Good Night, Dear Heart by Dan Forrest

Performed by Seraphic Fire
Recorded May 2021 at Comber Hall, Church of the Little Flower in Coral Gables, FL.
Good Night, Dear Heart, by American composer Dan Forrest, is set to a text that Mark Twain inscribed on the grave of his young daughter, Susy Clemens. Adapted from a heroic poem by Roger Richardson, the text and music speak to the grief of a parent losing a child.
Good Night, Dear Heart
Words by Mark Twain, Music by Dan Forrest
Warm summer sun,
Shine kindly here,
Warm southern wind,
Blow softly here.
Green sod above,
Lie light, lie light.
Good night, dear heart,
Good night, good night.

[@philgolson6306]

Not only was the composer, choir, and conductor's collaboration sublime, but the aural capture of this also worthy of great praise--well done, engineers. You get so little mention.

[@CodyEngstrom-sl7xj]

Hey thank you! I really appreciate this deeply 🎉🎉

[@jimfranceMovieTVActor]

There are many wonderful choral groups around the world. But this one is in a class by itself. What is the difference? The easily heard but not dominating inclusion of the melodic bass. Magnificent harmony at all levels. This piece brought tears to my eyes.

[@EricRubio]

Yesssssss more of Seraphic Fire singing Dan Forrest please!

[@peggycampbell8226]

That Dan Forrest ... wow. Beautiful.

[@lisa_vincent1243]

My Mom passed away on January 14, just a little over two months ago. I was able to spend most of her last weeks, days, and then hours by her bedside, sharing some of our most beautiful moments together, even as she became more & more weak, slowly departing from her earthly life. I'm not sure how or exactly when I came across this piece of indescribably poignant music (I sing in a community chorus & also have played piano for many years, so I'm often searching around the web for all kinds of music), but I know it was not too long after her funeral. My reaction to both the music and the lyrics was so immediate and intense, that I began looking for different recordings and for the sheet music. And now I have discovered this choral group!! I've only watched them once, but another thing that is quite impressive to me besides the actual music and words, is the demeanor of the singers, their expressions indicating how they are truly feeling this composition, its message and meaning, perhaps connecting it to something very personal, as I did. Thank you for this beauty you have shared!

[@noel5126]

Thank you CNN. Thank you Seraphic Fire.

[@Roshere2stay]

Wow . The entire “ Ooo “ section was so magical . The movement . The staggering of the breath . The warm , earthy feeling . Very nice . Absolutely tasteful .

[@pamelacorbett8774]

Well described, warm, earthy, but so poignant. Everyone should know the story behind this song …

[@itsmejereb]

Sheesh, this is an exquisite mix of Forrest/Seraphic Fire. Nutrition

[@brucecampbell6133]

Absolutely gorgeous! you do great justice to this beautiful piece by Dan Forrest.

[@carlahalvorsonburke6820]

Wow! We just did this with our choir and it was wonderful. But you guys are another level! Well done!

[@ArviHurskainen]

Incredibly beautiful! I listen to this again and again, and sing bass with them. There are scores of this piece in the web, where one can learn any of the voices.

[@rw736]

Magnificent! Bravo! Absolutely breathtakingly beautiful! Thank you!

[@06bintangbrawijayaputrayus56]

merinding 🥺

[@jgator6694]

Just wow..

[@stipevideo]

Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.

[@linchi7403]

Beautiful!

[@lourdesraupe3824]

Beautiful! Nice to see my home church is doing this performance. Although miles away, it warms my heart!

[@beateteufel5745]

Very beautifully done! Such a warm tone. Could not make out any of the words but still loved it.

[@fxiansen1469]

So beautiful I couldn't help but paste a link on my FB page.

[@LindaSmith-gt9df]

Beautiful, ethereal , breath-taking

[@pamelacorbett8774]

Seraphic indeed, so beautiful.

[@marilynhorowitz3261]

So great to see!

[@shigovoicestudio]

BEAUTIFUL

[@danjohnson7479]

Perfection

[@joseangelhernandezmolina9709]

excelente interpretacion felicidades buen resultado la formacion del coro

[@selinaboateng6408]

Beautifully done...much love from 🇬🇭

[@patrickcardiff7811]

pretty consonant stuff here! Thanks!

[@margaretsimmondswoodley3423]

Absolutely wondrous. Really hope I can get to sing this with one of my choirs.

[@Carol_Chenot]

Lovely!

[@ZipplyZane]

So is this a small chamber group that is part of the bigger group? As I notice the website lists a lot more people than the 12 seen here. (Part of what I loved was the large sound of the minimal ensemble. Three per part is ideal.) Or were you just restricted on how many could come due to the pandemic and such?

[@lostmoon77]

get some POC in that choir bro

[@kathrynfowler9887]

Sublime, but why are the taller men standing in front? It was jarring to see this physical arrangement as it took away from the impressive sound.

[@JanieceJK]

Ms. Fowler, You've GOT (!) to be kidding, right???!!

[@jrthiker9908]

You got that impressive sound because of the arrangement. It was most likely for the acoustics in the recording process. It also highlights the lower voices, which normally disappear against the soprani and alti. In this piece the bassline is very important to ground the harmonies, especially in all the 4/3 cadences. I'm in the music business, and when we record choruses and orchestral instruments, we sometimes use very unorthodox placements of groups for acoustical purposes. Same in opera pits, as the physical shape of the spaces greatly affects the blend. In Italy opera orchestras are fearless about using mixed-up pit plots as the normal "pretty" symphonic layout rarely works well in a pit. Look at the different group placements of Voces8 in their videos. A great chorus will respond to the room acoustics and adjust their plot.

[@kathrynfowler9887]

@@jrthiker9908 Thanks for this explanation. I appreciate the learning opportunity and graciousness of your reply.

[@pamelacorbett8774]

@@jrthiker9908 Thanks so much for the explanation, made eminent sense, it’s the sound, not the look!

[@ZipplyZane]

The way it was filmed makes it harder to see, but I'm pretty sure they're staggered in such as way that you would easily be able to see all 12 performers if you were actually sitting in as an "audience." Personally, I think the camera tried too hard to avoid showing the director, cutting things off. The stage right side (camera left) side was featured a lot less because of this.

[@garywaugh4114]

No distancing with all of these people singing? And IMHO the recording is too distant in the hall. Subtle parts are swallowed in room reverb. Lastly...hello? Melody?

[@PHWDstudios]

Disagree…… I’m a dyed in the wool barbershopper and this is other worldly in terms of resonance and ensemble connection……. melody be damned!!! LOL

[@NolaSoprano]

As one of the singers, I can let you know that we all quarantined for a week individually and underwent several rounds of covid testing in order to be able to sing safely together in close proximity.

[@ZogZog333]

@@NolaSoprano you don't owe him an explanation, but it's nice to know you all cared enough to do that. This was shared with me as I'm singing it at a funeral this weekend, and it is such a beautiful recording. Well done, and thank you for sharing your talents.

[@ZipplyZane]

The whole point of recording in that space seems to be the reverb, and I think it sounds lovely. It adds resonance to a piece that requires a straighter tone for the harmonies to work. And I can hear the melody just fine. It stays in the upper part, so there is no need to have it with louder dynamics. This is a mistake a lot of choral directors (and sopranos) seem to make.

[@brendabelcher3197]

That is the most boring song.

[@selinaboateng6408]

Beautifully done...much love from 🇬🇭