With only 1 on a part, I’m hearing some incredible intricacies in the middle voices for the first time that are often lost in recordings of large choirs. Absolutely stunning.
Yeah, I never thought this was something for a large ensemble. In high school our varsity choir did it with 2 people on each part and I think that was as big as it should get.
Here’s the T: I’ve been doing what VOCES8 are doing for something like 50 years. In all of those joyful years of collaboration, a singer knows the monumental amount of work that goes into an achievement such as this. It is a feat of musicianship as a soloist to be able to get to a level of through line with tone, intention, and dynamic. To get there with 8 voices, with the impeccable, breathtaking pauses Maestro Whitacre builds in to his work is simply stunning. Always enjoy these more intimate videos where we can see more of the depth of commitment each of these otherworldly performers brings. This performance makes us sit on the edge of our proverbial seats, waiting for the resolution of the dissonance, allowing us to embrace the experience of the Boy and the Girl without pretense. We are the objects of this 5 minute drama and are privileged to be there. Bravi Tutti!
My college choir performed this for concert 10 years ago this semester. The summer after, I was getting married and I asked my choir friends to perform this song during my wedding. It was absolutely brilliant, and I just needed to hear it again today. Thank you for this lovely performance, and for a wonderful reminder of that beautiful day almost 10 years ago now. ❤
I must remember to breath when I listen to Voce8 but their sheer beauty literally stops me in my tracks. I listened again with my eyes closed and it’s even more breathtaking if that’s possible.
@@user-nv6vh4js2y it’s THE most incredible experience that penetrates the depth of your soul. All troubles fade away when you immerse yourself in this music xx
I’ve always thought Whitacre wrote the paired seconds in this piece as a musical representation of a boy and a girl inseparably together. Almost every chord features a major or minor second. Not sure if he meant it that way but it makes sense.
@@patrickvalentino600 this made me laugh haha. Ngl, I can see him writing 2nds just because he's Whitacre, but I can also see him writing in more 2nds than usual for that poetic purpose. Either way, it's a good story for him to tell and adds to the meaning we get from the music
Patrick Valentino i’ve watched a lot of his interviews and he talks a lot about note choice in chords, and it all reflects the feelings the text/story gives him. most of the time (including here), i believe that. sometimes it seems like of ridiculous (i.e. his star spangled banner)
I’m a synesthete who often paints what I see in music and... I don’t think I can with this one. I could never do it justice. It’s beauty could never be captured on paper or canvas.
The resolution is so complicated. It feels like a resolution, but it still feels like it’s nagging for something else. I can remember watching a choir sing this and feeling pure awe. It’s hard to remember to breathe.
A great thing about Whitacre pieces is the amount of word painting he puts in his songs. And A Boy and a Girl is a true testament of that with its words and the chords that he chooses for them. But Voces8 brings out the clarity and color for these chords distinctly yet brilliantly choosing which notes to bring out! Bravo!
I first heard this poem setting by Whitacre just after my father passed away. It has been a special work, but hearing you all sing it brings the beauty and pain of the song into exquisite detail. Thank you so much, Voces8, for this stunning performance.
Perhaps the FINEST acapella group I've ever heard. Brava and bravo!! Singing Whitacre -- even in a large, 120-person choir -- makes you feel privileged and very special.
This is a perfect example of perfect ensembleship. They are completely unified in spirit which allows them to cut off and start phrases exactly together without a conductor and without even cueing each other. They. Just. Know. They feel each other and they just know. I am reminded what the King's Singers told us years ago, in that they are a soccer (football) team. They played together as a means to become more unified and more like-minded. It's amazing what humans can do individually, and in this case, collaboratively. Masterpiece.
The harmony is surprisingly simple. Essentially only parallel 9-th chords. I think the thing that does it is that the piece contains almost no real counterpoint, so when he employs it at the most climactic moments it feels very dynamic musically. It's a great piece.
@@viggojonsell9754 It is a great piece and I agree it contains little, if any, counterpoint. However, I contend that 9th chords are complex harmonies in vocal music, considering that he scores the major 7th/root/major 9th together in the soprano voices at times. The group does a wonderful job with intonation and balance amid these tightly wound harmonies. Bravo!
