Green Finch and Linnet Bird - Harolyn Blackwell - Sweeney Todd 

This is absolutely beautiful but I feel like nobody is appreciating her diction with this operatic type song. Even on the highest notes you can tell what she’s saying!

everyone complaining it's too powerful and strong.. johanna is meant to be almost driven insane by her lifelong entrapment (my favourite portrayal being betsy joslyn) - in harolyn's voice i can hear that desperation yet the beauty and bird-like qualities still remain. not to mention that ending... one i haven't heard before but so perfectly sung, it's given me goosebumps!

The "beckoning beckoning" is just pure perfection

Also, keep in mind, she's singing in Carnegie Hall... a gigantic venue.... without a mic.

2:30 ARE YOU KIDDING THE CONTROL IS BREATHTAKING. I LITERALLY GASPED.

Wow I love how soft the high notes are, so easy on the ears

This version is great. Johanna is not weak; she is, after all, the one that kills Mr. Fogg because Anthony can't do it.

the way she can hit her highest notes with such a soft dynamic ad crescendo into the next verse shows such good control

Harolyn was my voice teacher a few weeks ago. Absolutely the most amazing experience of my life

those who said she sang this song too loud not only dont know she has an operatic background, she has no mic, and its open to the interpretation of the musician. are you a musician? no need to answer lol. LOVE YOU BLACKWELL! SANG IT GIRL!

I've lost count of the amount of times I've listened to this. By far the best version/cover of this song I've heard to date. Her voice is pure perfection; the way she effortlessly hits those high notes in such a soft dynamic is simply stunning.

Who gave this magical song and performance a thumbs down?? WHO are these people and how many times did their mothers drop them on their heads as babies????

That last note is the aural equivalent of seeing the Grand Canyon in person for the first time. Damn.

Full-body shivers from the first few notes. She added an intensity to Johanna's suffering that gives an extra pull not found in most recorded versions of the song. Such a great performance.

OH that floating pianissimi at the end!!!

There are many other performances of this song on RU-vid, but this is the one I return to again and again.

My favorite moment is the empathy and shock in her face when you can SEE the thought occur to her that the birds' singing could be screaming, like her.

Her technique is absolutely breathtaking…and the ending?! What the actual HECK! TEACH ME PLEASEEEE

Here because of the current COVID-19 pandemic. I’m a soprano who used to sing this song years ago, and I just realized that these lyrics are so appropriate for our current situation. Can’t believe I haven’t heard this version until now! Her high notes at the end just glisten and float! Stunning.

It's so nice to see materials like this sung with a full operatic voice with all the classical techniques. I got chills.

Her vibrato is so powerful yet delicate at the same time!! Those trills on those highest of high notes? Now *that’s* coloratura!

this is my favorite musical and this is my favorite song in this musical.. and to see a black woman singing this song is so incredibly beautifying to my world. thank you for this

chills. just chills.

The issues I'm seeing people have are similar to those that I've heard people have with certain Michaela's in Carmen. Personally, I like this interpretation. It gives the character more depth, more power. She's growing, yearning, and a little angry about her "bitter, bitter, circumstance(sorry- couldn't resist)". And it's like she's at a turning point where she's thinking, "Tell me, how is it you sing? Because I certainly can't. I can't live this way. It's in my hands now." It empowers the character to be something more than a wilting flower waiting for someone to save her. But then again- I could have just created an entirely different character altogether. It depends on perception.

She's amazing at singing this, and her outfit also beautiful.

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 floating? Is it rejoicing or merely aloaming? 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. Ah... Green Finch, and Linnet Bird, nightingale, blackbird, teach me how to sing. If I cannot fly... Let me sing.

She did that!!! Brava 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

I Worked With Harolyn This Past Week, And She Really Is Just As Amazing As She Seems.

Oh gosh I WISH I sounded like her when I sing this song!! I can't hit any of the notes hahah

Holy moly. I cried in the end. How in the hell do those sounds come out of a humans mouth?!

Yes, yes, a thousand times YES!

This is the most beautiful voice i have ever heard. No lie. I love this woman.

she sings this better than anyone else!

The best version of this song that I have ever heard. I tip my hat off to that magnificent woman and that last note.....amazing

Gorgeous voice, one of the best renditions of the song I've heard. Sweeney is practically an English opera, and in my opinion it's most appropriate to perform it with voices as marvelous and rich as Blackwell's. While the film with Depp was entertaining, and opened the eyes of many new fans to the genius of Sondheim, it's saddening to me that those who discovered Sweeney through the film often prefer the film's singers to masterful voices like this. Anyway, gorgeous piece - when it's done right.

