Aida's Brothers & Sisters

[@godivapaw]

This is a constant source of encouragement to me as a young black opera singer, from my native land in Jamaica, living in Canada and pursuing an operatic career. The song which says "nobody knows the troubles I've seen...glory HALLELUJAH!" is a song that I can sing, and to me, it means that even through the struggles, I can still praise my God because HE has taken me through them, and is still taking me through them ALL!

[@Leanrosso]

Great, great, immense, more than talented artists. Love them all. God put them in this world for a reason beyond human comprehension. Be thankful for that.

[@EudoraPrice]

Thank you for this! Its encouraging to me living in Austria especially the evening before my Concert.

[@singspieler]

Absolutely touching. Price and Bumbry really stand out.

[@ЧеловекЧеловечный-б7ф]

Как же они прекрасны: Грейс Бамбри, Ширли Веретт, Барбара Хендрикс, великолепная Леонтин Прайс!!!! Люблю их всей культурной частью своей души!!!!!

[@espinaca79]

Brilliant documentary.!

[@castodivo]

You can also find it at the Enoch Pratt Library in Baltimore, MD. It's really wonderful. Try Ebay.

[@cjacja21]

OMG! The song that Grace Bumbry sings is AMAZING. It brought tears to my eyes!. What is it called?

[@joshdaniels2363]

A little late, but ... it's the end of the aria "Ritorna vincitor!" from Verdi's opera "Aida." In it, Aida (an Ethiopian princess enslaved in Egypt) is torn between her love for her father and homeland on the one hand, and her love for the Egyptian prince Radames, who's just been sent out to engage the Ethiopians in battle, on the other.

[@wepopalot]

A friend of mine found a video at a library. In Los Angeles.

[@direfranchement]

"Deep River" is a good example of an exception, but I must stand by my original comment. Most spirituals do not require such a wide range, and as I was thinking earlier, considering the deep intrinsic emotions connected to so many of them, chest would seemingly be the most perfect fit. Even the best vocalists, of any genre, cannot convey the same coherent emotion in head that can be conveyed in chest, if only because the latter is more mutable and viable for expressive variations.

[@Kiarinadia]

I think also because chest voice is closer to the talking voice and the natural "gut feeling" voice. But art can't stay for ever "guts feeling" thing and so sophistication had to be invented.

[@RaniRee]

Does anyone know if there is more to this documentary? And if so, where can I find it?

[@KelloggChoirs]

However, Shirley Verret is just fab!

[@direfranchement]

I find it interesting that black opera artists cling so closely to spirituals, considering how inferior they sound when sung in head voice. Greats like La Prima Donna Assoluta Leontyne Price sound out of place on spirituals...I believe it started with Marian Anderson. Grace Bumbry sounds more natural on the clip of her singing. Those songs were just conceived for chest voice, that's all there is to it.

[@direfranchement]

My view however, when watching Price sing here, is that as opposed to losing herself in the song, she is hindered by her classical training, and there lies the problem. All performances are relative, and perhaps if the music had originally been sung by classically trained vocalists, we would not have anything to discuss here...but that isn't the case.