VOCES8: Rejoice in the Lamb by Benjamin Britten (orchestrated by Imogen Holst)

[@karenblust814]

Perfect setting. Meticulous audio balance. And may I say...as much as I enjoyed hearing his gorgeous voice harmonizing with the VOCES8, I believe Mr. Barnaby Smith is truly in his element at the conductor position! Brilliantly done sir. Heavenly!

[@lindamonroe3459]

I agree... he's a brilliant musician and conductor and his interpretations are absolute perfection.

[@annikkegrimmig4950]

True ❤

[@donnaj9964]

I sang this piece (and the Mouse solo) decades ago, and it was the beginning of my lifelong love affair with the music of Benjamin Britten. I am incredibly grateful to hear your exquisite rendition of this music that has been rooted in my heart for so long. Thank you.

[@staffanolofsson8201]

Thank you, as a swede I have no relation to this work, but I am beginning to like it more and more. And my appreciation of Benjamin Britten is steady!

[@staffanolofsson8201]

Wonderful, I love that VOCES8 is widening the musical horizon with cooperation with other musicians.

[@mddell58]

THAT, was such a welcome surprise! Glorious, magnificent, and amazing! I felt as if I was in the audience watching a magical play at a theater. I'd highly recommend everyone to read the information about how & why this was written, as well as the circumstances. Thank you all. Have a beautiful, blessed week. ❤

[@staffanolofsson8201]

Thank you, as a swede I didnt know so much about this work. Now I know a little more.

[@elisabettapirovano]

😅😅😅😅😅😅😊😅😅😅

[@elisabettapirovano]

Nn

[@charlesscott5366]

Katie is an absolute delight here. Aside from her glorious singing, she just cracked me up with her solo. My god--the facial expressions! 🤣🤣🤣

[@wojciechkaamarz6968]

cudownie poprowadzone, pięknie zagrane i zaśpiewane. Wspaniałe przeżycie.

[@terrysaunders2393]

Heartwarming to see singers and instrumentalists clearly revelling in this team effort resulting in a superlative finished product.

[@MarkHatlestad]

Incredible performance! And thank you for mentioning Imogen Holst's arrangement; I was not aware of her and will have to look into her music as well.

[@dennisdavis3919]

Never heard it done better. Clear as a bell throughout.

[@michaelacord228]

Superb performance! Voces8 soloists were wonderful. The orchestration is beautiful. Bravo to the clarinetist!!

[@staffanolofsson8201]

Ju mer jag lyssnar desto mer inser jag vilket rikt verk detta är, både musikaliskt och innehållsligt. Det är som om upplevelsen aldrig tar slut, nya infallsvinklar dyker ständigt upp. Benjamin Britten är en genial kompositör, och med denna tolkning blir resultatet enastående!

[@jillchentnik1997]

Here for Voces8, but these instrumental musicians are just as phenomenal!

[@robertmackie337]

What a glorious arrangement…This is just flawless beauty!…🙏🌎✨😌✨

[@JackStevenson5045]

Another extraordinary performance. Each voice is a gem shimmering in the sunlight, always outdoing yesterday's victory in pursuing excellence. Look at your accomplishments. I have been with you since the beginning, and I see the remarkable growth and maturity of artists, collaborators, performers, and scholars. Please pass on your gifts to others; keep teaching, which is the most valuable gift you can give.

[@jean-claudedebande5827]

The choir is generally in a class of its own, especially the singers from Voces8. But what is also fantastic in every performance on this channel is the camera and editing. It's as excellent as the musical performance, in fact the camera "sings" directly with the editing by putting the actors in the limelight. a fantastic total masterpiece!

[@saranebeling6375]

I agree so much!! A real pleasure to hear and see

[@RobertL39]

Amen, sir. Brilliant observation.

[@Ibm7094]

my favorite piece and my favorite ensemble!!! I'm so lucky !!

