Segerstam passed away October 9 2024. His works especially 344 symphonies are my most favorite as well as his recordings of Sibelius' works as a conductor. Maestro! R.I.P. from Tokyo Japan
I heard this live on the radio at the BBC Proms World premiere when driving home from work. I was completely captivated and managed to obtain a recording of the Radio 3 transmission that I return to regularly. The Proms interval piece on wild swimming complemented the performance perfectly. I'm astounded that this unique and beautiful work still hasn't been recorded.
All Mica's stuff is "distinct" that's why it is so wonderful. I'd love to get an album of this type of stuff, rather than film soundtracks, which have a dynamic all to themselves. Mica has real talent!
I have no problem with new music being set to Blake's words, and as for trying something dissonant, go for it. But this seems a little bit cake-and-eat-it to me. Why couldn't she have come up with a wholly new setting? Why weave in and out of Parry's original? Parry wrote a good tune, but it doesn't need to be the *only* tune. In fact, it reminds me slightly of all that hoo-hah about Colin Matthews' bolting-on of his "Pluto" onto Holst's "The Planets" a number of years ago (now thankfully forgotten). If you rate yourself, come up with something capable of standing on its own feet, rather than raiding some other composer's cupboard.
People seem to forget that “Jerusalem” is a short poem written by William Blake in 1804, forming the preface to his epic “Milton, A Poem”. Hubert Parry wrote a melody for it 112 years later in 1916, Elgar created the standard orchestration (1923). Elgar was made Master of the King’s Musick (sic) in 1924. So it is quite appropriate that this version was arranged by Errollyn Wallen CBE, who was appointed Master of the King’s Music by Charles IIII in 2024. Yes, it sounds dystopian, but that chimes well with ‘dark Satanic mills’. It was never intended to be a hymn to be sung in church services, or at some future popular ‘classical’ annual event.
Your channel contains some really bonkers music, much of which I find really irritating and annoying...but rarely boring! However, every now then a piece appears that I do enjoy, eventually (most of the pieces featured on your channel require multiple listens). I only discovered your channel by accident: while visiting my usual 20th century classical music channel (UNIT Andy Martin) this appeared in my 'recommended feed' and I'm glad I investigated it.
Absolutely love this version. Errollyn has captured the entire mood of the commonwealth during lock down, with limited time, limited musicians she has created something completely new but yet familiar. Something that shows panic, disorder, worry and anxiety of the time with hope and light of times past. Of a marked and dark history for a nation that is strong, proud and old fashioned but is also one of the most inclusive and diverse in the world. Golda is beautiful and powerful. Errollyn scooped up centuries of history and injected it into 4 minutes of sound wall. Magnificent.
I would never have come across her or this but for yesterday's Desert Island Discs. It's nowhere near my favourite version but I get it it. I get the point. And even if the only thing it ever did was to wazz off a load of Daily BrExpress and Wailly Fail hacks and readers, that's still good enough pour moi.
What a wonderful rendition of the dark conflicted Jerusalem opening to the Commonwealth and ending with that exquisite other worldly harp …. Discovered through hearing EW on Desert Island Discs BBC Radio4
Not my bag, really, but an interesting take on the original work and having listened to Errollyn Wallen on Desert Island Discs this morning, I think I understand a bit more about why she reworked it like this.
I'm enjoying this. The vocalist has a wonderful voice and the arrangement pulls the original apart. It needed that. There's some tone clashes in there that are really satisfying.
Love Shultz's voice. I like the way that the tune and harmony we are familiar with takes control over the chaotic dissonance that starts the peice. Perhaps there's an allegory going on regarding the pain and strife caused in countries the Brits caused in its exansion of empire. Maybe people in what are now the colonies have misgivings about that past still, but also now feel some sort of identification with the unofficial natonal anthem? Don't know. Just a thought.