This is one of my favorite choir pieces. No matter how many times I hear it, I always get goosebumps. It's especially nice when they all hit the fricatives simultaneously. 🤌
This is my favorite piece by Whitacre, and I think this is the best I've heard it sung. I have been waiting for this for so long and I was not disappointed. Tears are running down my face. Beautiful job guys
This is hauntingly pristine. The dissonance (1.34 - 1.37 my fav) of Whitacre and the disciplined execution of Voces8. It's not often I talk about the brilliance of silence, but Whitacre has mastered this with this piece. It's what you do in and with the silences that remains one of the differences between excellence and sheer brilliance. Voces8 manage the silence with almost virtuosic control. Thank you
I used to listen to this song all the time when I was still in high school and singing in choir (2007). Back then, this was a beautiful song and I appreciated the chords. I fell in love with the song back then and I remember listening to it daily (together with a few of Eric Whitacre's other works). I have then gone through a phase where I did not listen to this song. I came across this video the other day again and then listened to this song for the first time in what has been like 10 years... It is extremely hard to explain, but my heart broke and mended at the same time! I now listen to this song and can't help finding myself going through different emotions each and every time. Where I used to appreciate a beautiful song with beautiful chords, I now feel each and every note and emotion at a whole new level! Thank you Eric for giving us music that make us feel and show emotions that we sometimes struggle to show! Thank you VOCES8 for giving a performance worthy of perfection!
The only good thing about having to get up at 5am today: A new, perfectly executed, gooseflesh-inducing masterpiece from VOCES8. Thank you for making my day. 🧡
Perfection. An utterly outstanding performance by Voces8 of an utterly outstanding piece of music by Eric Whitacre. What a wonderful thing to hear, just beautiful singing. Thank you.
My heart goes out to you, and am right there beside you on this one. I've heard this a thousand times - it never stops being The One. This is the Epitome. One of my top 3 for life. It is wonderful Voces8 served this art to perfection. If I may, and not to exclude a single thing from this moment ... at some point if you haven't already heard it - go listen to "Whitacre: When David Heard" (Eric Whitacre Singers). Just like the song A Boy and a Girl, the meaning of the poetry amplifies exponentially paired with the arrangement. "When David Heard", will also rip your heart out if you are aware of the true story, then meshed with its arrangement. Nothing like it on Earth.
Jumalik esitus ja kohtumine taas oma lemmikutega VOCES8 uut esitatavat videot siin nautides ning unustades kasvõi hetkeks mured ja tunda kergendust, et kaunis muusika loob ju tasakaalu igas olukorras:)
~ These features by Whitacre and Voces8 are, quite simply, in my humble opinion, some of the most exquisite musical presentations I've heard. ~ Stephen Aix and Paris, France Gainesville and Deerfield Beach, Florida USA
This is by far my absolute favorite song by Voces8. The mere perfection of the dissonances and harmonies are sure to give me goose pimples. Every time. Absolutely love it :o) Thank you for this amazing experience.
When the dissonance is tuned this perfectly, you can actually feel it.
Magic 😍
I have no words for that breathless moment...
Ryanodea said it PERFECTLY. 50 years ago, I would have loved being part of that. Eric’s composition & these angelic voices blend seamlessly.
YESSSS!!!
...around your heart.
And then it comes out your eyes
and spills onto
open hands.
Blessings!
With only 1 on a part, I’m hearing some incredible intricacies in the middle voices for the first time that are often lost in recordings of large choirs. Absolutely stunning.
Agree, the stripped down one-on-a-part version makes me understand the piece better!
Yeah, I never thought this was something for a large ensemble. In high school our varsity choir did it with 2 people on each part and I think that was as big as it should get.
This performance is beyond description!!!
Can not understand the text at all.
@@deanejewett the lyrics are in the description
A performance like this is a sacrament. This harmony is what humans do best. What a gift to all those lucky to find this video.
I love this. ❤🥲
Absolutely! Best wishes on your journey! ❤
Here’s the T: I’ve been doing what VOCES8 are doing for something like 50 years. In all of those joyful years of collaboration, a singer knows the monumental amount of work that goes into an achievement such as this. It is a feat of musicianship as a soloist to be able to get to a level of through line with tone, intention, and dynamic. To get there with 8 voices, with the impeccable, breathtaking pauses Maestro Whitacre builds in to his work is simply stunning. Always enjoy these more intimate videos where we can see more of the depth of commitment each of these otherworldly performers brings. This performance makes us sit on the edge of our proverbial seats, waiting for the resolution of the dissonance, allowing us to embrace the experience of the Boy and the Girl without pretense. We are the objects of this 5 minute drama and are privileged to be there. Bravi Tutti!