[@jillm1142]

I remember singing this when I was 17 in UYC and listening to this and singing along has brought me so much joy 🥰

[@66giapetto]

I am another singer in which this extraordinary music prompts sweet memories. For me, Hull Bach Choir as a teenage bass in 1960 or 1961, and my introduction to Britten. Now, more than 60 years later, it still provokes tears. Thanks, Voces8

[@suzannebrown4066]

Hello. Those of us who read this are curious. I am the Secretary of Hull Bach Choir. We are performing the piece on Nov 9th this year. As far as I know it wasn't done when Anthony Ford was Conductor (late 60s-2019). Can we ask who you are in case anyone remembers you? Who was the Conductor?

[@66giapetto]

Hi Suzanne Thank you for replying. I am Neil Heywood and i sang with HBC as a schoolboy bass in, I think 1960 - 62, when I left to go to university. Our conductor was Jeremy (someone, forgot his surname) who tragically took his own life during that time. I still have a Hull Daily Mail photo of the choir with Jeremy and some unknown soloist. Can send a copy if you like. Department of coincidences: I am singing the Britten again on 16 November, with my current choir, Royston Choral Society. Kind regards Neil

[@stevenweston6563]

LOVE this orchestration

[@Le_Trouvere]

13:35 and onward.. Gosh, for a moment there, there was no better sound i could imagine ever entering my ears. Absolutely heavenly.

[@johnwalters1341]

Once again, you have chosen to perform one of my favorite pieces of music. I had the opportunity of singing this with the University of Hawaii Chorus back in the early 1970s--it's a wonderful piece to perform. The words are by the mad Elizabethan poet Christopher Smart. The central movement where Smart laments his madness is just shattering: "For I am under the same accusation with my Saviour/ For they said, 'He is besides himself.'" A wonderful performance!

[@ernestklein413]

I too sang this decades ago. What a joy to here it again with instruments. Tears all the way through.

[@ernestklein413]

Thank you Christofer for the notex

[@hemiolaguy]

Christopher Smart's poetry and Benjamin Britten's music are superb, as is this performance. But Smart was NOT an Elizabethan -- he was born in 1722. He was friends with Samuel Johnson.

[@dweeb99]

So moving, this performance, and the brilliant orchestration is new to me. My eyes fill with tears at "Hallelujah" (and always at the heartbreak of "silly fellow"), Thank you, thank you!

[@jv04jm]

Wow!!! That alto... what an amazing tone! Never heard anything like it! ❤

[@russellstedman]

The power of great music wonderfully performed. I recall the phrasing and words from the 80’s and I can’t remember why I walked into the kitchen 5 minutes ago.

[@lauracompagnoni]

Stunningly beautiful! Thank you so much for this impressive and moving rendition.

[@Richies_Beer_n_Gear]

Superb, magnificent, excellent! THANK YOU, MORE PLEASE!

[@annemielamon]

Top! Dankjewel voor dit prachtige werk met zo'n mooie uitvoering!

[@Spear-ßearer]

Wow! What memories. We sang this composition in "all county choir" in Long Island NY, also with an all county orchestra. It was comprised of the best high school musicians on L.I. Those are very fond memories.

[@merri-toddwebster2473]

That was certainly the most delightful performance of this work that I've ever heard! Light instead of ponderous, with excellent diction. I think this is the first time I've heard the Cat and Mouse solos sung by women instead of a boy soprano and a male alto--a lovely change. Looking forward to hearing you live in October!

[@dizwell]

I confess to never having known of this orchestral version before, let alone listened to it! And that's coming from someone who has called himself an utter Britten nut for the past 45 years! Imo did a rather fine job, I think 😊

[@ianhendra4836]

Magnificent, a tour de force, thank you, thank you, thank you....

[@molliethorn]

This is gorgeous. Thank you Voces8 ❤

[@stepps511]

I so look forward to hearing VOCES8 live when they are here in October. What a splendid recording of this work! Thank you!

[@cetterus]

Well rehearsed, superb production. Very good dynamic range. The colour, the blend, conducting, Andrea on spot and expressive... a joy to observe and listen.

[@ians421]

A stunning performance sung with great beauty and simplicity. Thank you.

[@pattymitchell1870]

Absolutely wonderful. Thank you!

[@mitchellclark4377]

I remember having to do the Nimrod section as a conducting exercise at uni... also 9:14 Dmitri Shostakovich has joined the chat. Love your work!

