It sounds okay... but quite a few things irked me. The piece is in B-flat minor, and the choir slid down into A minor, which in my opinion just doesn't fit the song. Also as people have stated before, it's just TOO fast. Some of the sopranos just have too much vibrato, which also may have affected the pitch. I do like the rich sound in the tenors though. Blend is very good also. This is an okay rendition, but for a choir this size, I think they could have done better...
I do think that whitacre's music sounds soooo much better with big ensembles, instead of one or 2 people per section, like polyphony.
are this high school students? because it sounds as if they have no vocal technique, maybe that's the reason the sound is flat, no proper support, etc
listen to "two little animals moonled" it doesnt flow....
anyway, just to be able to sing this song with all the dissonances, the extended ranges and the multiples divisis it's a feat in itself, good for you!
The whole point of a piece like this is to relish in the rich, and beautiful harmonies that Eric Whitacre creates. This was sung so fast that nearly all of that is missed. It's a shame, because this is an incredible song.
I love this piece it was an honor to be a part of this choir I dont know if anyone said it already but Rene Clausen was our director (a truly amazing human being)
Listen to the choir "Polyphony" perform this if you want to know what it reallllllly should sound like. These high school kids are good, but don't have the blend needed for whitacre's chords to really ring out.
I totally agree with your recommendation of Polyphony. Also, BYU has a really good take on this song as well. Although somewhat different than Polyphony, still really good!
Oh yeah, one more thing. Don't assume that TMEA is "just better". No other state can compare with the sheer numbers that Texas has, but plenty of smaller states have amazing all-state choirs, too. Like roodie said, it's not a contest to see who's better. Why do you Texas people even watch these videos if you don't like them? Go watch something else.
sorry i'm late on this post, but you finally said what i was thinking!
all-state kids from texas are always criticizing other all-states and always seem to HAVE to mention that they're so much better. but i disagree. and if they don't like it, they should just watch their own videos and stick to that.
btw texas kids, learn to take criticism. there's nothing is perfect, so if people make comments about how you can improve, don't take it personally.
Like I said, the conductor can make or break the choir. OMEA 2008 had NO problems with pitch and the overall concert was better than this one. I'm sure alot of the 2008 choir members were also in this choir, but different conductors produce different results...
just to let yall know the talent veries in each state and tmea is just better. this vid wasnt too bad but i have heard so much better....*cough,cough*tmea*cough,cough* i have no doubts that this choir did an amazing job but they are kinda pitchy and yes limited amount of time contributes but that pitch prob was pre-existing for it to rear its ugly face at yalls all state
These are the best singers in the state, and there was absolutely no reason for this choir to go flat. My opinion is that a conductor makes or breaks a choir...
If you guys knew how short the amount of time they got to work on this was, you wouldn't be saying the horrible things you are. They did an amazing job, and last I checked this wasn't some cut-throat contest. People in choir come together for one reason: music. So, those of you who think you're so much better than everyone else, get off your high horse, because I promise that at some point, you sucked too.
Well put man-when did this become a forum for all this bashing of each others groups? I mean, the best all state is always going to be the one the you're in, but why the insecurity to the point that people are afraid and have to turn this into some kind of loony fight?
This comment has received too many negative votesshow
wow omea sucks so bad....look up tmea..i'm a tmea all stater and its so much better...i have a video of the all-state mens choir singing a capella piece...absolutley beautiful...we don't go flat...look at it on my channel thank you
Well Just because its hard doesn't mean perform it badly and its ok.....Our choir didn't sing this but i know high school choirs who have who didn't mess it up this bad...listen to the tmea recording of sleep...its simply amazing although the soprano's used a little to much vibrato for my taste because most of his pieces are straight tone because the tuning is so difficult, they were still able to maintain good pitch. And who said i'm bashing??? maybe it's the truth?
Each All-State conductor chooses the music that will be performed by the choir he is directing. It is then up to that conductor to mold the choir into what he wants it to be and how he wants it to sound.
Ouch, some people are being brutal here. Give them a break, it's still just a high school choir. Yes, the tempo's too fast. Yes, the tone is horribly sharp and piercing. Yes, we can't hear the inner voices on anything. Also, did I mention they're just in high school?
If it's too difficult for them to do well, than they should have done something else. A valiant attempt is still a shortcoming and there are no A's for effort in art.
Amen! I could barely understand half the song with the poor diction, the shrill soprano voices, the intonation issues, etc. I would have expected better from an All-State group, and better from the guest conductor as well.
Well... when I sung this with PMEA, The conductor highly stressed diction and the balance of voices. I think that its possible that this group didnt have a director that was as highly qualified, or maybe they just didnt have enough time to prepare...
I agree. I'm realize a proud parent, but I think the 2008 All-OMEA choir was the best all-state choir I have ever heard. And yes, Jeffery Redding gets all the credit. After the concert, I overheard many of the students saying he was the best clinician they had ever worked with. Oklahoma was wise to bring him. The videos of the 2008 choir don't even come close to the experience of the actual concert. It was wonderful!!
2008 OMEA was much better. nothing against these singers becuz im sure they had the same potential since its like mostly the same people. all credit goes to Jeff Redding. that man was amazing!
