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The Proms catch me by surprise every year. I seem to see the advance publicity, forget the date of the first concert, then miss all of the rest of the advertising until it actually start happening. I'd love to go to one, one year.
I'm currently listening to Tippet's A Child Of Our Time, which I've been meaning to listen to for a while. I've heard the Four Negro Spirituals, sung on their own, a cappella, and wondered how they fit into the rest. I'm still not sure - although someone said in the introduction that Tippett included them at emotional moments as a sort of audience participation, presumably because they are easy to get caught up in and feel ... not 'ordinary', but perhaps 'known'.
'Go down, Moses' is very powerful: 'terrifying' isn't quite the word I want, but it's close. Certainly very different to the a cappella arrangement, with the brass taking their swelling accompaniment back from the tenors and basses. Sadly, the soloist in 'By and By' was using so much vibrato that I'm not sure I'd have known where the notes were had I not heard it sung before by someone with a clearer style. I think I'd need to listen the whole oratorio live to give it the concentration it deserves but it's still very enjoyable and something to mull over, even heard on the radio while doing other things.
I'm currently listening to Tippet's A Child Of Our Time, which I've been meaning to listen to for a while. I've heard the Four Negro Spirituals, sung on their own, a cappella, and wondered how they fit into the rest. I'm still not sure - although someone said in the introduction that Tippett included them at emotional moments as a sort of audience participation, presumably because they are easy to get caught up in and feel ... not 'ordinary', but perhaps 'known'.
'Go down, Moses' is very powerful: 'terrifying' isn't quite the word I want, but it's close. Certainly very different to the a cappella arrangement, with the brass taking their swelling accompaniment back from the tenors and basses. Sadly, the soloist in 'By and By' was using so much vibrato that I'm not sure I'd have known where the notes were had I not heard it sung before by someone with a clearer style. I think I'd need to listen the whole oratorio live to give it the concentration it deserves but it's still very enjoyable and something to mull over, even heard on the radio while doing other things.
