Colm Wilkinson "bring him home" 10/18/08

[cobramaxwell111]

@pilchard96 Not to butt in or anything, but this song didn't actually feature in the original French musical. It was first included for the London and Broadway performances, both of which were originated by Colm Wilkinson.

[saxforth]

Absolutely. Totally. On the fucking case. Bought me to tears an I HATE musical theater. This is beautiful. Now THAT'S an Irish tenor. Thanks for posting this.

[VonBraunsky]

Colm Wilkinson is Jean Valjean personified.

[TannerAusbun]

No one sings this song better the Colm. . .the greatest Jean Valjean ever. ..nobody can match the emotion he puts in this song. . ughh. it's beautiful.

[XcrazyphangurlX]

this song moved me to tears :) God thnk u 4 giving Colm such an amazing voice...

[m0onbeam]

brilliant performance. you can feel the emotion conveyed with every word he sings.

[dmgrooms77]

he was spectacular. First time I saw him sing it during the show..it truly brought tears to my eyes. only time this has happened and no one ever came close to colms version. one of the most beautiful moments in theatre I have personally ever experienced. thank you for sharing colm...

[hilldw11]

I wonder if he ever gets tired of this song...cause i don't get tired of hearing him sing it!!!

[taylorplunk11]

I'm obsessed. He's too perfect.

[turmerick26]

...I thought he was BRILLIANT in "LES MISERABLES" In Concert!!! His version of 'Bring Him Home' was very moving and emotion-filled.

He is a great singer...The best Jean Val Jean to me by far...

[darksnowflake17]

Colm Wilkinson is Jean Valjean brought to life.

[Monkeyballmania]

On the video it goes 3:01 and then 3:03 straight after ;/

[floravevey]

LEGEND

[puckhiggins]

BEAUTIFUL

[marvin83cole]

you havnt heard this song untill you have heard David Phelps sing it

look him up :)

[dannybotz99]

@marvin83cole nice marvin but The song was actually written for Colm to sing!! NOBODY does it better

[damienhe]

@dannybotz99

written for him to sing..? this song was written way long ago before he sang for les miserables.. what are you talking about?

[yanks4everontop420]

@damienhe Actually you are wrong. Bring him home written for him by composer Claude-Michel Schonberg. He was the first to ever sing the song.

[dannybotz99]

@damienhe colm told the story before he sang the song it was written for him to sing and he was the first one to sing it it was added to the show and he was the original broadway valjean im not sure about london!!

[PaperMateMan]

@dannybotz99 It was in the original french production and it was a world war 1 song written by one of the mothers of a soldier for their son in the trenches, so you can't say this song was written for a particular person, neither can you say that about ANY song, people interpret songs differently and sing/play them differently, it's what makes music diversely beautiful!

[cealchyth]

@PaperMateMan Did you make that up?

[PaperMateMan]

@cealchyth Nah it's true, I think it's rubbish to say a song was written for a certain person in any case, especially when it was sung brilliantly before in the French production and just as brilliantly by other Valjean's.

that's all :)

[cjaccardi]

@PaperMateMan what ??? this song was written for Colm. He was with the production since the beginging. No one was sings this song better than Colm even now that he is close to 70s year old.

[cjaccardi]

@PaperMateMan Bring Him Home

Bring Him Home is probably Valjean's best known solo. He is begging for God to send Marius home to him and Cosette.

French Versions 1980 Original French Version — This song did not appear. 1991 Parisian Revival Version — This song is known as Comme un homme (Like a Man).

the song did not appear in the original french version it was written for Colm Wilkinson

[PaperMateMan]

@cjaccardi Haha dude that was taken from Wikipedia and it's only referring to the CD released highlights! I have the recording of it in French, it was written before Colm wilkinson sang it, yes he is good at it but it was not written particularly for him only!

[IheartZorro]

@PaperMateMan Interesting, because in interviews I've seen, the composer claims to have written this for Colm. Reference for interview is the 4-part documentary following Matt Lucas for the 25th anniversary O2 concert. Did the composer forget? Or did he bring in something and modify it for Colm? I'm curious.