David Hinton Very well put kind sir. It encapsulates what most of us were thinking but couldn’t quite verbalise.
Easy, tiger.
What he said
In
Artistry and precision make for beauty of the best kind.
Most of the time I go on TH-cam to watch people acting a fool. Sometimes its nice to come here and watch people being magnificent.
why is it so hard for them to be happy
Voces8 + Eric whiteacre = perfection
Imagine a collaboration album with both of them 😍😍
boy oh boy do i have news for you
@@kadencconrad I was going to say the same thing lol
0.0 1
We love us some Eric Whitacre. And of course, Voces8 fabulously sings it.
You just saved me the typing of a comment
One of my favorites to sing! Even the silence is perfect!
My college choir performed this for concert 10 years ago this semester. The summer after, I was getting married and I asked my choir friends to perform this song during my wedding. It was absolutely brilliant, and I just needed to hear it again today. Thank you for this lovely performance, and for a wonderful reminder of that beautiful day almost 10 years ago now. ❤
Music like this is intoxicating. I'd give a lot to be in a group like that.
The exuberance of youthful love. The steadfastness of mature love. The silence of death. Ugh, so many feels.
1:33
I have never heard such beautiful dissonance. It is so so lovely
It's rare for a performance to reach down and touch the depth of soul. One can never be the same.
I cannot get enough of the beautiful voices. The dissonance is felt down to my bones.
I must remember to breath when I listen to Voce8 but their sheer beauty literally stops me in my tracks. I listened again with my eyes closed and it’s even more breathtaking if that’s possible.
same here. actually find myself forgetting to breathe.
This song captures emotions of the heart and if you were to listen with head phone in the dark it would amplify it even more
I just listened to this with earphones, in the dark lying on my back. Wow. Made tears.
Penetrates to the core of the soul.
@@user-nv6vh4js2y it’s THE most incredible experience that penetrates the depth of your soul. All troubles fade away when you immerse yourself in this music xx
I cry every time I hear this...the most beautiful piece Ive ever heard.
Eric Whitacre is an amazing composer. His music is so complex and gorgeous.
My gorgeous singing teacher in the blue skirt
She’s such a gift x
You're lucky!
Voces8 must be from Heaven!
Music from Heaven! God bless Eric Whitacre!
One can only assume they bonded over a mutual fondness for citrus fruit.
I’ve always thought Whitacre wrote the paired seconds in this piece as a musical representation of a boy and a girl inseparably together. Almost every chord features a major or minor second. Not sure if he meant it that way but it makes sense.
Wow! I never thought of it this way! Thank you for such an insightful comment!
he did! there’s a video somewhere of him talking about it
Little known fact: Whitacre actually wrote the paired seconds because he is, inescapably, himself.
@@patrickvalentino600 this made me laugh haha. Ngl, I can see him writing 2nds just because he's Whitacre, but I can also see him writing in more 2nds than usual for that poetic purpose. Either way, it's a good story for him to tell and adds to the meaning we get from the music
Patrick Valentino i’ve watched a lot of his interviews and he talks a lot about note choice in chords, and it all reflects the feelings the text/story gives him. most of the time (including here), i believe that. sometimes it seems like of ridiculous (i.e. his star spangled banner)
I absolutely love Andrea´s voice!!! So pure, clear, amazing, heavenly...
I’m a synesthete who often paints what I see in music and... I don’t think I can with this one. I could never do it justice. It’s beauty could never be captured on paper or canvas.
I'm fascinated by the way brains like yours work. I read about synesthesia many years ago and its so interesting.
I think you really should give it a go :)
TheBirdofInferno I’m fairly convinced that you should try....
Is work up anywhere online we could check out?
You can do it!
Spectacular sounds - and of the highest quality. Beautiful singers and a great composer.
Unglaublich schön und so rein von der Intonation. Glückwunsch und Danke!
Been listening to this for 3 months, can't sleep. Whitacre in my mind, please quit. Can't breathe.
Me again. Should have mentioned presicion insane. Want to be you.
1:33 is some of the best dissonance that I have ever heard. Wow!
College music nerd approved.
I agree Abby
Goosebumps
The resolution is so complicated. It feels like a resolution, but it still feels like it’s nagging for something else. I can remember watching a choir sing this and feeling pure awe. It’s hard to remember to breathe.
a sort of major add 4 - found in Lauridsen too. Whitacre talks somewhere about how it’s both resolved and unresolved.
My daughter brought this incredible group to my attention some weeks ago. So thankful!
