Katherine "KaeRenae" Mitchell, Director Funded by the UVA Parents Fund Arr. by K. Shaw Performed Spring, 2016 Fralin Museum of Art, University of Virginia
Firstly, well done to the University of Virginia Parents Fund for making the recording possible, you should be proud that your hard earned money went toward something so perfect. Secondly, congratulations to the Chorus and all involved in the arrangement, this was by far my favourite rendition of this great song by Joel, dare i say it, better than the original. Finally, the final 'S' of the final word 'knows' was completely perfect, it was like someone pressed the stop button. Just fantastic, well done, love, love, loved it.
I don't care who you are or how you sing. You add that much more by joining. So sing and join in this message of love felt so deeply it crushes. A sweet smothering as a baby held close to its mothers breast.
One of the most purely beautiful things I have ever heard. I’ve listened to this about 100 times to date, crying through my goosebumps every time. Brava, ladies.
Beautiful arrangement capturing all of Joel's harmonies. Many other renditions simplify (or simply miss) the true essence of this piece. Oh, and by the way - this is a truly magnificent performance ladies. Congratulations!
In every heart there is a room A sanctuary safe and strong To heal the wounds from lovers past Until a new one comes along I spoke to you in cautious tones You answered me with no pretense And still I feel I said too much My silence is my self defense And every time I've held a rose It seems I only felt the thorns And so it goes, and so it goes And so will you soon I suppose But if my silence made you leave Then that would be my worst mistake So I will share this room with you And you can have this heart to break And this is why my eyes are closed It's just as well for all I've seen And so it goes, and so it goes And you're the only one who knows So I would choose to be with you That's if the choice were mine to make But you can make decisions too And you can have this heart to break And so it goes, and so it goes And you're the only one who knows
magnificent work. I am moved to tears from the words, the synch and the fact that these ladies are forever bound as a sister hood by this secular hymn. Very well done. omg!
One of the most poignant songs ever written - your poise is perfect! Thank for a wonderful 3 minutes or so. Nectar to my ears. Must remember to breathe!!!
We sing this too, but with mixed voices male/female. It's one of the songs I liked the most to preform. Your female-version is abselutely precise, and astonnoushing...hat's off
Although it would be hard to put any one of Billy Joel’s songs very far ahead of another, he himself put this one in his own personal top five, two years ago (Vienna, And So It Goes, You May Be Right, She’s Right On Time, and Scenes From An Italian Restaurant). This arrangement by Kirby Shaw is stunningly beautiful, and this venue (apparently within the Thomas H. Baily Memorial Building, which must presumably be a part of the University of Virginia) appears to have very nearly perfect acoustics for this performance. The vocal discipline of the group is simply astounding, and seldom seen, in that all attacks and especially closing consonants (as well as the planned breaths) are in nearly perfect unison throughout the performance, and across the entire group of 35 young ladies. As a further clue towards the general discipline of the group, I can only find one or two instances where one or two of the singers may have glanced at the primary camera (rather than the director), and no instances at all where anyone appears to have glanced at the secondary (close-up, panning) camera. There must have been an edict for everyone to wear their hair down and to wear unobtrusive make-up, possibly in an effort to increase uniformity of appearance and to diminish individual distractions, since every single instance that I can see of the application of eye shadow is so subtle as to be nearly undetectable (a very minor point, granted) and only two of the singers appear to have chosen a clearly dark and contrasting shade of lipstick. The singing itself is stellar, in every possible way. The beautiful crescendos and decrescendos, sometimes even within a single note, the subtle changes in pace throughout, the perfect close harmonies, and even (I think) the superimposed over and undertone harmonics, especially one notable octave drop undertone which I seem to hear, especially at the end of the piece. I do not know if this group includes any contraltos, but when I hear the root chord and lowest note, at “comes along” (0:41), “self defense” (1:11), “to break” (2:13 & 3:35), the wordless phrase ending at 2:32, and the final “who knows” (4:08), I feel I can hear a lower note than is actually beings sung (but perhaps I am just losing my mind, or imagining it), first occurring at the second “to break” (3:35) very subtle, and very brief, if even really