"Baby you better gimme what i want, cuz i'm gunna get it eventually"
In Oklahoma, the students must learn the music before the actual all-state weekend. Once they arrive, they are re-auditioned. Supposedly, any student who doesn't know their music is sent home, but I've never heard of that actually happening. These are serious musicians, so most are well-prepared. But you are right, the choir has only been together for a couple of days. This particular weekend there was a snow storm, and the last rehearsal was cancelled so the concert could be earlier in the day
One thing we have to remember is that All-State choirs are usually put together very quickly. I'm not sure about this one, but in Texas sometimes we learned new songs just 1 or 2 days before the concert. And even if they each knew the song individually, they've only been singing together for a day or two....plus many other songs.
There isn't suposed to be harmony. We're singing this song in my choir right now. It splits into 14 parts at two points in the piece, and it's one of the most beautiful pieces of music I've ever sung in my life.
there isnt supposed to be harmony.. We are singing this song in my choir too and there is SUPPOSED to be dissonance. The cluster chords that are achieved in this piece are amazing, and quite difficult when an entire choir is split into 14 different parts.
These are some scarily ignorant comments. Dissonance and consonance are two types of harmonies. To say a piece has no harmony means it is only melody and nothing else. Lastly, the fact that the piece is difficult does not give you an excuse to perform it badly.
omg thank you kntrabssi....IF you cannot perform it without the pitch going flat or sharp and the chords not locking in...then don't.....especially for an all-state choir...i was dissapointed...seach TMEA All-State choir...amazing
The general rule is if you are impressed by a group, please post and tell them about it.
If you are not, just don't post. This will keep you from looking like an arrogent ass, as you do now. The quality of this performance is excellent-the purpose for the all state groups is to learn,learn,learn and make good music in the process. Noone is perfect, and I have listened to TMEA and am not impressed.
Do yourself a favor-turn your critisism inward and let it make you better musician.
I've posted the 2008 All-OMEA chorus. You should check it out. It's amazing...their sound is so much better than this choir, even though a lot of the singers were in both groups.
WTF why can no chorus stay in tune on this piece?! For "and if you close your eyes..." it's about a half-step to a whole-step flat. So far, I've only heard one choir stay in-tune on this song, and that's Polyphony. Good vowels and interpretation though.
Yeah, you guys don't suck outright, but I have video and audio of my high school choir kicking the shit out of that song like 8 years ago. Nice try though.
Hahaha, looking down to comment at this video, its a cornicopia of everyone in Washington all state who just performed water night, such as myself, Lol. I would say the same thing. Way too fast. You can't do justice to the piece. I would say the same thing about my own high school choir that did sleep last year. Same Idea.
It's nice and the power is great but it's way too fast, it sounds rushed, and there a lot of times when it goes really flat. I was in Yakima too for the WMEA.
If you memorized your music it would give more room to work on other things like tallness or not sounding like your screaming the high notes. And its way to fast.
I don't want to critique this song, but yes, it DEFINITELY should have been taken about half that tempo he went at. This is, in my opinion, whitacre's most moving piece. It can't be expressed properly if you go at that speed. I think it would have been beautiful, but it was just so fast-paced that it just felt incredibly rushed. I was in the WMEA all state choir that sang this today in yakima, and it wasn't nearly as fast as this.
I really liked it except my director put me on 1st Tenor, when I usually sing 2nd tenor or 3rd, so I didn't like it for that reason, and the High A's lol
they sounded really good I'm in all city choir right now and we are singing this song and we have a better balance with the men and the women but overall the they sound great :)
it sounded pretty good but it sounded like the girls got drowned out by the guys' sound a lot in the beginning. it may just be that my choir had like 2x as many girls as guys dunno but overall i loved it
I've always wondered what it would be like if there was a group of people that had one person per part. The breathing would be hell, wouldn't it? I think that if they did it correctly, it would be beautiful T-T
All-state is wonderful. Anyone who has the chance to go should go. You meet the coolest people, and you bring the greatest experiences and memories with you for the rest of your life.
Wonder no more! The choir I'm in at school has roughly 1 person per part on this song, so we have to put breaths in the piece that aren't originally intended to be there. However, the advantage to having a small ensemble is that the blend is easier to take care of. Our concert is Thursday, I'll post a video soon thereafter.
Well Ive performed this piece myself and this conductor rushes everything and doesn't take the time to enjoy the richness of each the cords. I couldn't even hear half of the parts.
Our conductor did some really stoopid things (I thought) with this song....He didn't even split up the guys into 6 parts, he kept it a 4....Which angered me sooo much.... [0_0]
we're doing this in my chamber choir for our high school's spring concert. i'm excited. and for IMEA All-State Honor's, we're singing the Conversion of Saul. =)
OMG. They totally ruined this piece. Unbalanced, and the middle parts of the clusters don't come out. It's supposed to be much quieter, and a lot slower. An amateur choir singing a professional piece...
It's pretty good but it lacks the right musicality. It has pretty good dynamics but the choir doesn't really connect the phrases. They're really jumpy whereas this song is supposed to be flowing and connected and almost as if no one is ever taking a breath. And yes it is too fast. However this is a very hard peace so I give them kudos.
Great job on a delicate composition. All State choirs have a tendancy to be over populated. This was entirely too fast and too many soprano's attempting to be Joan Sutherland. lol, Bad vowels equals bad intonnation/pitch/whatever you may determine to call it. Listening to each other, instead of oversinging would have helped this ensemble in my opinion.
Amazing how knowledgeable high schools kids can be when they make their smarmy comments on this, the result of hard work by the conductor, a man with a PhD.
Well, just because he has a PhD doesn't mean that the high school kids weren't conducted by somebody who may have understood the piece better. Believe it or no, just because you have a higher degree in education doesn't necessarily mean your perfect. People with lower education still can have a musical ear that tells them "Wow, something was wrong right there."