[PaperMateMan]

@IheartZorro Yeah sorry I'm not having a go at anyone, I just think it's un true that someone else couldn't sing this song with as much (but a different) beauty as Colm Wilkinson did. If you look on Itunes there's a recording of the original vienna cast highlights and it's in French and it's got this song on it in French, so yeah, there are lots of misinformed opinions regarding this song floating around and that's why Wikipdia is wrong... I think

[IheartZorro]

@PaperMateMan I don't think you're having a go at anyone. I don't deify Colm Wilkinson or his rendition either. You can rest easy there. I am just curious since the composer said in an interview that he wrote the song for CW. I'd be just as happy to have it be a WWI song, or based on one. But I would expect the Viennese version to be in German, not French (esp. considering who was fighting whom in WWI). And doesn't the Viennese version of LM come after the English, which is after the French?

[IheartZorro]

@PaperMateMan To reiterate: I'm not trying to put you down, only to get references for your opinion. I teach in a university, so those types of things are important to me. Mainly I am just curious. It wouldn't be the first time a composer based a composition on an earlier tune, if what you say is true. Could be the lyrics are way different, or there were some changes to make it more vocally challenging. Or it could be, as the composer implies, completely original on his part.

[PaperMateMan]

@IheartZorro Ah crap I thought the Vienna version was in between the french and English ones :P MY BAD!!! Um yeah maybe it was written when he was Valjean. But my point still stands, the beauty of singing and of music is that many people can do it beautifully (especially with a song like this) and I think it's unfair and discrediting to the other people who've done a rendition of this song. Yes Colm is good but others are aswell!

That is all :)

[IheartZorro]

@PaperMateMan I absolutely agree with what you say. A song, like any other type of performance art, isn't supposed to be like a bug preserved in amber. It is supposed to be living, changing with each performance and each artist, each of which should have something new to say to us. Stereotypical classical music listeners are supposed to be slaves to the past, but at least they have to face most of the original performers are now dead and accept new artists and interpretations, unlike many here.

[PaperMateMan]

@IheartZorro Yeah it really annoys me when on alfie boe bring him home videos people are like "good but not as good as Colm" and on stars videos people are like "good but not as good as quast" people need to accept that good songs will be sung good by people who aren't just the first to record it!

[IheartZorro]

@PaperMateMan Yes, performance art isn't supposed to be like academic research, where only 'original research' (really 'who gets published first') gets all the credit. If only the original artist is 'good' then that implies all other artists must deny their own souls, become little robots copying the 'original' to be good - and paradoxically be criticized because they are 'only a copy.' In classical music there are works where the intended soloists couldn't even play the piece written for them.

[sijames7]

It WAS written for him. The french production was originally sung by Alain Boublil and sent to Mackintosh. It was written weeks before the opening night purely because of the range he had.

[PaperMateMan]

@sijames7 yeah so what if it was written when he was Valjean! There are plenty of better tenors than Colm Wilkinson who can sing this song amazingly, my point still stands music is beautiful because different artists put different spins on things. Yes he'd good at it, but it's rubbish to discredit other Valjean's simply because they don't sound like Colm Wilkinson that's just absurd.

[Playstation72]

@dannybotz99 He was the first London Valjean. In fact, he was almost not allowed to be Valjean on Broadway because of some stupid rule, but the director refused to open unless he was Valjean.

[Giottoproductions]

@dannybotz99 Colm was indeed the Orig London Valjean, and yeah - Bring him home was specifically written for Colm Wilkinson. Act 1 was written, then casting took place before Act 2 had been wrtten (musically), hence the reason they wrote Bring him home based around Colm's ability.

[pilchard96]

@dannybotz99 wrong, it was a French musical before, so infact the song wasn't written for him, I am not mistaken :)

[lakerman34]

@pilchard96 its a fact. this song WAS written for colm wilkinson's voice. he is the original london AND broadway cast. you may be thinking about the parisian revival version, which was in 1991, WAY after the song was written.