[@davidwright8665]

Excellent performance as usual from voices 8 with an orchestra to match.

[@dominabox]

amazing as always :)

[@markjohnston6146]

I don't normally get Britten, I just can't help thinking of Dudley Moore's sketch. But I get this, thanks again Voces 8, and musicians. You've managed to sing so closely that even with the number of singers the words are audible. Goodness knows how you manage it, especially in a church acoustic, really wonderful

[@Babbajune]

Fantastic! ❤❤

[@johncheman6222]

Everything about this is wonderful!

[@DaveTexas]

Sheer perfection! Britten requires a lightness and tremendous dexterity, and Voces8 is the perfect ensemble for this. It’s funny, but I sang this piece about 10 years ago and I barely remember any of it. I can still sing pieces I did 30+ years ago from memory, but 10 years ago is just gone from my memory. Such is the power of depression. 2014 was a bad year. I wish I could still sing this piece from memory but there are huge sections of it that don’t even sound familiar.

[@manxkin]

One of my favorite pieces.

[@JillStanley-wx6kl]

Wonderful! The clarinettist is phenomenal!

[@VOCES8]

Julian Bliss is his name. We agree!

[@dirkhoekstra727]

Every single thing in the whole video is just phenomenal, but yes, I agree. The clarinet stood out for me too!

[@dirkhoekstra727]

@@VOCES8 A "blissful" performance then!

[@applemac100100]

Just magnificent ❤️❤️❤️

[@pabloc154]

Wonderful performance of this gorgeous piece! Thank you

[@q-tuber7034]

5:02 Ha! Bartok was clearly an early fan. (This work premiered 21 Sept 1943. Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra was finished less than three weeks later.)

[@WigbertTraxler]

Incredibly beautiful!!

[@AlanBannister]

O, So Beautiful!

[@sinfonian2013]

Gorgeous and breathtaking!

[@katetaylor1466]

This is truly wonderful, the annunciation is excellent.

[@aartbos3652]

Großartig!!!! Thank you so much❤

[@ricardobufo]

For at that time malignity ceases and the devils themselves are at peace. For this time is perceptible to man by a remarkable stillness & serenity of soul. Only Britten can pull this off; interjecting a passage of indescribable beauty within a narrative. Musically & dramatically inevitable, with perfect word setting. As though ... An angel called him out of Heaven saying ...

[@staffanolofsson8201]

I confess: as a swede I have not the right tools to understand the lyrics completely. I have to rely on the music, and some words in the text. But this is enough to understand how text and music relates to each other. Or is it almost enough?

[@rrice999]

Such a moving piece. I do like the orchestration.

[@laurenloo9503]

Absolutely perfect!!

[@cathcort1]

Love this piece! Well done!

[@pascalmayer-q8o]

🙂 Magnifique interprétation , un délice merci

[@philippelepine510]

my favorite ensemble too !! thanks so much for sharing ....

[@Robert_Herring]

Beautiful.

[@huguesmace135]

Bravo continué à nous faire rêver félicitations ❤❤❤🙏🙏🙏

[@tdprice]

🤯 WOW! Well done! 💗

[@bassmanxan3544]

I did the original composition of this last semester of school, i was the bass soloist! I love the professional recording with an orchestral arrangement!

[@kevinworth1713]

Alluring, sublime and paradisical. ❤Britten, Smart, Voces8, whoever . . . “Everyone is a candidate for greatness in the eyes of the Almighty.” James A. Washington

[@lionfrequency]

That sound! Orchestras should play in churches more!

[@emilytolman46]

Amazing! I love the conductors face!

[@joe-vl3nd]

Good stuff 👍🇬🇧

[@kelvinsmallwood6315]

Excellent performance.

[@serenadeschoral2268]

Fantastic!! Bravo!!

[@janetbrown9211]

Perfection.

[@TitiLatulipe]

Magnifique

[@SBC9185]

아 너무좋습니다. 브리튼 곡 늘 해주시길 바랐는데, 고맙습니다!

