May It be (LOTR) - VOCES8 reaction: kzbin.info/www/bejne/boqll2h6oqqEj5Isi=fpHbrj8idvKQh_i2
@gabrijellukenda13152 ай бұрын
Thank you again for reviewing Voces8, absolutely my favourite group of all time. No unnecessary forte, just ease and musicality in all voices.
@gabrijellukenda13152 ай бұрын
As a tenor, I really love how Blake and Euan don't force the sound, they just let it flow and this is exactly what we want.
@RobCauser2 ай бұрын
What a pleasure it is to see someone of your generation openly express their emotions from music. Your analysis is always so inspiring and spot on. Voces8 is in a class by themselves and I’m stunned by their incredible purity and artistry. Another phenomenal performance!
@olga793410 сағат бұрын
I listen and watch this recording endlessly. It is indescribable... so beautiful...like heaven opens before me! Thank you.
@johnfenton36992 ай бұрын
Kudos as well to Barnaby Smith, the musical director and counter-tenor. Without a doubt, the perfection of Voces8's work is in no small part down to his persistence and attention to detail.
@markroberts6322Ай бұрын
Divine. Absolute perfection. I believe this piece and performance come as close to Allegri's heavenly choir as you can get on this finite planet.
@ianwalker46282 ай бұрын
I love how your (visible) reactions to this recording are completely visceral ... It's designed to bypass thought and go for the heart which, to me, it does - every . single . time. Thank you too for the clear analysis of the various techniques / effects within the piece.
@isaiahbaggett50142 ай бұрын
I agree - Voces 8 is top tier. The sopranist makes it seem effortless. Thanks for posting!
@ordinarryalien2 ай бұрын
Oh, I love this, especially this version.
@JesseMose2 ай бұрын
Absolutely incredible! I love both your analysis and Allegri’s “Miserere”.
@richardtodd72952 ай бұрын
This is the best analysis of a very complex piece that I have heard and seen. I graduated with a degree in vocal music and conducting in 1966,and then life ended my quest for a life devoted to choral music. In my old age, I'm 80, I seek true reactions and analysis to the music I love. I agree that Voces8 is the best. The amount of work it takes for them to do what they do is beyond comprehension. If you study the workshops the provide as well as their commentary, you can glimpse a partial picture of what it takes. One thing you didn't mention is that Voces8 tuning of chords is not according to the Well Tempered scale. They adjust the pitch so slightly that all you hear is is a perfect sound. Thank you Nick Higgs for sharing your knowledge.
@keithbryan49682 ай бұрын
Your comments are so insightful. You gave me an even greater admiration of Voces8
@danielcummins50922 ай бұрын
Those overtones, though!! When they hold out those perfectly tuned chords - sheesh!
@Secret_Agent_Mark2 ай бұрын
Voces8, Tenebrae, the King's Singers, Apollo 5... it doesn't get much better than those groups. They all come from a country that is the very core of choral music. They ARE the very core.
@uk-expat5 күн бұрын
Don’t forget The Tallis Scholars…
@mfosiecki2 ай бұрын
Indeed...society does need this music, Nick! For an amateur chorale singer like me, your way of illuminating all the grace and precision in these recordings is invaluable. You bring us all at least a little closer to fulfilling that need.
@jakobboomgaarden16722 ай бұрын
I have said it before and I'm gonna say it again: If you ever get the chance to listen to them in concert, DO NOT HESITATE, DO NOT THINK OF ANYTHING ELSE! I had the privilege to listen to this incredible sound, an out of this world experience.
@uk-expat5 күн бұрын
Seconded!
@SCVocalStudentReacts2 ай бұрын
Beautiful reaction to a stunning performance of a magnificent piece.
@roysrosenthal2 ай бұрын
Thank you so much for this video. VOCES8 sang a concert at my Church in February and during their rehearsal, they worked on the Allegri. It was other worldly! Cheers to them and to you. ❤
@totoro1232 ай бұрын
I’m not a religious person, but I certainly appreciate how it has inspired this music that seems to transcend time and space.