[sijames7]

@damienhe It was written 4 weeks before the opening night in London by Alain Boublil as Colm had such an incredible range. I believe you need to consider what you are talking about! He sings this better than anyone ever will.

[sijames7]

@damienhe It was written 4 weeks before the opening night in London by Alain Boublil as Colm had such an incredible range. I believe you need to consider what you are talking about! He sings this better than anyone ever will.

[ArtMonkforHallofFame]

@damienhe yup. they heard how good his voice was and they wrote this song to show it off.

[shkee23]

@damienhe This song was written about a week before the show opened specifically for Colm Wilkinson. There's a video on youtube about it.

[PhantoMPhreeK92]

@damienhe Too bad he was the ORIGINAL Valjean.

[boodawn]

@damienhe Sorry.....lyrics written by Alain Boublil and Herbert Kretzmer and music by Claude Michel Schonberg for the english language version of Les Miserables. Never existed before.....whatever song you are thinking of, is not this one. Written specifically for Colm Wilkinsons voice ,it uses his full range. It is very important to be polite, especially when you are completely wrong. Grow up.

[LucioMaximo]

@marvin83cole nobody can sing this song better than colm.. or any val jean part for that matter LO

[newley64]

Marvin where do you buy your heroin?......Colm is God....wake up brother!!!

[cealchyth]

@marvin83cole This is incredibly unfortunate.

[Clowsterr]

amazing beyond words

[jonbeck16]

Here's the same song, ten years afterwards. Sounds just as good - dare I say better?

[ThePhantom24601]

amazing what a legend!

[revjekyll]

All these years later, he still sounds wonderful!

[ozzian2000]

Has there ever been a more perfect song for a more perfect voice?

[jozena27]

he´s the best of all Valjeans !!

[xpproplus]

love this so much always reminds me of my brother who died few years back .such a meaninful song

[geowyn]

He is the one and only Jean Valjean, all the others are poor imitations.

[sakurasugoi]

that gave me chills. that was beautiful.

colm wilkinson is jean valjean. end of story. thank you, for posting this video. :]

[sylkev]

Lovely....... what voice!

[lolkittehs34]

Best. Jean Valjean. EVER.

[JimMLINY]

@lolkittehs34

DA ONE N ONLY!~

[deejayfore]

Still sounds as good as it did 20-something years ago... amazing.

[ReycanTheSavage]

better ! :D

[takerele]

What a beautiful beautiful Colm....they couldn't ever have picked a more amazing man to sing this song with the thought evoking emotional pull this song inflicts.....I cry everytime I hear it....

[ThomasFrancisMeagher]

pugh is a bitch

[wenglishsal]

WOW this gives me tingles up and down my spine, what a voice and performer... Colm is totally the best Val-jean in anybodies estimation, he is awesome no contest at all... Fabulous post 'dannybotz', cracking piece of music... :0)x

[samirharmim]

@wenglishsal i totally agree

[dannybotz99]

Town hall NYC!

[angarl12Uchiha]

where is this being performed??

amazing he actually does get better with age!

[24601JeanValjean]

This is beautiful! In my opinion I think that as older Colm gets the better he gets and the better he sings this song!

[jordache2006]

Jamie WHO?????? BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!

[christine4771]

Oh this song gets me every time. He is so powerful--even in his quietest notes.

[grs91]

So Powerful!. Best of the Best

[Gizmov1]

WTF! FINAL NOTE!!! ='(

[neybordayfid]

Seriously ronlean62! I listened to that whole thing with my eyes closed and then scrolled down to write a pissed of comment and fortunately, someone has done it for me. So, this is, a, uh, redundant sorta, well thanks for agreeing. I'm out.

[ronleon62]

Why would someone upload this video and end it at the beginning of that final note?

[uknowwho889]

annoying yes.. but come on, the rest of this song is utterly fantastic.

[whitefield51]

@ronleon62 .....I was thinking the same thing.....

[mfiorell]

I think he's channeling Stevie Wonder

[Ginger33333]

NO WAY

There isn't a singer on the planet that can match Colm on this song, and there's certainly no one who can hit that last note the same way he does.

