Professional Singer Reacts to If Ye Love Me

[@carolhayes7750]

I absolutely love this piece! My dear soprano friend sang it at my baptism (I was baptized late at age 54!). I have also been a fan of The King's Singers since their inception, and my love of counter tenors can be attributed to them. 🥰

[@nickhiggsthesinger]

Wow!!

[@joshuakampamba9061]

Oh my God me too! This song calms me down and comforts me when I have difficult days...for me I think it's the harmony for me. Its a perfect perfect motet

[@simpl51]

A big thank-you to you Nick, the Kings Singers and many other small choirs, who have brightened up many musical lives through the covid years with audio and visual contributions.

[@barendtobe6059]

Thank you for your explanation. Years ago I sang ithis piece several times. Greetings fromUtrecht.

[@nickhiggsthesinger]

Thank you!

[@garyhinkle5736]

It Doesn't Get Any Better Than The King's Singers..

[@Paleos1000]

Thanks, Nick. This came out in the middle of Covid. Could not leave the house. Great to sing along with such an amazing group. Surrogate choir fix.

[@Nikioko]

Vocal ensemble is the royal discipline of singing, and this is the perfection of ensemble singing.

[@elaineduncanson1474]

I spent 26 years in a Cathedral choir where we sang most of the Tudor repertoire and lots of Bach. We also sang Willian because one of our directors had been his student. He drilled us on north-south vowels and the correct (Tudor English) pronunciation of ‘spirit’. It was a joy to sing with him.

[@nickhiggsthesinger]

love it! Thanks for sharing

[@tonyodalaigh7993]

A Glorious piece of music. I’ve loved it for so long now that I can’t put a date on it. Then my daughter got married 10 years ago and had it sung at her wedding. Everybody adored it. Beautiful memories. Love your show. Thank you. Margaret from Ireland. ☘️

[@OrthodoxMidwife]

We sing this in church SATB, it’s so beautiful

[@jakajakos]

Tallis is one of my favorite Catholic composers

[@jovankamoga3556]

I love the another comforter part most especially the tenor. Exhilarating

[@dawnstanford3570]

This is beautiful. I got to perform it once. ❤😊

[@berkefeil5646]

I think your going in a good direction with the channel with these reaction vids. Not a singer but just enjoy watching your content actually. And by the way, this piece by Thomas Tallis speaks to me in a very special way too

[@nickhiggsthesinger]

Thank you!

[@joshuakampamba9061]

I love love this motet❤❤❤I wonder if Thomas Talis knew how significant and loved the motet would be 500 yearly on

[@joshuakampamba9061]

❤❤❤❤foreeever....in the spirit of truth..... My favorite parts!!!🇿🇲

[@Joggelschorsch]

THAT´s what reaction content should look like, everywhere!

[@nickhiggsthesinger]

Thank you! What in particular did you like?

[@Joggelschorsch]

@@nickhiggsthesinger your explanation and introduction to the composer and the ensemble!

[@donadieu83]

A number of Tudor period composers tried to stay out of the religious turmoil all around then . They still composed Latin text

[@m44p25]

Love this piece!

[@nickhiggsthesinger]

I do, too! sublime 😁

[@m44p25]

@@nickhiggsthesinger absolutely! And you can never go wrong with The King’s Singers, they do not disappoint!

[@FlorianiSacredMusic]

We sang this today during communion-one of our favorites, though we sing it in TTBB. Thus, the baritone gets that awesome line (mine 🙌) Thanks for the awesome video

[@اسعدنعيم-و8م]

very cool

[@nickhiggsthesinger]

Thank you!

[@droolian01]

We were always taught to pronounce "spirit" as "sprit". One syllable instead of 2. If you listen carefully the King singers do this too. One syllable "sprit" sounds like "spit" with an extra "r" added. I'm an ex chorister (many years ago) and a tenor. And yes the tenor part is delicious.

[@anonymousfromgrimsby9719]

Spirit pronounced as ‘Sprit’ was a common way of saying spirit in Tallis’ time as the English accents were different then.

[@OliverAlexandre-d9w]

As was pronouncing ‘She’ as “He” 😂

[@kristiegwilliam980]

Voces8 sings this as well, gorgeous!

[@kristiegwilliam980]

I prefer the female soprano and alto voice.

[@rogermassey8844]

Good insights

[@simpl51]

Choirs have pondered over the word spirit for several centuries. ''spriit'' has been the norm for this piece at Kings college chapel, and hence also the Kings Singers. Tallis' contemporary, the poet/composer Thomas Campion, spelled it 'sprite,'. The last time I sang it in a multilingual choir, the South African director felt it was not so imporant; the main thing was that we all sing it the same way.

[@nickhiggsthesinger]

That is fascinating!!!

[@VincentParbelle]

Thanks for the analysis of this beautiful anthem. I think there are some typos in the score displayed here for this lockdown virtual choir. The lyrics I've sung have always been and spelt "e'en" (IPA [iːn]) with full elision of the v, which is an entry in itself in some dictionaries, and "s'prit" (IPA [sprɪt]) with full elision of the first i. It's like the classical "heav'n" turning a two-syllable word into a monosyllable one to suit the metre. A final elision is 'bide for abide. Another typo is for-ev-er, which is distinctively sung as "fo(r) ever" (two words, and no linking r) by the K'sS.

[@carlstenger5893]

I am surprised to find that despite the fact that there have been over 8000 views, 44 comments, and it's been available for over 20 months, no one -- NO ONE has mentioned that this "rule" of "one note per syllable" was violated by the Soprano line in the second phrase. (Look at the word "Fa-ther"). Nevertheless, this is a fine video. Thanks so much!

[@zdzislawmeglicki2262]

The Second Trio of the Parkas from Rameau's Hippolyte & Aricie. Only you can do it so the music can be heard.

[@stewart335]

Collegium 1704 released a gorgeous recording of Zelenka’s Sepulto Domino recorded during Covid lockdowns. PLEASE listen it’s on their youtube channel and is so comforting

[@nickhiggsthesinger]

I'll check it out - thanks!

[@Thegreenprawn202]

In this particular piece I find it interesting when the altos finish higher than the trebles, and as a treble it makes it harder to get the right note with altos on the higher note

[@gramps2matt]

Nick, I don't see a link for the recording of all 4 individual parts. Or did you mean the full 4 parts as recorded by The Kings Singers.

[@nickblood5040]

try the Gesualdo six version set lower, great bass

[@Dave51677]

what about spem in alium ?

[@nickhiggsthesinger]

One of the best! I’ll add it to the list, thanks!

[@dawnstanford3570]

Altos are the meat in the harmony sandwich!

[@johnivett3241]

Keep making these “ Professional Singer Reacts to…” videos. I rediscover old favourites and listen to them anew (Miserere and Der Hölle Rache) - thank you. You might like the interpretation of the Gesualdo Six kzbin.info/www/bejne/r3nIY3l6oa17l5o. I think it’s the original version (TTBB). There’s lots of “air and space” between the different voices - it’s totally ethereal!

[@stewkingjr]

To bad there was a random voice interrupting a great example of singing.

[@nextlifeonearth]

The original is watchable on this website. You clicked a react video, I don't know what you expected.

[@nickblood5040]

altos boring, try being a bass