My experience in music is that the longer people are in the field, the more ingrained and stubborn they become that their interpretation is the only RIGHT way. This rendition wasn't bad (skewed to women's section, who need dynamic work), but we've all heard better.
hmm.. it seems as though my comment was deleted.. so i'll put it back up. a choir this large should not attempt this beautiful song. too many voice types with too much vibrato. a lot of the chords that cause goose bumps were out of tune. it's also distracting that everyone's dressed differently.. just my thoughts.
great sound, but could have been taken slower, especially to fully appreciate some of the incredibly beautiful chords in this piece, ex. If you open your EYES.
we will be performing this piece with the New Jersey All-State Chorus and I think it's awesome that I can hear a high school interpretation of it. Really good!
It lacks emotion, but also the Venue doesn't help. That sound just DIES after every phrase. With 200 singers you shouldn't hear breaths, but you do. I also think the director takes some liberties that are great but badly executed. There might have been some room for more of the inner parts, mezzo and high alto and baritone 2nd tenor, i heard a lot of parts stick out in the soprano and alto, But the group still acheived the overall effect.
this should be a lot slower. i still love this song so much. also with this song vibrato should be used as minimal as possible because that takes away from the dissonance. (spelling?)
i think the notes should be purer overall...Some people like vibrato, but I think that in this song the ladies should have turned it down a little as it distracted me from the overall quality of the piece. There were some muddy bits, too, but this song is amazing no matter what. Good job!
Good job! I feel this piece requires a smaller choir. Of course, large enough to support the divisi's. Truly, this song sounds best when recorded, because the notes need to be perfect. I wish we could have done an Eric Whitacre piece at All-Eastern!
Getting ready for college...I'm going for music ed. and vocal performance, so I'm gonna be busy! All-Eastern was AMAZING! The only thing I could've wanted more from it was to do an Eric Whitacre piece!
oh hell yeah, that would have been awesome, unfortuanately I had a pit orchestra gig and an indoor percussion show that weekend so I couldnt go but I wish I could have gone, where are you going to school
I'm going to SUNY Fredonia for Music Ed. and Vocal Performance (WOO-HOO!!! Double Major!!!). I plan on getting my doctorate in Ed., but that's a long time from now...geez, 10 years!...
yeah, i'm in that choir somewhere. i do agree that rene clausen took us through the song too quickly. but actually being in the choir, just singing it, was still an amazing experience. although, it did bug me when we went flat/changed keys halfway through and mr. clausen didn't even notice and did nothing to change that during rehearsals.
that killed me during every rehearsal and it disappointed me very much that it happened again during the actual performance, it's not a professional or college choir singing it, just a bunch of kids from oklahoma high schools, so you can't expect the best thing you've ever heard in your life to come out of it.
overall, it was still an amazing experience to be up there singing it, and it's a lot less thrilling to actually be sitting here, watching it, and from my memory, it didn't sound absolutely incredible, but it still sounded a lot better in person that it does on here.
Stupid screaming baby! It seems like the conductor took the tempo a little to fast....or way too fast. It's supposed to be slow and emotional. It's hard to have it be emotional when you're kickin the tempo up. lol. Overall though, good job! Whitacre is difficult, but amazing!
my favorite part? When the guys come in lower than the rest. time is like 51-57. that is absolutely the saddest and most beautiful thing i have ever heard.
way too much vibrato. the chords in whitacre songs, especially something like water night are too stacked and rich, and sound better and ring without vibrato. listen to the byu singers sing on their eric whitacre's acapella words cd
yea, Eric Whitacre's music has a lot of moments like that a lot of conductors especially at the honors level(All State, All Region, etc) do that to make the music more exciting. It really does help. Our conductor at NY All State did that in some of the pieces we did, except when we did it, our conductor did a lot of dynamic changes
good job - if only your director would've asked for some more variance in tempo earlier in the song.. the beginning can really pull the audience in so that when you get to the "open your eyes" and "close your eyes," they really feel it.
It sounds okay... but quite a few things irked me. The piece is in B-flat minor, and the choir slid down into A minor, which in my opinion just doesn't fit the song. Also as people have stated before, it's just TOO fast. Some of the sopranos just have too much vibrato, which also may have affected the pitch. I do like the rich sound in the tenors though. Blend is very good also. This is an okay rendition, but for a choir this size, I think they could have done better...
CharlieBladeRemus 3 months ago
ewewew so fast, no time to enjoy the beauty of the piece. sad.
weirdsteven 5 months ago
Baby
ChocolateCaliente062 8 months ago
I do think that whitacre's music sounds soooo much better with big ensembles, instead of one or 2 people per section, like polyphony.
are this high school students? because it sounds as if they have no vocal technique, maybe that's the reason the sound is flat, no proper support, etc
listen to "two little animals moonled" it doesnt flow....
anyway, just to be able to sing this song with all the dissonances, the extended ranges and the multiples divisis it's a feat in itself, good for you!
margotlorena1 10 months ago
The whole point of a piece like this is to relish in the rich, and beautiful harmonies that Eric Whitacre creates. This was sung so fast that nearly all of that is missed. It's a shame, because this is an incredible song.
