty sure that every one of the sopranos on that note will have taken a breath at least twice, probably more =)

But if you take your breath quitely and subtly, and at a different time to everyone else, then no one can notice

[DrAltais]

This is by far the best performance of Lux Aurumque on Youtube. Proper speed, perfect tone, and a decent, meaty bass line. Polyphony make me have naughty thoughts. Some of them about Stephen Layton.

[nichelleraeperez]

I just love this song and all of its amazingness that comes along with it. Eric Whitacre you have done us well Polyphony you definitely have done an amazing job of portraying his work. Much love<3

[vicoreo]

The men singers at 1:15 are GORGEOUS!

[kikivolauvent]

I received this CD as a gift by dear friends who obviously know our taste.... :)

A most wonderful work and one I will never, ever get tired of listening to. It is - together with Lauridsen's 'O Magnun Mysterium' a welcome oasis of peace and serenity in a sometimes very, very loud and worrying world!

Thank you for posting this for the joy and pleasure of many listeners!

[devishree]

@kikivolauvent It's interesting you should mention those two pieces because my college choir just performed both of them for our Festival of Lights concert. They are indeed both stunning.

[kikivolauvent]

@devishree

:) - it's because it's - at the same time - all of those:

- soothing

- beautiful

- magic

- hopeful

I think Festival of Lights sounds wonderful - and I guess that this music is absolutely perfect for ANY festival.... :)

Happy singing! I hope that our choir will perform some of those works too in the future

I am a happy member of a mostly baroque music choral - although right now we prepare a Brahms programme....

[boogbabygurl135]

i love whitacre music his songs are amazing

[Stbxgirl21]

I'm learning this- this semester for my college choir! we have some great songs this semester!!!

[alery998]

@ multigenremusician Oh well our choir did this song and on the sheet music it went from C# minor (4 sharps) to C# mixilidian for the Natum (end) section (6 sharps) but i suppose your right about the 7ths

[multigenremusician]

whoever that one person who dislike this is, they must've missed the like button.

[NicholasTaylorFord]

@multigenremusician As humorous as it sounds, I indeed did miss the like button, and went back to click the like button.

It truly was an unfortunate accident, this song is way to harmonious and magnificent to dislike...

[alery998]

C# minor to C# mixilidian..... wow

[multigenremusician]

@alery998 its really C# major, but it doesnt matter, the 7ths are never implied in the chords anyway.

[carriexoxkellie]

this was heard at the very end of the most recent episode of Army wives and it was just as amazing then :) Eric Whitacre is a choral music GOD

[MiraSekelsky]

Never tire of this! I've performed this so many times in the past two weeks on tour in Italy with my choir, and it's still magical - especially the alto clash at 1.16-1.17. He's coming to my college in Cambridge to be a visiting professor there and to compose stuff for our choir! I can't wait!

[CrescentFenix]

@MiraSekelsky your life must rock :D

[wh1telightning19]

@MiraSekelsky

i love those moments in a song. i wish the entire song was like it but you need a climax.

[MissInformati0n]

@MiraSekelsky what college is that?

[MiraSekelsky]

@MissInformati0n Sidney Sussex, Cromwell's College (among other things!)

[JaredPaul54]

this is how heaven sounds.

[mvy109]

hmmm....sounds reminiscent of o magnum mysterium (laudisen) at the end, starting at 3:06

suchh a pretty song tho :) gotta love eric whitacre

[emmapduk]

i'm on this recording - it was one of the last CDs i made with Polyphony before retiring.

[JaredPaul54]

@emmapduk you are so lucky to have been there and done it. Congratulations. What a memory to cherish.

[jtdendy]

@emmapduk must have been thrilling to sing in such an amazing choir. the recording is by far the best i've heard!!

[Venhooker]

jesus christ, eric whitacre is the most amazing contemporary composer i know of

[spazypants]

When I say perform I mean sing. (Clarification) !!!!!!!!!! Enjoy Lux.

[spazypants]

5 stars are not nearly enough. From one musician to others, it is just as amazing to perform. You truly feel the power of music when you do. And just an FYI, tidbet when I performed it i learned the translation and it is about the birth of Christ.

[Waffle281]

For some reason, when I hear this song I imagine someone dying (not in a gruesome, painful way... just slowly drifting off) and at the end they run to the arms of a loved one who has previously passed away and has been waiting for them, and both go up to heaven... I don't think that's what it's about, but that's what I think of:P

[ShadowEclipse123]

@Waffle281 Interesting interpretation! But the poems translation is of the birth of Christ. Lux, (Light) calida gravisque pura velut aurum (warm and heavy as pure gold) et canunt angeli molliter

(and the angels sing softly) modo natum. ( to the newborn baby.)

[horsychik]

Charles Silvestri who worked on the lyrics thought of them as the birth of Christ. but Eric did not. I learned this when my choir performed with him a few years ago.