If Voces8 didn´t exist, how could this piece ever be performed to its deserved perfection, and more, as it just was?
The finest recording overall that I have heard of this Whiteacre gem.
he is truly dad
Perhaps the longest 4:50 piece I've heard. Like a whole lifetime.
It's that dynamic
61 / 5,000
This is the golden age of this extraordinary vocal ensemble, without a doubt, his best moment.
How about a whole Whitacre album. Take my money in advance if you want
ditto
Same here
I'm in.
Same
Joseph Karl I usually see your name on University Challenge Joseph!🇳🇿
A great thing about Whitacre pieces is the amount of word painting he puts in his songs. And A Boy and a Girl is a true testament of that with its words and the chords that he chooses for them. But Voces8 brings out the clarity and color for these chords distinctly yet brilliantly choosing which notes to bring out!
Bravo!
When the harmony hits so perfect that you can actually feel the vibrations in your chest.
My god, these guys are good.
too transcendental..... too astral,.... too beautiful for mere words. Thank you VOCES8
Oh that was wonderful.
their ability to maintain those seconds...I am undone.
One of the most beautiful things I have ever heard in my life ❤️☯️🙏
I first heard this poem setting by Whitacre just after my father passed away. It has been a special work, but hearing you all sing it brings the beauty and pain of the song into exquisite detail. Thank you so much, Voces8, for this stunning performance.
Wahnsinn ausgezeichnet !!!
Perhaps the FINEST acapella group I've ever heard. Brava and bravo!! Singing Whitacre -- even in a large, 120-person choir -- makes you feel privileged and very special.
Voces8 nails Whitacre every single time.
This is a perfect example of perfect ensembleship. They are completely unified in spirit which allows them to cut off and start phrases exactly together without a conductor and without even cueing each other. They. Just. Know. They feel each other and they just know. I am reminded what the King's Singers told us years ago, in that they are a soccer (football) team. They played together as a means to become more unified and more like-minded. It's amazing what humans can do individually, and in this case, collaboratively. Masterpiece.
This really is just incredible. Just. Yes.
Beautiful vocal scoring, wonderful complex harmonies sung with precision and artistry. Awesome performance.
The harmony is surprisingly simple. Essentially only parallel 9-th chords. I think the thing that does it is that the piece contains almost no real counterpoint, so when he employs it at the most climactic moments it feels very dynamic musically.
It's a great piece.
@@viggojonsell9754 It is a great piece and I agree it contains little, if any, counterpoint. However, I contend that 9th chords are complex harmonies in vocal music, considering that he scores the major 7th/root/major 9th together in the soprano voices at times. The group does a wonderful job with intonation and balance amid these tightly wound harmonies. Bravo!
Insanely beautiful. Where has this been all my life? Bravo!!
Perfect.
This is one of my favorite choir pieces. No matter how many times I hear it, I always get goosebumps. It's especially nice when they all hit the fricatives simultaneously. 🤌
One of my favorite small choral groups doing one of my favorite Eric Whitacre pieces. :D
This is my favorite piece by Whitacre, and I think this is the best I've heard it sung. I have been waiting for this for so long and I was not disappointed. Tears are running down my face. Beautiful job guys
Totally agree. This is by far the best recording of this piece!
This is hauntingly pristine. The dissonance (1.34 - 1.37 my fav) of Whitacre and the disciplined execution of Voces8. It's not often I talk about the brilliance of silence, but Whitacre has mastered this with this piece. It's what you do in and with the silences that remains one of the differences between excellence and sheer brilliance. Voces8 manage the silence with almost virtuosic control. Thank you
I used to listen to this song all the time when I was still in high school and singing in choir (2007). Back then, this was a beautiful song and I appreciated the chords. I fell in love with the song back then and I remember listening to it daily (together with a few of Eric Whitacre's other works). I have then gone through a phase where I did not listen to this song.
I came across this video the other day again and then listened to this song for the first time in what has been like 10 years... It is extremely hard to explain, but my heart broke and mended at the same time! I now listen to this song and can't help finding myself going through different emotions each and every time. Where I used to appreciate a beautiful song with beautiful chords, I now feel each and every note and emotion at a whole new level!
Thank you Eric for giving us music that make us feel and show emotions that we sometimes struggle to show!
Thank you VOCES8 for giving a performance worthy of perfection!
Saw/talked with them in concert and ALL of them are so sweet
Such peace - such gentleness - such unity!