MrPolyphonic 1 year ago
To fast and a little flat. But, it is a very large high school ensemble
jpkid05 1 year ago
I love this piece it was an honor to be a part of this choir I dont know if anyone said it already but Rene Clausen was our director (a truly amazing human being)
jakedawgwhite88 1 year ago
much too fast...i think they need to slow it down a little, but other thanthat they were pretty good. Dynamics were excellent.
lostfan675 2 years ago
I agree to an extent. If you do it too slow though it really REALLY drags.
choirgeek4 2 years ago
too much vibrato!!!!
GosfordAbercrombie 2 years ago
flat, yes, but still not a bad job by any means
rnbfan16 2 years ago
I'm from Texas, but i'll admit this is pretty damn good :)
btw, how tough is the competition up there? In Texas it's pretty tough..
rnbfan16 2 years ago
I can imagine that it is tough. You have a bigger state, so you have to compete with more people.
BastRulez 2 years ago
we sang this song too i go to trinity high school in texas and we are a tmea choir also c: i love this peace
trinity27777 2 years ago
Ugh I can't ever get over how amazing we were! This was probably my favorite year of all!!!! :D
oboemaster 2 years ago
Looove Eric Whitacre. Amazing piece. This choir performed it nicely (: Amazing dynamics
walkingggSIN 2 years ago
Wow that was amazing!
My Chamber Choir is going to try this and we only have, like, a little more than 20 people!
007spoofyd 2 years ago
Listen to the choir "Polyphony" perform this if you want to know what it reallllllly should sound like. These high school kids are good, but don't have the blend needed for whitacre's chords to really ring out.
christoperfect 3 years ago
I totally agree with your recommendation of Polyphony. Also, BYU has a really good take on this song as well. Although somewhat different than Polyphony, still really good!
malchikcrazy09 2 years ago
Oh yeah, one more thing. Don't assume that TMEA is "just better". No other state can compare with the sheer numbers that Texas has, but plenty of smaller states have amazing all-state choirs, too. Like roodie said, it's not a contest to see who's better. Why do you Texas people even watch these videos if you don't like them? Go watch something else.
seedekim 3 years ago
i agree!
sorry i'm late on this post, but you finally said what i was thinking!
all-state kids from texas are always criticizing other all-states and always seem to HAVE to mention that they're so much better. but i disagree. and if they don't like it, they should just watch their own videos and stick to that.
btw texas kids, learn to take criticism. there's nothing is perfect, so if people make comments about how you can improve, don't take it personally.
VLAD1429 3 years ago
Like I said, the conductor can make or break the choir. OMEA 2008 had NO problems with pitch and the overall concert was better than this one. I'm sure alot of the 2008 choir members were also in this choir, but different conductors produce different results...
seedekim 3 years ago
just to let yall know the talent veries in each state and tmea is just better. this vid wasnt too bad but i have heard so much better....*cough,cough*tmea*cough,cough* i have no doubts that this choir did an amazing job but they are kinda pitchy and yes limited amount of time contributes but that pitch prob was pre-existing for it to rear its ugly face at yalls all state
kixuloz 3 years ago
These are the best singers in the state, and there was absolutely no reason for this choir to go flat. My opinion is that a conductor makes or breaks a choir...
seedekim 3 years ago
It was kinda pitchy though. =/
betaunknown 3 years ago
If you guys knew how short the amount of time they got to work on this was, you wouldn't be saying the horrible things you are. They did an amazing job, and last I checked this wasn't some cut-throat contest. People in choir come together for one reason: music. So, those of you who think you're so much better than everyone else, get off your high horse, because I promise that at some point, you sucked too.
roodie2155 3 years ago
Well put man-when did this become a forum for all this bashing of each others groups? I mean, the best all state is always going to be the one the you're in, but why the insecurity to the point that people are afraid and have to turn this into some kind of loony fight?
pappy2865 3 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
wow omea sucks so bad....look up tmea..i'm a tmea all stater and its so much better...i have a video of the all-state mens choir singing a capella piece...absolutley beautiful...we don't go flat...look at it on my channel thank you
Stradivarious2010 3 years ago
wow. don't be so full of yourself. don't bash another choir just because you think you did a better job.
VLAD1429 3 years ago
Well Just because its hard doesn't mean perform it badly and its ok.....Our choir didn't sing this but i know high school choirs who have who didn't mess it up this bad...listen to the tmea recording of sleep...its simply amazing although the soprano's used a little to much vibrato for my taste because most of his pieces are straight tone because the tuning is so difficult, they were still able to maintain good pitch. And who said i'm bashing??? maybe it's the truth?
Stradivarious2010 3 years ago
Whoa! this version is WAY too fast! My school's symphonic choir did the slower version and it sounded so pretty.
And even though its been said already, the pitch isnt that great.
LetThereBeMusic275 3 years ago
May I reiterate? I liiiiiiiiike this version!!! I said it 4 months ago, and I'll say it again.
I don't mind the speed.. the slow version leaves me too much to get hung up on.. dno.
jbwooten89 3 years ago
it IS way too fast, unfortunately
BUT much worse is - that - although quite rookie-like intonating with the piano
the choir loses pitch within the first line already!... and keeps sinking lower steadily :(
LostGentlemen 3 years ago
Wow, that was way to fast...
micklefox 3 years ago
you dont get to enjoy the overtones
eric whitacre himself said, "God lives in the overtones"
that was for all u religious peole out there
i dunno, i think the speed butchered it
bb0yfresn0 3 years ago
ooo way too fast
shame shame
bb0yfresn0 3 years ago
I love this song! I sang it last year at school. It sounds really good, a bit fast for my taste though
Peace2theGeese 3 years ago
singing this
:D
its so creepy pretty
:]
watashi000kira 3 years ago
I sang this in Foellinger Great Hall! ^^
CaramelDansenfan 3 years ago
This is beautifull. My concert choir sang that song, I hate it so much because it was so difficult, but I loved it because it soundns amazing :)
courtneyluvsspencer 3 years ago
This incredible piece of literature is just simply not right for a group this size, it doesn't work.