there, but then also at the end, exactly one second after the final chord is struck and held. If the altos are positioned primarily to the right (as appears to be the case in the performance of “Even When He Is Silent,” where antiphonal phrasing in the middle portion of that performance allows observation of who is singing which parts, to some degree) here I cannot see evidence that any of them change their throat or mouth positioning at the end (nor does it seem likely that they would be able to reach the baritone or even bass note which I think I hear, even if they wished to do so), and yet I hear the extra note. I can only think that either two cellos come in very quietly at this point to add the note, or someone off camera lays a finger on an organ key to quietly produce the same effect, or one other possible explanation. It is my understanding that when a group of vocalists is singing together, and their pitch and harmonies are perfect, and the acoustics of the space in which they are performing are also perfect or very near perfect, then (as I understand) one can sometimes hear additional harmonics beyond what notes are actually being sung, potentially both above and below the range of the actual notes being produced in the room. The final note here is sustained longer and more fully at the end than at any other point in the song. Perhaps this gives the sound a better chance to return from the surrounding walls and surfaces back to the one visible microphone, possibly allowing this overall sound to be accentuated and augmented to the point of producing discernible harmonics. I have heard that when this occurs, it can often sound like strings (violins, etc.) have been added, even when none are present. If this is, in fact, what I am hearing here, then this is an amazing example of this largely theoretical effect, and I would think provides an undeniable and clear testament to the group’s (and the director’s) talent, discipline, focus, and skill. A rare treat, indeed, no matter how you slice it. Finally, for those who might like to make a comparison with a group of young men singing the same song, one can hear the current incarnation of the King’s Singers in a similar and equally lovely arrangement of this song provided by Bob Chilcott, and one version of which (with similarly perfect acoustics) was published on RU-vid about a year ago ( ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-GVdt3x9jdOk.html ). Note that in this latter version, the phrase “but if my silence” is cut short possibly even more dramatically (or at least equally so), again creating actual silence before “made you leave.” My apologies for the dissertation. I had not intended to write so much. I shall undoubtedly be listening to this performance many more times, in days to come. Katherine, PLEASE continue to post such performances to your channel. I think there are still at least a few people left in the world who will not be able to get enough of it. Blessings on you all.
Very nicely said. I think the contralto heard at 0:41 etc. is actually one of the ladies. I didn't hear any strings or organs so yes, you're bonkers. Haha!
A new rendition, of a virtual (stay at home) choir, with the King's Singers, at the core, for the modern COVID-19 age.... ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-HINNVwddDJU.html
I can't break it down to the detail that Tim J did other than …. "Have you ever wondered what angels sound like?" Well, you need not wonder any longer....
They are college students and can be members as long as they want. That is usually 4 years for most, but we've had graduate students as well. We've also had some students who had not discovered us until their 4th years, so it's a mix :)
@@katherinemitchell9378 thankyou Katherine for that information, I watch/ listen to this particular group of ladies from 4 years ago and their renditions of ' shen Kar vanaki' and 'so it goes', both of which are sublime. Thank you again, from England!
I have always found it interesting how people react so differently when singing or playing music. Some close their eyes, some shake their heads side to side, some nod up and down, some do this circular motion. It is so bizarre to watch just from a behavioral standpoint.
Thanks for the effort, but sorry -- I'm not on board. This is a solo, a very, very personal expression of love and longing, not a chorus / group event. It is technically fine, but it cannot capture the heart of a person withe regret and longing like the song was written to do.
Third girl from left, front row with the long blonde hair....I'm pretty sure she understands. It appears she is fighting back the tears as she sings. I'm certain they do understand it. Who among them has probably not experienced some form or loss or hurt?
I believe the person is singing about being left....."for I would choose to be with you, that's if the choice were mine to make. But you can make decisions too, and you can have this heart to break." Re-listen.