~ I'm 72 years young and this personifies some of the most equisite music I've heard.
~ Stephen..... Florida, Paris, France et al
breathtaking performance of this heart-breaking song
Love the way the dissonance swimmers. Beautiful. Whitacre is so good to sing and so accessible to audiences.
Shimmers forget the swimmers.thats my frenemy autocorrect
Great voices and great camera... :-)
If you got the chance to sing in this ensemble, you would be in the middle of heaven. You should just try not to disturb it too much.
U are unbelievable crystal clear...
I’m singing with Voces8 in about two weeks with my chamber choir and I have absolutely no words!
Trinity Symone That must be THE opportunity
Jealous is a word
From a professional vocalist.
Just know that they aren't there to see you fail.
They love the craft as much as you do
The only good thing about having to get up at 5am today: A new, perfectly executed, gooseflesh-inducing masterpiece from VOCES8. Thank you for making my day. 🧡
Perfection. An utterly outstanding performance by Voces8 of an utterly outstanding piece of music by Eric Whitacre. What a wonderful thing to hear, just beautiful singing. Thank you.
Such mastery of the human instrument!!!
Heartbreaking and breathtaking
You all are perfect.
Magical! Otherworldly. Thank you.
Heavenly❤
This is amazing. Such beautiful choral singing.
The tuning is impeccable!
The chord at 1:34 just makes my heart stop. This is musical genius, both in writing and performance.
so much beauty makes me cry
most impressive Voces8! Even the dissonances seem harmonious; I cannot fathom a better blend of voices
Shivers, tears, I needed this..thank you.
So so very amazing. Now do I carry your heart by Whitacre !!!!!
First time listener to this group, love this song, already on 15th repeat to just take it all in...
Who the hell downvotes this absolute perfection?
Literally not a single missed note. This is special.
This...is the most amazing thing I've ever heard in my entire life.
My heart goes out to you, and am right there beside you on this one. I've heard this a thousand times - it never stops being The One. This is the Epitome. One of my top 3 for life. It is wonderful Voces8 served this art to perfection. If I may, and not to exclude a single thing from this moment ... at some point if you haven't already heard it - go listen to "Whitacre: When David Heard" (Eric Whitacre Singers). Just like the song A Boy and a Girl, the meaning of the poetry amplifies exponentially paired with the arrangement. "When David Heard", will also rip your heart out if you are aware of the true story, then meshed with its arrangement. Nothing like it on Earth.
I can't Stop my Tears
Brilliance. Bravo voces8
Everything you touch turns to pure gold.
Wow. Just wow.
My heart stopped on those pure perfect dissonant notes - beautiful music sung to perfection
what an incredible reverb (and incredible voices of course ! )
Jumalik esitus ja kohtumine taas oma lemmikutega VOCES8 uut esitatavat videot siin nautides ning unustades kasvõi hetkeks mured ja tunda kergendust, et kaunis muusika loob ju tasakaalu igas olukorras:)
~ These features by Whitacre and Voces8 are, quite simply, in my humble opinion, some of the most exquisite musical presentations I've heard.
~ Stephen
Aix and Paris, France
Gainesville and Deerfield Beach, Florida USA
Made me tear up. Amazing.
This song is one of my favorites from Eric whitacre but it always makes me tear up at the end. Such a sad ending😢
The tension tho.
Like, peace, but with and air of suspicion.
the lyrics depict a life of love, all the way till death in their final resting spot. that's beautiful. not sad.
I recently heard an alternative interpretation: it might be a description of a dying love.
This is by far my absolute favorite song by Voces8. The mere perfection of the dissonances and harmonies are sure to give me goose pimples. Every time. Absolutely love it :o) Thank you for this amazing experience.
Edward Skeletrix drops Museum Music in 6 days.
Brings me back to my junior year of choir last year! We did this song and I am so proud and brings back great memories of performing 😭😭😭
It's so beautiful it's almost heartbreaking.
This is the most ethereal piece of vocal artistry I have ever heard. I was almost drawn to tears!
You guys are amazing! Phenomenal blending. It's hard to sound so good in Whitacre pieces without a big choir.
Joshua Paine almost every single singer is singing different notes. You know how much determination and concentration it takes? Damn.
This piece is 4 part harmony all the way through, the chords manage to sound more complex than that because of the dissonance.
One of my favorite Eric Whitacre pieces by one of my favorite groups ❤️❤️❤️
One of my favorite Whitacre pieces! Amazing job!
The perfection exist!