Still a job well done though, this song could never be "bad" by any means
ethand108 3 years ago
i liiiiiiike this version.
jbwooten89 3 years ago
they took it way to fast to dont really have any time to absorb any of the chords and meaning of the song
BstGuy18 3 years ago
eric whitacre is absolutely amazing
roxfanatic 3 years ago 3
this song is mad hard my chors is doing it... its crazy once its comes together
portugalwannab 3 years ago
Each All-State conductor chooses the music that will be performed by the choir he is directing. It is then up to that conductor to mold the choir into what he wants it to be and how he wants it to sound.
seedekim 3 years ago 3
Ouch, some people are being brutal here. Give them a break, it's still just a high school choir. Yes, the tempo's too fast. Yes, the tone is horribly sharp and piercing. Yes, we can't hear the inner voices on anything. Also, did I mention they're just in high school?
soleado10er 3 years ago
If it's too difficult for them to do well, than they should have done something else. A valiant attempt is still a shortcoming and there are no A's for effort in art.
Kntrabssi 3 years ago
Amen! I could barely understand half the song with the poor diction, the shrill soprano voices, the intonation issues, etc. I would have expected better from an All-State group, and better from the guest conductor as well.
JPSaxMan 3 years ago
Well... when I sung this with PMEA, The conductor highly stressed diction and the balance of voices. I think that its possible that this group didnt have a director that was as highly qualified, or maybe they just didnt have enough time to prepare...
mangakareikiartist 3 years ago
That's cool...PMEA huh? I'm a collegiate member of PMEA, and I was in several of the District band festivals. What District/Region are you in?
JPSaxMan 3 years ago
I think district 1
mangakareikiartist 3 years ago
great piece, interpretation too fast in my opinion.
TheHoratii 3 years ago
Wonderful.
wictorqqq 3 years ago
very impressively quiet page turns!! haha and GREAT sound for such a large group!!!
DoubleABaterriezzz 3 years ago
This piece is amazing.
Our Chorale performed this piece
and you all definately were singing the correct parts!
If you have an ear you can hear the dissonace,
even if you're tone deaf.
Awesome job!
BriReko 3 years ago
I agree. I'm realize a proud parent, but I think the 2008 All-OMEA choir was the best all-state choir I have ever heard. And yes, Jeffery Redding gets all the credit. After the concert, I overheard many of the students saying he was the best clinician they had ever worked with. Oklahoma was wise to bring him. The videos of the 2008 choir don't even come close to the experience of the actual concert. It was wonderful!!
seedekim 3 years ago
2008 OMEA was much better. nothing against these singers becuz im sure they had the same potential since its like mostly the same people. all credit goes to Jeff Redding. that man was amazing!
"Baby you better gimme what i want, cuz i'm gunna get it eventually"
-jeff redding
Conkabar 3 years ago
In Oklahoma, the students must learn the music before the actual all-state weekend. Once they arrive, they are re-auditioned. Supposedly, any student who doesn't know their music is sent home, but I've never heard of that actually happening. These are serious musicians, so most are well-prepared. But you are right, the choir has only been together for a couple of days. This particular weekend there was a snow storm, and the last rehearsal was cancelled so the concert could be earlier in the day
seedekim 3 years ago
One thing we have to remember is that All-State choirs are usually put together very quickly. I'm not sure about this one, but in Texas sometimes we learned new songs just 1 or 2 days before the concert. And even if they each knew the song individually, they've only been singing together for a day or two....plus many other songs.
I think it's pretty good.
singingme2000 3 years ago
I know! There was absolutely NO harmony on that part!
Well, let's face it!
The chorus is a reflection of its director!
Bad chorus, bad director!
amonnar 3 years ago
There isn't suposed to be harmony. We're singing this song in my choir right now. It splits into 14 parts at two points in the piece, and it's one of the most beautiful pieces of music I've ever sung in my life.
DrShmietenhagen 3 years ago
there isnt supposed to be harmony.. We are singing this song in my choir too and there is SUPPOSED to be dissonance. The cluster chords that are achieved in this piece are amazing, and quite difficult when an entire choir is split into 14 different parts.
ash10spro 3 years ago
These are some scarily ignorant comments. Dissonance and consonance are two types of harmonies. To say a piece has no harmony means it is only melody and nothing else. Lastly, the fact that the piece is difficult does not give you an excuse to perform it badly.
Kntrabssi 3 years ago
omg thank you kntrabssi....IF you cannot perform it without the pitch going flat or sharp and the chords not locking in...then don't.....especially for an all-state choir...i was dissapointed...seach TMEA All-State choir...amazing
Stradivarious2010 3 years ago
The general rule is if you are impressed by a group, please post and tell them about it.
If you are not, just don't post. This will keep you from looking like an arrogent ass, as you do now. The quality of this performance is excellent-the purpose for the all state groups is to learn,learn,learn and make good music in the process. Noone is perfect, and I have listened to TMEA and am not impressed.