[alwaysbored5293]

@Waffle281 just fyi, its about light and gold (lux= light aurum=gold) describing baby jesus after he was born, but yes, I was thinking the same thing about the death part, very eery, hopeless, feeling then an overwelming joy overcomes! Eric is the best composer I've ever known :)

[diablo98188]

@Waffle281 The song is Light and Truth if I remember correctly, and so in a way, could very well be interpreted to your image. But yes, this song is beyond amazing

[familyguychick]

I am so honored that our marching band got to play this for our show.

[MERTx123]

Incredible piece of music. One of my favorites... and that's saying a lot

[CirrowProductions]

How do you favorite videos? What the fuck youtube. Fuck you

[yaffytaffy12345]

@CirrowProductions Click the "save to" button by the thumbs, and then click "favorites"

It should work. I agree. The new layout sucks.

[CirrowProductions]

@yaffytaffy12345 thanks

[yaffytaffy12345]

@CirrowProductions yyyyyyup :]

[TrueBlueOtaku]

I wish the choir I was in wasn't stuck on a showtunes theme. This would be the perfect theme to show the strength and ability of our voices to sustain notes such as this one AS WELL AS allow us to learn some gorgeous uses of dissonance.

I love this song.

[marimbaman89]

0:43 and 0:55...they may just be my favorite musical moments ever.

[chore30]

I go to a totally different dimension when i listen to that girl sing that high note lol

[pickleboy01]

Bass note at the end= holy freakin crap.

[percussionist6592]

by far the best recording of this piece i have ever encountered

[ychs09]

This song is absolutely magnificent....I will never get tired of listening to it

[davidbrian79]

I totally agree!!! Indeed!!!

[gymnastchic1129]

Playing the wind band version of this. I'm upset that there's a whole chunk missing from it though :( This is absolutely fantastic. Eric Whitacre is a phenomenal composer, a legend.

[itsmrGuy]

@gymnastchic1129 There's nothing actually missing, but when Whitacre arranged it for wind ensemble he just took out the original choral climax and replaced it with the one from the 'Bliss' finale of his opera Paradise Lost.

[paupau93]

hey, listen at 0:31-0:32 the high voice goes very flat...lol

[jaundicedave]

that's written in the song, listen to any recording of it. hope this helps, brosef.

[westywales1991]

absolutely love this...ive played the wind band arrangement in a reduced size 'modern ensemble' and absolutely love it. the harmonies are beautiful!

[Zer0Kage]

Played it a few times in a wind band arrangement... and gets me every time we do it right... or when I hear a great recording like this.

[dimsimlord]

@Zer0Kage

Wind ensemble arrangement has an astonishingly beautiful passage which isn't in the choral one for some reason.

[itsmrGuy]

Lux was written in 2000 and the wind arrangement in 2005. The climax you're talking about is actually from the finale, 'Bliss' of his opera Paradise Lost, which he just decided to replace the original climax with. What a gorgeous theme that is though..

[savestheray182]

stratomaster136 i think if was just the effect of the minor 2nd at 1:14 that you're hearing cuz that's what i heard at least

[estherllita82]

Dios... Maravilloso. No words.

[Itsyaboydre3k]

I listen to this all the time now. Most amazing sound over. I gets me to sleep and up in the mornin

[whoopingvox]

If I were about to die, this would be what I want to hear when I am lifted towards the heavens.

So, so beautiful. I can't stop crying...

[AgainstAllOdds09]

I sang this song at the IAM tour and it has such a haunting yet absolutely beautiful melody. I love it!

[TheMagallan]

the first time i heard this song was when I sightread it in a wind ensemble, which since it was instruments it naturally had a deeper voice.

It almost brought me to tears because I never thought that i would ever hear or play something so beautiful. God clearly proved me wrong

[bloomilkc]

this is a really good song

[GollumGimli09]

Ethereal

[yourforte]

So beautiful.

[MeheartSoad]

MARRY ME, ERIC WHITACRE!!

[surfnsunshinekat]

@MeheartSoad he's already married.

[johnrobert2]

@MeheartSoad Already married...some soprano who he wrote a song called "five hebrew love songs" for...sang it junior year...good song...hahah

[kikivolauvent]

@MeheartSoad

LOL..... :)))))

[DasKenbo]

@MeheartSoad he's already married to Hila Plitmann, an incredable soprano. lol

[rc1260]

@MeheartSoad he already has a son :(

[Melissax1217]

Heavenly, beauty, perfection,

this is deff my favorite Whitacre song

[Sieffadiddle]

3:46 give me chills. This is a masterpiece.

[kinging264]

sounds so...sad and like if all hope disappeared

but it still is Great!

[pantscrapper12]

It's actually supposed to be the exact opposite. This song was composed to be the song that you would hear, if standing in the presence of God.