[@chrst7346]

I just loved it - If I’d have a free wish… 😅: could you do Britten‘s „A Boy was Born“ for the Christmas season? There are so few good productions of that beautiful piece, and I am sure that Voces8 would set it up as a reference performance! ❤

[@corocorachannel4235]

Something for musical gourmets. Great!

[@Barb-cx7gk]

Wow! ❤

[@pawezygmuntcichosz5411]

Pięknie 😊

[@gritamozoliene1273]

❤❤❤

[@jeudelaguerre4222]

Top !

[@fulgenjbatista4640]

❤

[@Picklesthepugaliashorts]

Hi voces8 I was at your work shop today in Perth at trinity

[@gustavocrotti6331]

Grandiosi! Quando venite in Italia?

[@gilbertopineda7883]

👏🏻👍🏻👌🏻

[@ricardobufo]

Beautiful as Imogen's arrangement is, I can't help feeling Britten's sparse organ better sets off the voices. Britten is of course the only Great Composer who was also a Great Choral Composer

[@michaelfoster-qw2tw]

Katie!

[@carolyndwyer8325]

OMG, Barney and Voces8, this is absolutely perfect! Please tell me you’re going to release this on EP. I’ll be first in line to buy it!

[@VOCES8]

Glad you like it. It’s available now on our new album called ‘to sing of love’

[@StanManMusic]

👏🏽👏🏽🔥🔥

[@grocdaurat]

💖💫💖💫💖💫💖💫💖

[@graeme_chard]

that clarinetist!

[@wacawlubinski5218]

❤❤❤🙏🙏🙏

[@marshallandnadinecuenca]

I truly love Voces 8, and this Britten is sublime. But in the unison section at 14:15, both women and men, I am hearing some scooping in the voices, perhaps intentional in a “lazy river” way, but I didn’t like it and I didn’t feel that it had any place in the piece. Because they were trying to limit vibrato, perhaps this lent to the issue.

[@achenarmyst2156]

A fading Hallelujah, very unusual…

[@theobolt250]

Rejoyce in the lamb... sure! A nice well prepared piece of mutton? Just what we needed. A few veggies, nice bottle of wine? Perfect!

[@davidalbro2009]

I'm much more familiar with Rutter than Britten. I shouldn't be surprised how much Rutter has borrowed from this. Parts of it are so similar to Rutter's Requiem it sounds simply like a new arrangement.

[@karel8477]

Zo klinkt de hemel.

[@nan01cy]

singing: superb orchestra: superb now, that aside....the orchestral colors weigh the work down. I know, I know, I know..... "It's just so wonderful that Ms. Holst did this, it's so creative and unleashes blah blah blah......" It was conceived as a work for voices and organ and someone like Britten is too far of a genius to not set something down for what he set it to and leave it open-ended for it to possibly be presented differently than the way he set it. Why not present "Peter Grimes" with for just solo harp accompaniment or a chamber wind ensemble or or or ..... no. Britten set it the way he set it for a reason. There is a glorious transparency that occurs with the voices and their text without the distraction of an oboe and strings and and and.... I know....she did it so let's give it a try and see what happens....yes, give it a go. But it only proves the brilliance of Britten that the way he did something was what his conception of it was to be. Why not arrange his folk song arrangements for voice and orchestra? Give it a whack. But to present it as a viable work is pure hubris....the not so good kind. The tenor solo "For the Flowers" is such a deceptively easy song to sing....it is not. And the tenor sings it like a hot knife going through butter....he is such a richly, brilliantly gifted singer and musician. I've never heard it sung with such ease and sensual qualities before. The overall concept of this presentation leans toward the academic, the pedantic. Beautiful sounds but just that and not much more. I love the work of voces8. I'm not degrading it or being flippant. I've seen them in person. I bow in their direction. That an ensemble presents choral literature in such an enlightening and engaging manner is nothing to sniff at. They are unique and deserve more than the credit they are given....yes, more. It is frustrating that most directors in the choral field think that only they can do what they do. No. That is simply not so. Great singing and the nurturing of great musicianship is there for all to have. Most people simply do not know the tools or know how to use the tools to come into that sphere of creation. I'll stop here. This presentation disrupts the original conception. With Bach, you can set it to almost any musical instrument and it will still work. Not Britten.