'Gloria' with Karl Jenkins

[mihizawi]

Jun 20, 2010 6:22:05 GMT Libby said:

But is it going to be the kind of CD where you can skip over the Hindu and Buddhist stuff? And is I'll Make Music her only part in the CD?

About the first thing, Libby, we don't know, really... Depends how the whole thing will be divided into tracks. I suppose one track for movement, but then again, I don't know if the speakings will be considered a part of a movement or will be tracks itself. And, and, I agree with Dave, speakings in a music CD are risky to the final result, but I wonder if they will be incorporated as a part of the music (I mean, the speaking with the music playing at the same time) or not.

Libbyy, about the second question, we can't know for sure, but I pretty much think there will be at least some more of Hayley in it. Also, I am sure I'll Make Music will be quite longer than that preview.

Michal

[Libby]

Jun 22, 2010 16:51:39 GMT mihizawi said:

Libby, about the second question, we can't know for sure, but I pretty much think there will be at least some more of Hayley in it. Also, I am sure I'll Make Music will be quite longer than that preview.

Well, I kind of figured it would be.

[Richard]

Hello everybody!

There's now a tracklisting and a review at BBC Music:

Tracks

1 Gloria: I. The Proclamation: Gloria in excelsis Deo

2 Gloria: Reading from the Hindu Bhagavad Gita (The Song of the Blessed Lord)

3 Gloria: II. The Prayer: Laudamus Te

4 Gloria: Reading from the Buddhist Diamond Sutra

5 Gloria: III. The Psalm: Tehellim - Psalm 150

6 Gloria: Reading from the Taoist Tao Te Ching (The Classic of the Way and Virtue)

7 Gloria: IV. The Song: I'll make music

8 Gloria: Reading from the Qur'an: 'Al Fatiha' (The Opening)

9 Gloria: V. The Exaltation: Domine Deus

10 Te Deum: Te Deum laudamus

11 Te Deum: Te ergo quaesumus

12 Te Deum: Aeterna fac

13 Te Deum: Miserere nostril

14 Te Deum: Te Deum laudamus (reprise)

BBC Review

Faultless musicians flesh out Jenkins’ new choral work superbly well.

Charlotte Gardner 2010-06-24

A recent poll by the music journalist Norman Lebrecht named Karl Jenkins as the most performed composer in the world today. Given that this premiere studio recording of Gloria, his brand new choral work, coincides with the Queen awarding him the CBE for Services to Music, Jenkins must currently be walking with a pronounced spring in his step.

Gloria is high on drama, with Jenkins' predilection for the sounds of ethnic and Third World cultures very much in evidence. The third movement in particular, a setting of Psalm 150, brings to mind his ever-popular Adiemus, with its primeval-sounding harmonies, declamatory choral style and pounding drummed rhythms. For some, this is as powerful as classical music gets. For others, it's a bit too reminiscent of Hollywood depictions of chanting natives offering up blushing maidens to King Kong.

There's more to Gloria than primeval pounding though, as the second and fourth movements show with their sustained melodic lines and tranquil tone. Hayley Westenra's fourth movement solo, the serene ‘I'll make music’, even takes a somewhat incongruous Disney-esque twist towards the end. Quips about blushing maidens and Disney sparkle aside, this is music that engages, whips up and then soothes the listener, and it's a shame that Jenkins didn't just let his music do the talking. Instead, the work's five movements are punctuated by readings in Sanskrit, Chinese and Arabic from the Bhagavad Gita, the Diamond Sutra, the Tao Te Ching, and the Qur'an. Jenkins claims these stand as a counterpoint to the Abrahamic religions, but in reality readings in Sanskrit and Arabic don't work on disc, at least not for a mainly English-speaking audience. They simply break the musical train of thought.

However, the musicians themselves can't be faulted. Accompanied by an LSO on top form, the National Youth Choir of Great Britain produce the deep, strong wall of sound needed in the punchier movements, and luscious creamy richness in the second movement ‘Laudamus Te’. Westenra is a perfect casting, her lilting pop-classical voice a sweet contrast to the vocal and instrumental power elsewhere.

This performance and the overall likeability of Gloria will probably keep Jenkins at the top of most-performed polls for some time to come.

Click on the link at the top to listen to a sample of each track.

Edit: I've posted the tracklisting and the review on our new website.

Richard

[Ross]

i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif Thanks for finding the review Richard. I particularly like the following passage:-
Westenra is a perfect casting, her lilting pop-classical voice a sweet contrast to the vocal and instrumental power elsewhere.

This performance and the overall likeability of Gloria will probably keep Jenkins at the top of most-performed polls for some time to come.

[Richard]

Hello Ross!

I found the review on Twitter. I'm hoping the album will be played on Classic FM.

Richard

[Libby]

I only hear Hayley on I'll Make Music.

[Libby]

The video of her performance with Karl Jenkins is up today! I think it's the whole song!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GZtmhlNiCI

[amptique]

Jul 2, 2010 20:22:52 GMT Libby said:

The video of her performance with Karl Jenkins is up today! I think it's the whole song!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GZtmhlNiCI

Simply Beautiful!!! Thanks, Libby.

Bill

[Jono]

Nice song!

[martindn]

Absolutely stunning!!! So simple, yet so powerful. Two absolute geniuses (genii?), working together. WOW!!!!

Martin D

[Libby]

Yes, it's much easier to tell whether you really like a song or not when you can hear more than just a tiny bit of it.

[Dave]

Jul 2, 2010 20:22:52 GMT Libby said:

The video of her performance with Karl Jenkins is up today! I think it's the whole song!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GZtmhlNiCI

Thank you for finding that Libby, I love it! EMI Classics seem to be quite an imaginative record company in more ways than one.

I have embedded this video into its own page on the HWI website, which can be accessed by clicking the text below the existing album preview. www.hayley-westenra-international.com/ or directly at www.hayley-westenra-international.com/content/ill-make-music-gloria-karl-jenkins

If we do lots of views from there, or from the forum, they count up on EMI's video page and they will know it's us.

Cheers, Dave

[Ross]

i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif Excellent video. I am looking forward to getting this album now.

[Jillian]

Some screen captures of the performance:

[Richard]

Oh my goodness, what a beautiful video!

I really like Hayley's hair too.

Richard