Do yourself a favor-turn your critisism inward and let it make you better musician.
pappy2865 3 years ago
haha if you weren't impressed by TMEA then you must be hellen keller...and yes it is to learn...but its also to sound good
Stradivarious2010 3 years ago
Comment removed
VLAD1429 3 years ago
@ash10spro Dissonance is a type of harmony. Without any harmony, the entire piece would be a single melody line.
aaronarchy1 3 months ago
Are you fucking KIDDING ME?
CrazyBee103 3 years ago
ouch for the "silent and beautiful current"...
FtuskK 3 years ago
That version of Water Night is too quick! Can't they do it slower?
amonnar 3 years ago
That version of Water Night is too quick! Can't they do it slower?
amonnar 3 years ago
I've posted the 2008 All-OMEA chorus. You should check it out. It's amazing...their sound is so much better than this choir, even though a lot of the singers were in both groups.
seedekim 3 years ago
WTF why can no chorus stay in tune on this piece?! For "and if you close your eyes..." it's about a half-step to a whole-step flat. So far, I've only heard one choir stay in-tune on this song, and that's Polyphony. Good vowels and interpretation though.
jakem1000 3 years ago
Yeah, you guys don't suck outright, but I have video and audio of my high school choir kicking the shit out of that song like 8 years ago. Nice try though.
tommyhx1138 3 years ago
Awesome sound, but tempo is too fast for me.
TheTradge 3 years ago
Hahaha, looking down to comment at this video, its a cornicopia of everyone in Washington all state who just performed water night, such as myself, Lol. I would say the same thing. Way too fast. You can't do justice to the piece. I would say the same thing about my own high school choir that did sleep last year. Same Idea.
Very powerful nonetheless.
-Jayson Wilson
Purenicotine 3 years ago
It's nice and the power is great but it's way too fast, it sounds rushed, and there a lot of times when it goes really flat. I was in Yakima too for the WMEA.
Kimkong91 3 years ago
If you memorized your music it would give more room to work on other things like tallness or not sounding like your screaming the high notes. And its way to fast.
nikimagine 3 years ago
I don't want to critique this song, but yes, it DEFINITELY should have been taken about half that tempo he went at. This is, in my opinion, whitacre's most moving piece. It can't be expressed properly if you go at that speed. I think it would have been beautiful, but it was just so fast-paced that it just felt incredibly rushed. I was in the WMEA all state choir that sang this today in yakima, and it wasn't nearly as fast as this.
NikkoFiore 4 years ago
I agree! I was in Yakima too and it is SO much better slower.
shellysauraus 3 years ago
We just did this song for Honor choir.
I really liked it except my director put me on 1st Tenor, when I usually sing 2nd tenor or 3rd, so I didn't like it for that reason, and the High A's lol
RustyCrow 4 years ago
We're working on this song at my high school, I'm doing the low bass part :D
AlmightyDM 4 years ago
me too. im a 2nd tenor.
joetheazl 4 years ago
they sounded really good I'm in all city choir right now and we are singing this song and we have a better balance with the men and the women but overall the they sound great :)
Lookn4Laughs2008 4 years ago
it sounded pretty good but it sounded like the girls got drowned out by the guys' sound a lot in the beginning. it may just be that my choir had like 2x as many girls as guys dunno but overall i loved it
mipiaceroma 4 years ago
my choir did this last year with about 18 people- it was interesting on the 14-part harmonies.
This is great, I just wish he'd taken it a LITTLE bit slower.
You've gotta love all-state groups :)
Eponine810 4 years ago
I've always wondered what it would be like if there was a group of people that had one person per part. The breathing would be hell, wouldn't it? I think that if they did it correctly, it would be beautiful T-T
All-state is wonderful. Anyone who has the chance to go should go. You meet the coolest people, and you bring the greatest experiences and memories with you for the rest of your life.
NikkoFiore 4 years ago
Wonder no more! The choir I'm in at school has roughly 1 person per part on this song, so we have to put breaths in the piece that aren't originally intended to be there. However, the advantage to having a small ensemble is that the blend is easier to take care of. Our concert is Thursday, I'll post a video soon thereafter.
kkocman 3 years ago
the conducter looks like he's doing magic.
finally555 4 years ago
i honestly think this is fabulousss ! really it's soo beautiful, good job !
vollyballchic 4 years ago
thanks
Slink12345 4 years ago
Moving notes need to be LEAGATO!!! I realize this is a high school choir but I know mine can do that. This is an all-state choir?
wmk39164 4 years ago
1:32, aaahhh!!!!
lizziebabes90 4 years ago
Ok, I take it back. This one's my favorite!!! :D
oboemaster 4 years ago
They sounded young and became flat.
lizziebabes90 4 years ago
we were about to do this song but too many parts in this song and we dont have enough people in our choir ... oh well
l1lmissy06 4 years ago
Well Ive performed this piece myself and this conductor rushes everything and doesn't take the time to enjoy the richness of each the cords. I couldn't even hear half of the parts.
Frogorchestra 4 years ago
Our conductor did some really stoopid things (I thought) with this song....He didn't even split up the guys into 6 parts, he kept it a 4....Which angered me sooo much.... [0_0]
Slink12345 4 years ago
we're doing this in my chamber choir for our high school's spring concert. i'm excited. and for IMEA All-State Honor's, we're singing the Conversion of Saul. =)
uhmyeah09 4 years ago
We did this at IMEA (Illinois) back in 2000...it STILL gives me goosebumps.
I mean REALLY...when are you ever going to break into 15-part harmony ever again?