[AriaSinger1]

@pantscrapper12

If you know a lick of latin, then you would know that it's actually describing the light that the morning star shone down on Jesus's birth

[pantscrapper12]

I don't know Latin. I'm just going by what my band director told us. lol

[EriolAB]

interesting how everybody can have a different feeling while listening to one piece of music. for me it is as if someone were to gently open my chest and put a warmly glowing, shining star into my heart, which no one could take from me, who will always be inside of me keeping me alive, so that i never again would have to fear anything. but it's a wonderful fact than one piece of inspiration, one cosmic idea unravels various feelings in different people. That is the power of art.

[Shmekle69]

@EriolAB i get the exact same fuzzy warm feeling when songs are sung in church

[stratomaster136]

What is the strange sound at 1:14? Is it just a very strange overtone or something else?

Amazing!

[puremanliness]

Dissonance.

[greekboiee]

i think its a modulation into tonic major?

[sephiroth3782]

i dont think its an overtone, its just a chord that is so beautiful it makes you shiver, like an overtone would

i think its the two alto parts singing a semitone apart from each other

[steelvenom2003]

@stratomaster136 That would be the altos experiencing beastly dissonance of which I am extremely jealous.

[ellandelachapelle]

Beautiful piece! Beautifully sung! (reminds me of Britten. It's in the same spirit.)

[YaDibaritone10]

Eric Witacre completes me.

[applesauc3]

You misspelled his name.

[YaDibaritone10]

@applesauc3

yeah my bad, my "h" and "p" keys are jacked up. Ya'll knew what i meant hahaha

[applesauc3]

sry lol

[diamondriogurl]

i sand this!!!!!!!!

[ShaeShaeLaRu]

This is a song you wanna listen do while you laying down on a night on the beach be yourself..It so moving and powerful it literally will bring out all you emotions when i sang this for All County i cried because i was in total blissful trance

[elphie1415]

@ShaeShaeLaRu I totally understand, although i dont go to the beach due to where i live :P, but i love to go to a park or natural place at night and listen to this and its very self reflecting. Its so amazing!

[reddemon46]

so my class is going to do this piece for our upcomming concert, and me being one of our only second basses, am quite suprised at how i can actually hit the high G for the sorpano solo at the beginning, while my lowest notes i can hit would be a low B under a bass clef

[SANDXcalliber]

Hahaha, Fals seto is actualy supprising, Basses can usualy sing sprano using it, and teners can usualy sing alto. That why in pro choirs they have either mixed or alto's next to the teners and basses next to the saprano's.

[sephiroth3782]

it makes singing so much easier

im a tenor, but once, there was a day when all of our altos bar one were ill, so I got to sing it with her =P

[VanSensei]

@SANDXcalliber: Wrong. They actually have it placed like that because basses and sopranos are the outer parts, while tenors and altos have very close parts, maybe even in unison at times, so that's why.

[inthemoment875]

Wow, few can do that. Kudos to you! :)

[bdw803]

I went to a concert today and they sang this song. I had to look it up lol

[OboeCupcake]

I heart Eric Whitacre <3

[TheMusicality]

best chords are at 0:40 1:13 1:40 2:12 2:30 and 3:11

[SCGod]

Dissonance makes this music shine.

Lux Aurumque = Light of Gold

[skorgebassist]

Lux Aurumque = Light AND Gold... Sorry but as a Latinist I have to write that :) this piece is simply stunning.

[SCGod]

It can be said both ways "Light and/of gold."

=]

[YKW2]

Well, the text started life in English, and was translated into Latin especially for Whitacre (I think). I've noticed that "Light of Gold" is scattered across the web as a subtitle for this piece. So, skorgebassist is absolutely right that the translation of "lux aurumque" is definitely "light and gold", but I wonder if the composer himself used the other as a subtitle...don't know

Love the piece, by the way :)

[PointCarpetMovies]

This is excellent.

[amonae2]

i had to sing this last year and it was the most difficult piece of music but the song is amazing and i was so glad we got to sing it

[VanSensei]

Hey, at 2:53, is that where the soprano 1 divides with sop. 2 and 3 and holds the pitch for the rest of the song?

[aworysse]

yes ;)

[fuckenfeliciaaa]

yes.

Soprano I holds a G for the remainder of the song.

Soprano II sings E/E#

&Soprano III holds an E

[Hosenfeld24601]

I sang that part in a very small choir. There were only two of us singing the upper note. Stagger breathing was a nightmare to plan, but we had a lot of fun with it.

[HoratioCaineFan]

God, our choir sang this two years ago and I completely fell in love. We were pretty good too.

[rednaxela31]

i love the part between 1:41 and 1:50 and then between 2:10 and 2:20

nearly moves me to tears

[andi30900]

i am feeling the same...

[23levesque]

i am in love.

[darthurui]

Eric Whitacre living up to his usual standard

[brilliancefilms]

Did you put in a noise cancellation at around 4:08? Why does it get all distorted?

[SCGod]

Beautiful song as always.