Green Finch & Linnet Bird by Sondheim

Senior Recital
featuring Catherine Garner on piano
December 2, 2006 at ECU Fletcher Recital Hall

from Sweeney Todd
Composed by Stephen Sondheim

Green finch and linnet bird, nightingale, blackbird,
How is it you sing?
How can you jubilate, sitting in cages,
Never taking wing?

Outside the sky waits, beckoning, beckoning,
Just beyond the bars.
How can you remain,
Staring at the rain,
Maddened by the stars?

How is it you sing anything?
How is it you sing?

Green finch and linnet bird, nightingale, blackbird,
How is it you sing?

Whence comes this melody constantly flowing?
Is it rejoicing or merely halloing?
Are you discussing or fussing
Or simply dreaming?
Are you crowing?
Are you screaming?

Ringdove and robinet, is it for wages,
Singing to be sold?
Have you decided it's safer in cages,
Singing when you're told?

My cage has many rooms, damask and dark.
Nothing there sings, not even my lark.
Larks never will, you know,
When they're captive.
Teach me to be more adaptive.

Green finch and linnet bird, nightingale, blackbird,
Teach me how to sing.
If I cannot fly, let me sing.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• classical
• vocal
• coloratura
• soprano
• Sarah
• Davis
• opera
• Broadway
• aria

[saralbruno]

to fast

[DarkAngela01]

I think that was a good tempo for this song. It's supposed to be peppy. I don't know why everyone plays it so slowly.

[ThreeStarWolfie]

That was /waaaaaayyy/ to fast! Yeah, it was beautiful, but it didn't rightly do the song justice. Had the tempo been correct it would have been so much better. Not that I'm an expert but, that's what I think!

[LoneXArtist]

people get jealous, you sound good to me and yeah... lol good job.

[ssassy117]

You are flat half the time. And your words are muddled together, so I cannot understand what you are singing- the point of this song is supposed to express Johanna's innocence, and her wishful heart, and imagination. It just sound like you are bored and trying to get done with it. You could do so much better!

[kevml33]

Amazing voice, love the color and timbre. However, like [SYMPHONICSYLENCE] said, DICTION. I know the song very well so I knew what you were saying, but I think your audience was confused. And I blame the tempo increase on the piano player, she was rushing.

One more quick comment, this piece is ment to be more acted out. It seemed like you were bored and wanted to get done with it

[symphonicsylence]

I can't understand anything.

Diction?

[wRottenCookie]

hahaha loved your comment

[MakinSushi]

Your tempo increases like a MONSTER XD

BUT I LOVE YOUR VOICE. 8D much clearer than the joanna in the film and less thick than the joanna on broadway X3