Phenomenal.
njp1983 4 years ago
too much people
mynameisniu 4 years ago
I know, I hate when there are hundreds of people in one chior, it sounds all clustered, but not in the good way.
drpeper17 4 years ago
way too fast, the choir goes down after the first bars... :(
and the conductor is just shit - the first opening... just bad
Suffko 4 years ago 2
that stage is horrible for choirs, the sound dies as soon as it leaves the mouth
SJI13 4 years ago
they took it too fast!
salolialawidisgi 4 years ago
hooooooorrrrsseeeee... neeighhhh..
sullenity 4 years ago
that was shit.
kudos21 4 years ago
OMG. They totally ruined this piece. Unbalanced, and the middle parts of the clusters don't come out. It's supposed to be much quieter, and a lot slower. An amateur choir singing a professional piece...
bubbarae91 4 years ago
OH GEES.... PEOPLE GO HOME
crasher72 4 years ago
they pretty much messed up this song.
i don't think felt the text in this.
this is a dark and slow and deep song.
they didn't have soul.
p.s. why aren't they all wearing matching clothes?
finally555 4 years ago
it's a rehearsal- i was there.
texas9492 4 years ago
than why was there a crowd?
and still doesn't mean they can't do it that good just cause it's a rehersal
finally555 4 years ago
no no no, I clicked reply to the comment on why we weren't dressed alike, sorry for the misunderstanding.
texas9492 4 years ago
geeze..that was really fast
Msubound07 4 years ago
i think the choirs biggest problem is there conductor.
Footballgolfer 4 years ago
Listen to BYU singers do this piece... It's heaven.
bulgarianmimi 4 years ago
I second that and make sure you use headphones to fully appreciate not only the composer but the exquiste work of the BYU singers..they nailed it.
HABU52 4 years ago
It's pretty good but it lacks the right musicality. It has pretty good dynamics but the choir doesn't really connect the phrases. They're really jumpy whereas this song is supposed to be flowing and connected and almost as if no one is ever taking a breath. And yes it is too fast. However this is a very hard peace so I give them kudos.
ayridell09 4 years ago
It was good, but it got flat.
lizziebabes90 4 years ago
yeah... way too fast. not a foot tapping tune. kinda makes me mad. haha
orcaluv 4 years ago
Great job on a delicate composition. All State choirs have a tendancy to be over populated. This was entirely too fast and too many soprano's attempting to be Joan Sutherland. lol, Bad vowels equals bad intonnation/pitch/whatever you may determine to call it. Listening to each other, instead of oversinging would have helped this ensemble in my opinion.
BaritoneA26 4 years ago
it's too fast.
Very hard piece. This was our All State piece, along with When David Heard in 2000. (texas)
cris01 4 years ago
Amazing how knowledgeable high schools kids can be when they make their smarmy comments on this, the result of hard work by the conductor, a man with a PhD.
DarthMorris 4 years ago
Well, just because he has a PhD doesn't mean that the high school kids weren't conducted by somebody who may have understood the piece better. Believe it or no, just because you have a higher degree in education doesn't necessarily mean your perfect. People with lower education still can have a musical ear that tells them "Wow, something was wrong right there."
midnightpredator18 4 years ago
My experience in music is that the longer people are in the field, the more ingrained and stubborn they become that their interpretation is the only RIGHT way. This rendition wasn't bad (skewed to women's section, who need dynamic work), but we've all heard better.
StewNWT 4 years ago
its good, but should have absolutely no vibrato...and there are too many people for this piece... origionally writen for about 30 voices.
topherucm 4 years ago
hmm.. it seems as though my comment was deleted.. so i'll put it back up. a choir this large should not attempt this beautiful song. too many voice types with too much vibrato. a lot of the chords that cause goose bumps were out of tune. it's also distracting that everyone's dressed differently.. just my thoughts.
jyoho44 4 years ago
He even states in the score NO VIBRATO
1337kamikaze 4 years ago
great sound, but could have been taken slower, especially to fully appreciate some of the incredibly beautiful chords in this piece, ex. If you open your EYES.
impactofreasonx 4 years ago
wow there are so many people.
mybluecastle 4 years ago
we will be performing this piece with the New Jersey All-State Chorus and I think it's awesome that I can hear a high school interpretation of it. Really good!
shadnaushad 4 years ago
It lacks emotion, but also the Venue doesn't help. That sound just DIES after every phrase. With 200 singers you shouldn't hear breaths, but you do. I also think the director takes some liberties that are great but badly executed. There might have been some room for more of the inner parts, mezzo and high alto and baritone 2nd tenor, i heard a lot of parts stick out in the soprano and alto, But the group still acheived the overall effect.
LuvHopeDream 4 years ago
this should be a lot slower. i still love this song so much. also with this song vibrato should be used as minimal as possible because that takes away from the dissonance. (spelling?)
still
AMAZINg. i wish i was in this choir =[
illbeastonishing16 4 years ago
is it supposed to be that fast? i think that such a big group should be able to handle a slower tempo.
carminaburana13 4 years ago
i think the notes should be purer overall...Some people like vibrato, but I think that in this song the ladies should have turned it down a little as it distracted me from the overall quality of the piece. There were some muddy bits, too, but this song is amazing no matter what. Good job!