@javierlifa16792 ай бұрын
Thank you for dignifying our muscular reactions to this superb show of musicality and musical spirit. Voces8 has certainly raised the bar across the world and your comments also put you aside of mainstream, never-satisfied musical critique. Cheers from Buenos Aires!
@luisfrometa3170Ай бұрын
Nick: you are such an inspiring musician and teacher. Real pleasure meeting you. Luis/Venezuela
@trevzy912 ай бұрын
Enjoyed how you highlighted the music, paired with the score it was lovely to experience this again and hear some new things!
@laerwen2 ай бұрын
This might be my very favorite version of this piece. I've heard it more with a solo treble voice - but I think I might prefer this. This piece for me is about the recognition of one's flawed humanity, and asking a loving deity to be forgiven for very human mistakes. A deeply felt, sincere contrition for wrongdoing. And ultimately, the peace that comes with the faith that this wrongdoing is forgiven. The purity of the tuning and tonality of each note really adds to the feeling of deep sincerity. That high C is like the clearest day atop a very high mountain where the sky is blue and there is abundant sunlight, fresh air. The resplendent light of such a location. And the freedom that relief from burdens carried brings. Superb video breaking this one down - great listening to how certain parts really stand out in very exposed ways quite intentionally. That everything has shape and for a reason, at that. Hard to disturb the silence after that no matter how many times you hear it! :D
@ianthompson57462 ай бұрын
Really nice to see someone else enjoy Voces8 ! Did you know they perform beautiful Bach pieces as well ? Speaking Bach, have you ever heard of The Netherlands Bach Society ?, they certainly are world standard with their productions ! especially their Contata's !!
@MitochondrialSteve2 ай бұрын
this is how i first came across u last year when i saw u do the single person choir app vid of this, which is one of my fave all time pieces. so happy to see u cover this version. thank u!!!!
@phwbooth2 ай бұрын
The Agnus Dei in Bach's Mass in B Minor, if sung as well, can be as beautiful.
@laerwen2 ай бұрын
I adore that mass to bits - I hope he will at least explore that one if not others.
@Immortal-q2lАй бұрын
This is my favourite piece of music of all time. Reminds me of my time at Catholic school, going to the Brompton Oratory Church in London for mass during Christmas and Easter
@kinga_fc61962 ай бұрын
That's truth, Voces8's performance of Allegri's Miserere is the best all over the world.
@jr24702 ай бұрын
This is one of my favorite pieces and was the start of my love of renasannce mucis.
@carizoism2 ай бұрын
Oh, how I love your videos!!!
@paolageraci2 ай бұрын
This is a masterpiece!!!!😮❤
@gregrowlands96322 ай бұрын
A stunning piece of music
@abs0lutelyn0t2 ай бұрын
Voces8 does Miserere best. I've never heard a more beautiful version. 😊😇
@gregrowlands96322 ай бұрын
Thank you for this
@uk-expat5 күн бұрын
Andrea (the tall soprano) has the most beautiful voice!
@paulhooton62612 ай бұрын
I'm so grateful that after I got to about age 30, I stopped thinking that anything, other than pop music, was rubbish and opened my mind to accept any music, no matter how old the music is or what genre. My only criteria now is simply that I like it. I've obviously heard this many times, often used in films and TV dramas but hearing the whole thing here was truly magical.
@wendyterpstra68542 ай бұрын
NEVER apologize for your music choices and love~ Never! Every note bunch-combo of any type of music, has meaning and purpose even if it's just to make one laugh or run covering their ears! Just because a person is classically trained doesn't mean it's ridiculous or weird!! There are scientific studies that document the vibrational effect on our brains and it's power (to heal/hurt) I know you know this, but you alluded to your car ride listening preferences as "ew-ish" Just N O P E ! Besides .... this one... THIS one ... reaches out to the HOLY! Not a single human being on earth can truly hear this piece without knowing something of that in their soul- NO MATTER their belief or non belief grounding!