Jamie is talented, but isn't in the same league as Colm Wilkinson.

[jc19940]

yeah, man, apart from the fact that colm is the most amazing singer in the world, you have to remember that colm is singing in the original key, unlike jamie, who sang it a whopping 6 semitones lower than this, and turned it into a bass solo.

[mrsative]

im not sure about that but J. PUGH sounds more paternal.. is like my father sings that son for me.. that is was he made me feel.

[jc19940]

Pugh sounds more paternal coz he lowered the song by a shocking 3 tones, so naturally, the timbre which is produced will sound more paternal. Colm beats EVERYONE, and Jamie does not beat colm in any aspect of this piece, which was actually written for Colm.

[godgaveasong]

Anybody could sound good in the ket Pugh was singing it in.

Only somebody who does not have the range would dare sing it in that God forsaken key.

[at1212b]

@mrsative But you realize this song is meant to be a Prayer, that is 'heavenly' meaning higher pitched and 'wavey'.

[FuntageCrew]

WHAT, jamie was barely hitting any high notes at all except for the very end and they weren't that well.

[cpjc08]

ye because he was singing it like a bass

a very poor bass at that

dont be stupid

leave everyone here alone

ya keep leaving commentsl ike that and people will wanna hit u

[deniseodonoghue]

I have front row seats for his concert!!! Cant wait!!

[gemaldini]

I've had the priviledge of seeing him sing this live.... amazing experience :)

[uknowwho889]

i am VERY jealous! I wish i'd got to see him live before i played valjean...

[madcanadian2]

I have seen him in Les MiZ and Phantom....

The best voice in the world!!!!

No one comes even close!!

THE BEST OF THE BEST!

[Pinxejas]

He is AMAZING. He'll be our Jean Valjean forever.

[benman136]

too right! original and nted as part of the dream cast on the 10th anniversarry dvd! watched it like 10 times.

[broadwaybaby243]

absoluetly! NO ONE BEATS COLM!!

[miasnoozer]

simply amazing.....

[at1212b]

When this man sings, to me, its as if he's really living it through his voice and word. And this is what makes him #1 for this.

[ingalls]

Wow, he still has it. I wish he would do Valjean one more time (and the Phantom, for that matter), so i could see him live.

[adamP90X]

I only saw him in Phantom and that was April 9, 1994. It was truly an amazing performance and I am truly greatful I got to see it while he was still in that role :)

[charlizerester84]

I wished I could've seen him in Phantom. Alas, I was still a kid and a ticket to the theatre wasn't in my budget at the time...I was broke, not much in the piggy bank! I hope to hear him perform one of these days, but I doubt it'll ever happen.

[logan4veronica]

I saw him on December 2nd and he was amazing - tried to video this song then, but the stupid usher came up to me and told me to stop :( it wasn't as if nobody else was videoing it too! Colm's set was fantastic, though, he took requests from the audience and sang "Country Roads", but did anyone else hear his "This is the Moment"? That was one of the many highlights of the night for me!

[cpjc08]

wow

[jastully]

im meeting him on sunday !!!!!!!!!!

[his989]

How !!??

God, I wish I could see him once in my life :(((

[AplsHottie]

And this, ladies and gentlemen, is why Colm Wilkinson is so amazing.

[Irishphantom]

Colm is so amazing! I'll be seeing him in Dublin on the 26th! I'm Very excited!

[phantom664]

cant wait ! seening him on the 26th of nov .

[Presguy]

Colm was brilliant that night (Town Hall, NYC)- thanks for posting!!!

Do you have "Music of the Night"? - he opened the concert with one of the best renditions I've seen/heard!

[dannybotz99]

i only have the 4 i posted sorry!!

[mttharrison123]

do u have his MOTN from this concert on here? is there ne where i can buy a copy of this concert on dvd

[wastheretrauma]

agh love it :]

[lovinthedrummer]

His voice still gives me chills. ^^ I've been in love with his voice since I was about 8, and I'm 22 now! <3