=]
louielover92 4 years ago
Good job! I feel this piece requires a smaller choir. Of course, large enough to support the divisi's. Truly, this song sounds best when recorded, because the notes need to be perfect. I wish we could have done an Eric Whitacre piece at All-Eastern!
puremanliness 4 years ago
what all eastern state are you from I'm from NY
SUNSNARE06 4 years ago
me too! God, I think I know you...were you roomies with Matt Downy and Derek Downs, the male soprano?
puremanliness 4 years ago
yes as a matter of fact, they were, how did you know?
SUNSNARE06 4 years ago
whats your name?
SUNSNARE06 4 years ago
Jim Judd! I was Matt's friend. How are things?
puremanliness 4 years ago
its been real good bro, how are you
SUNSNARE06 4 years ago
Getting ready for college...I'm going for music ed. and vocal performance, so I'm gonna be busy! All-Eastern was AMAZING! The only thing I could've wanted more from it was to do an Eric Whitacre piece!
puremanliness 4 years ago
oh hell yeah, that would have been awesome, unfortuanately I had a pit orchestra gig and an indoor percussion show that weekend so I couldnt go but I wish I could have gone, where are you going to school
SUNSNARE06 4 years ago
I'm going to SUNY Fredonia for Music Ed. and Vocal Performance (WOO-HOO!!! Double Major!!!). I plan on getting my doctorate in Ed., but that's a long time from now...geez, 10 years!...
puremanliness 4 years ago
yea, double major sounds awesome bro, congrats
SUNSNARE06 4 years ago
this is absolutely one of the most beautiful fucking songs i've ever heard.
jbwooten89 4 years ago
The speed isn't an issue. Sure, it could be taken a little slower, but the main issue here is the tone. Too wide and unsure of the notes.
TheKnightWhoSaidNi 4 years ago
yeah, i'm in that choir somewhere. i do agree that rene clausen took us through the song too quickly. but actually being in the choir, just singing it, was still an amazing experience. although, it did bug me when we went flat/changed keys halfway through and mr. clausen didn't even notice and did nothing to change that during rehearsals.
singr360 4 years ago
*continued*
that killed me during every rehearsal and it disappointed me very much that it happened again during the actual performance, it's not a professional or college choir singing it, just a bunch of kids from oklahoma high schools, so you can't expect the best thing you've ever heard in your life to come out of it.
singr360 4 years ago
*if you're reading this, start 2 or 3 posts down*
overall, it was still an amazing experience to be up there singing it, and it's a lot less thrilling to actually be sitting here, watching it, and from my memory, it didn't sound absolutely incredible, but it still sounded a lot better in person that it does on here.
singr360 4 years ago
All the work we had to put into the one section of American Hymn and Amor de mi alma....Where we were acapella made me so mad...lol...
Slink12345 4 years ago
yeah. american hymn was my least favorite song. i mean, it's OMEA, we're not required to have at least one song dedicated to america...
singr360 4 years ago
It was too easy I thought, lol
Slink12345 4 years ago
I have to agree with Frgt..it's supposed to be pure. as well as the tempo slower.
djtypek 4 years ago
Pretty damn quick for my taste, but a great song sung with style.
ykarpov 4 years ago
I hear that. Wayy too fast. Too bad, too. That wall of beautiful sound could have created one of the most perfect moments in music to date.
Ohio Represent
Figaroblue 4 years ago
Great song, but way too fast. It lost its magic. Good vocal performance by the choir -- they sound great, it's just the tempo. And the baby. :|
sosogood 4 years ago
Way too fast. Kind of ruins the piece. Loses the whole poetic, calming aspect. It's not supposed to be exciting.
And come on guys! With that many of you it shouldn't be too hard to be strong!
cyclist091 4 years ago
OMG it's way fast!
joshi87 4 years ago
Stupid screaming baby! It seems like the conductor took the tempo a little to fast....or way too fast. It's supposed to be slow and emotional. It's hard to have it be emotional when you're kickin the tempo up. lol. Overall though, good job! Whitacre is difficult, but amazing!
CAchico89 4 years ago
my favorite part? When the guys come in lower than the rest. time is like 51-57. that is absolutely the saddest and most beautiful thing i have ever heard.
jbwooten89 4 years ago
omg i'm going to cry... my bestfrinds and boyfriend made this but of course i only made it to the second round
JazzColorGuard 4 years ago
way too much vibrato. the chords in whitacre songs, especially something like water night are too stacked and rich, and sound better and ring without vibrato. listen to the byu singers sing on their eric whitacre's acapella words cd
frqt 4 years ago
would have been much better if yall had better recording eqiupment and without the screaming baby..
patlan1011 4 years ago
I wanted to kill the baby!!!!!
Slink12345 4 years ago
dang how many men are there. sheesh. and they still are weak.
jazzdan 4 years ago
Weak..?
sosogood 4 years ago
yea, Eric Whitacre's music has a lot of moments like that a lot of conductors especially at the honors level(All State, All Region, etc) do that to make the music more exciting. It really does help. Our conductor at NY All State did that in some of the pieces we did, except when we did it, our conductor did a lot of dynamic changes
SUNSNARE06 4 years ago
reference to 2001 TMEA all-state we did this so much and our alto 2 hit the low e flats
bigsteel83 4 years ago
Thanks!!! ^_^
Slink12345 4 years ago
good job - if only your director would've asked for some more variance in tempo earlier in the song.. the beginning can really pull the audience in so that when you get to the "open your eyes" and "close your eyes," they really feel it.
Crushingsitar 4 years ago
I agree!!! ^_^
Slink12345 4 years ago
what state was his for???
jumpaholic22 4 years ago
oklahoma
Slink12345 4 years ago