@stevegandy42032 ай бұрын
Like you , the first time I heard this piece, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I never had heard anything so beautiful and transcendent. Those harmonies, suspensions and exquisite intertwining of textures is perfectly written for the text and the acoustics of a cathedral. It reassures me to see so many of you appreciating it. I wonder if you know the context. This is the Latin translation of Psalm 51 in the Old Testament of the Bible. It was written by David, the revered king of Israel who prepared the plans for the temple in Jerusalem which would be built by his son, Solomon. The Scriptures state that God considered him “a man after his own heart”. Yet at the height of his power and fame he spotted the beautiful Bathsheba bathing on her roof. He forced her to have sex with him, while her husband, Uriah, a loyal soldier in David’s army, was fighting in the war against Israel’s enemies. When Bathsheba informed David she was pregnant by him, David panicked and ordered his General to put Uriah at the front lines of the battle so he would be killed. Later on, Nathan the prophet, confronted David, telling him a parable that revealed that God knew what he had done. David was overwhelmed with shame and grief, and then wrote this Psalm. You can read the entire story in the book of 1 Kings. Knowing this story helps you understand that this piece is a perfect expression of repentance.
@viking_skywalkerАй бұрын
if i wanne base myself - i listen to that !!
@hien_dau2 ай бұрын
Best analyzation ever.
@nickhiggsthesinger2 ай бұрын
Thank you 🥹
@ckverghese192 ай бұрын
Love to feel it
@Gabriele-wolfsongАй бұрын
Have you guys listened to Eastern European choirs? They can definitely compete.
@nickhiggsthesingerАй бұрын
Any recommendations for me?
@josu19612 ай бұрын
You should react to MIserere by James MacMillan, such a beatiful piece.
@laurinbartel6402 ай бұрын
love from Germany
@chriswhealy41702 ай бұрын
Also, please watch this video about how we arrived at the version of the Miserere that we currently have today That amazing high C is the result of a transcription error - but its an error everyone is happy about! kzbin.info/www/bejne/nmfLdWuPqbRofqs
@allisonkarnoff513520 күн бұрын
You didn’t talk at all about the overtones and harmonics! They are almost overpowering because of how true and clean they each sing with NO VIBRATO! Vibrato covers a multitude of tuning sins. That’s what is also amazing about their vowels. An Eeeeeee vowel is much easier to tune in straight tone than an ahhh vowel. So moving between those vowels without losing any tuning is so difficult. When I sang this piece, that was the challenge. It’s just so so so easy to go flat. There were times where we “cheated” and started the piece a 1/2 step higher. For some reason we found we didn’t go flat as much as we did when starting in the original key.
@jeremychoo9342 ай бұрын
The Picardy third at the final cadence was historically a common device and it could even have been a musica ficta where the third of the minor chord would played/sung as sharpened even if not indicated in the score.
@nenechonlisboa41272 ай бұрын
Thank for your content that's always very interesting. And, Lord, how handsome you are ! :)
@RaineStudio12 күн бұрын
The cadence at the end of the "shiver" phrase is really difficult because many singers step down too far on the mordent and pull the chord flat.
@MrDenertog2 ай бұрын
please react to Voces8 rendition of The Deer's Cry
@ufayad2 ай бұрын
Hi, Early Music masters here. Fun fact-the famous high C was never in the original Vatican version of the music. A transcription error made in the 1840’s publication by priest Pietro Alfieri changed the pitch of the solo choir up a fourth. The resulting key change, from G minor to C minor, is absolutely not historically accurate for the time. It’s an error for sure, albeit one that is so striking that one almost doesn’t mind. :)
@leitmotif4me2 ай бұрын
Agree Voces8 are superb! They gave me a frisson too.Could you review Kathleen Battle 'Et incarnatus est' by Mozart?