God!!! This girl just killed it!!!!👌🏻💕 Amazing voice!!! So strong and beautiful

I so love Harolyn. She was superb as Cunegonda. God the last note in this song went right down my spine! sweetness.

Extremely elegant and accomplished (I would almost say, revolutionary) interpretation. She actually makes me like this song....which has always been the only sequence I choose to skip over in an otherwise amazing score.

No matter how many times I listen to this, I get goosebumps, a chill up my spine and a tear in my eye when I hear Ms. Blackwell's exquisite ending of the song. Such a beautiful rendition which stands firmly by itself and out of context of the larger work.

It's so wierd that I loved the ending, but I didn't want it to end.

2:36 - 2:47 literally felt like I had ascended into heaven. Absolutely stunning vocals.

best version i have EVER HEARD!!!

Incredible.

Harolyn sings this sssooooo beautiful. I repeatedly listen and practice singing 🎤 with her! Bravo 👏

This is my favorite version of this, she is perfection!

Holy WOW this woman's got pipes!

What I would give to have been in the audience for that...

amazing. i want to sing like her. all the best to her

This song is SO difficult to sing. She nails it.

stunning.

Beautiful

You’ve GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!!!!! Goddddd those dynamics

Gorgeous voice! I remember listening to her when I was studying this song

Angelic perfection in every note. 💜

Jesus Christ. What an absolute unit. Beautiful composition and this lady is just floating.

I got chills listening to this... Gorgeous. Especially the high notes. I was searching up covers for green bird and linnet bird and this is definitely the best.

girl i think you know how to sing.

Absolutely an amazing voice!

She must surely represent the highest artistic level for this music, totally assured vocally, and the drama written into the voice to the point you forget it’s a concert

*listening* This is amazing. 2:35 comes arounddd.. *jaw drops to floor* Those last three notes were just stupendous!!!

What a stunning voice!

THIS is the rendition that actually made me like this song. I always thought it wasn't up to the rest of the score, but this performance finally made me appreciate it. (And even whistle it!)

One of the best Johannas.

simply amazing

Ya know I kinda like how she put some power in it. I some points she was really soft and others she sounded almost angry. Really interesting, I loved it.

Damn, Harolyn is a singing QUEEN! She is so talented! I hope I can sing this song as well as her... (not gonna happen lol)

Best interpretation I have ever heard. I'm weeping. Unbelievable.

I think she sounds wonderful. Probably the best voice singing this I have heard.

One of THE BEST renditions of this song I have EVER heard! Those last 2 notes brought tears to my eyes

This made me cry. Bravo!

Her voice is as smooth as a hot knife through room temperature butter

WOW! THE ENDING! She KILLED IT! YES YES YES! Go GURRRL!

I remember my professor played this video for us once years ago. I always wanted to track it down again. Such a challenging song to sing even when I was young.

Now that's a great piece of bel canto!

So amazing. Some of the most beautiful vocal technique I've ever heard OMG

Wow!! This is AMAZING! Her interpretation and voice are both just so original and really interesting. Love her higher register, especially when she takes the end up! Fantastic.

Wow this is amazing 👏🏻 I’ve only ever heard the movie version. I’m dying to see this live!!! 😩

Wow, the last line. She has an amazing voice!

She is amazing! nothing else to say

That was amazing. Gave me goosebumps.

PERFECTION AT ITS FINEST

Her projection and control is just AHHH

i could hear her vibrato in my own body

Bravo! Bravo!

YESSSS.

One of her great performances

Belíssima performance!

She has a amazing voice! WOW! :)

Pure Bliss !

Impeccable.

This is absolutely enchanting. I've only seen the DVD of the stage production with George Hearn and Angela Lansbury, so I can appreciate this and won't have to defend Johanna being a "weak and frail creature" like all those Tim Burton fans so believe. In many of the live recordings I've seen of Sweeny Todd, the girl sung very operatic and Harolyn does it justice :)

Perfection.

Very very lovely! Absolutely beautiful in every way.

I’ve often loved this song for more operatic trained singer. It had beautiful lines

I feel like I gained vibrato superpowers after listening to this her voice is mesmerising

She is perfection

she's perfect omg

beautiful! I like how she took the ending up an octave, it sounded gorgeous

I would pay good money to see an entire production with her as Johanna.

Best interpretation of this song hands down