@trentmckenzie169728 күн бұрын
Us Basses have to follow the Tenors on the intonation and not overrun them. That is how we avoid the pitch issues on less linear pieces.
@Immortal-q2lАй бұрын
Has the original text been found or would we have never heard it had Mozart not transcribed it? My favourite version is the King's College Choir version. The 80s/90s one from the uk BBC tv production
@Immortal-q2lАй бұрын
P.s. this is my favourite piece of music of all time. Reminds me of my time at Catholic school, going to the Brompton Oratory Church in London for mass during Christmas and Easter
@Immortal-q2lАй бұрын
Please react to King's College Faure Pie Jesu and Agnus Dei. It's the Kings College (Cambridge) Chapel Choir from a 1987 BBC tv broadcast (which you might find will be of a slightly better quality video feed)
@nickhiggsthesinger2 ай бұрын
What should I record next?! Comment below
@mmsminimalmusic31102 ай бұрын
Thomas Tallis´s "Spem in alium" would be a nice complement.
@gervaischouinard98092 ай бұрын
With The Tallis Scholars, for me the best of the best version of Spem in alium!
@joppi072 ай бұрын
Voces8 + Ringmasters Shall We Gather at the River!
@javierlifa16792 ай бұрын
The Love Duet in Madame Butterfly perhaps?
@chriswhealy41702 ай бұрын
My wife and I heard Voces8 last week in Malvern, UK. What fantastic skill and vocal blending! Shame that Malvern Theatre has such poor acoustics for this type of music - no reverb whatsoever - but anyway, after the concert, they all came into the lobby of the theatre to chat to everyone. Not are they arguably the finest singing group around the moment, they are really nice, approachable and down-to-earth people too!
@uikonimi2 ай бұрын
You should react to Break In by Halestorm featuring Amy Lee. A beautiful masterpiece by two rock/metal legends
@phwbooth2 ай бұрын
Almost orgasmic, Mr Nick.
@gervaischouinard98096 күн бұрын
There's myth about that piece of music and what we hear today is not exactly the music Allegri wrote, specially the high C added in a publication on 1880. Watch: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nmfLdWuPqbRofqssi=0uoj3Tlp_nadRloZ
@davids68982 ай бұрын
That unison portion is exactly like the nuns at the beginning of the Sound of Music. Plagiarist!😉
@kamatsu82 ай бұрын
it's a gregorian psalmtone, specifically tone ii. It existed long before both the Sound of Music and Allegri.
@amdgbvmh76612 ай бұрын
+Did you say "sneak a breath?!"....SACRILEGE!
@trentmckenzie169728 күн бұрын
I'm confused by this reaction as Andrea has sung this as the penultimate soprano for more than 20 years and the confusion on how she and the others are able to blend and produce this performance. This is the most recent version from Voces8 with the newest Bass, but there is no waver in the split (choral) parts in tone. There is a conductor and it is memorized. All groups at this level follow a queue. But there are none that are as good as this.
@yonellestrada24622 ай бұрын
I have a question for you!
@donepearceАй бұрын
Every time I hear this I am reminded about how much production has been heaped on it since Mozart first wrote it out having heard it in the cathedral. I prefer the original, much stripped down version to this syrupy chocolate box confection. And that high C needs to be sung by a treble, not a soprano.
@thethikboy2 ай бұрын
I like it better with boy trebles.
@thomasmuller1634Ай бұрын
please more Choir reactions! What about kzbin.info/www/bejne/bmSQp6Jon8yVbqs ?
@Snapdragon05932 ай бұрын
VOCES8 is such a great group and this rendition is so beautiful! But for this specific piece I like the Tenebrae Choir version better
@paulybarr2 ай бұрын
They're pretty clearly lip- synching to their own recording, as is customary with most music videos of any genre. But they are absolutely splendid.
@johnmorris40342 ай бұрын
In your dreams. Some members of Voces8 are friends of a friend of mine. They don’t lip synch. If you think they are it’s a fault with KZbin.