Hey,

I'm searching for some really special songs to listen to and be inspired by, and maybe even to sing (if they're not too hard, that is!). So I thought I'd ask the experts, that's all you singers, what your personal favourites are... See if we can come up with a list of really beautiful melodic songs, that will help more people than just me . I'm putting no limits on this - pop, classical, jazz and songs from musicals are all OK, whether they're on the ABRSM syllabus or not. I'll start by naming some stuff I love...

Ave Maria - Schubert
Bachianas Brasilieras No. 5 Aria - Villa-Lobos
Vocalise - Rachmaninov
"Somewhere" from West Side Story
"I Still Believe" from Miss Saigon

That's enough from me... your turn

singingsiren
xx

A few favourites:

Pergolesi- Stabat Mater, esp first movement
Pergolesi - Salve Regina (anyone know where I can get the music?)
Mozart - Laudate Dominum from Solemn Vespers

for now.... must dash.

Claude Schonberg-Stars (Les Miserables)
San Damiano (sang by Aled Jones)
Carrickfergus (Traditional)

"Benedictus" from the Hydan's little organ mass
"Voi Chesa Pete" (dunn quite know how to spell it) from the Marriage of Figaro (Mozart)
solos from the St.John Passion (J.S Bach)
The Schubert's 26 song cycle.... and etc...

Oh, Voi che sapete! Yeah, that's gorgeous that is! It's a Grade 6 piece actually, might give it a go

singingsiren
xx

1. Virgin Slumbersong
2. The Rose

Dear Subatomic star,

The Rose is an absolutely beautiful song.

Dear Singing Siren,

Wishing you were somehow here again (Phantom of the Opera)
I don't know how to love him (Jesus Christ Superstar)
You Belong to me
The Nearness of You
Vissa D'Arte (from Tosca - Puccini)
O my beloved Father (O mio Babbino Caro - Puccini)

Failing that "Cheeky Boy" by the Cheeky Girls!!

Best Regards,
Craig

Tell me more about The Rose - where can I find it? What's it like?

Emma,

I believe it is a country and western song written by a girl called Amanda Mcbroom. This is the history of The Rose from her website:

http://www.amcbroom.com/rose.html

Best regards,
Craig

Anyone who has recently done their Grade 8 may have come across 'Sure on This Shining Night' by Samuel Barber which is a lovely piece.

Also agree with singingsiren about 'I still believe' their are some others from Miss Saigon as well - absolutely great musical.

Matt

QUOTE (sutty_73 @ Aug 8 2004, 09:51 PM)

Emma, I believe it is a country and western song written by a girl called Amanda Mcbroom. This is the history of The Rose from her website: http://www.amcbroom.com/rose.html Best regards, Craig

Thanks

Wonderful words! Know of a midi file?

QUOTE

Anyone who has recently done their Grade 8 may have come across 'Sure on This Shining Night' by Samuel Barber which is a lovely piece.

i am not a singer! but yea, i've heard it! it's really nice. has anyone got that album by lesley garrett, the most recent one-so deep is the night? there's a version of that song on there and it's real good!

i passed my grade 8 singing in april and i haven't heard of that song...which section does it belongs to?

I don't believe it... my cousin lent me a book of songs with backing tracks, which I somehow forgot to look at or listen to, and I've just realised "The Rose" is among them. I'm going to go and attempt to sing it now! Woo hoo

Yeah, I like that one from Jesus Christ Superstar. Heard it a few too many times though, so it wouldn't be among my favourites... though that's not the song's fault. "Every time we say goodbye" is another one I like, and "Softly as in a morning sunrise" is yet another, I really like Lesley Garrett's version of it.

Cheeky Girls! Lol!

singingsiren
xx

I really like Sarah Brightman's 'Time to say goodbye (Con te partiro)' and Hayley Westenra's 'Pokarekare ana'

QUOTE

Wishing you were somehow here again (Phantom of the Opera) I don't know how to love him (Jesus Christ Superstar)

I love these two songs!
Am doing the second one for my recital, for A Level.Its only grade 5 standard but for 20 continous minutes, i need something to break in between with and its so nice and simple, and a good song to identify with.

i can't stand rock musicals....i am a total classic person... operas are the best...

QUOTE (liebe_klavier @ Aug 9 2004, 04:20 PM)

i passed my grade 8 singing in april and i haven't heard of that song...which section does it belongs to?

It is the first song in List D.

Worth looking at now, even though you have done the grade just for a bit of fun.

How did you do in your exam? I've just done mine in June.

Matt

QUOTE

i can't stand rock musicals

liebe_klavier, you would hate We Will Rock You, the Queen Musical. But I love it!!
would it be okay to mention some good pop songs. I love 'Tears in Heaven' by Eric Clapton and 'Kiss From a Rose' by Seal. I think those 2 songs are gorgeous! I also love 'Bedshaped' by Keane. Not usually into much opera/classical singing (prefer classical instrumental stuff!) but I do think 'The Birdcatcher's Song' (magic flute), 'Bei Mannern' (magic flute, again!!) are 2 cute little songs!

I like the Queen of the Night's aria, and Pamina's lament "Ach, ich fuhl's, es ist verschwunden"... also from the magic flute...

Kiss from a Rose is lovely... so is "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin, now I think of it.

Bonnie Raitt - I can't make you love me

I love Tears in Heaven, and another really nice song is San Damiano by Aled Jones!

Beautiful songs? Try "Beautiful" by Christina Aguilara...hahaha! sorry. Poor. "No-one but you", lyrics are just superb. "Let me Live" Another one. Oh, "4 in the morning" Scratch Card Junkie.

Bohemian Rhapsody may not be beautiful all the way through, but it is the best song ever written...a mon avis.

Daley

On a side note: "Forever Autumn" Justin Hayword (Was in the musical War of the Worlds)

QUOTE (matt_green @ Aug 10 2004, 06:02 PM)

How did you do in your exam? I've just done mine in June.

mine was okay...i passed with a merit... 123/150....not too bad...

QUOTE

Softly as in a morning sunrise

where's that from?

Kiss From a Rose is brilliant! The trouble is on Pokarekare Ana sung by Hayley Westenra is that i can't understand what she's trying to say! It sounds like she's singing a lot of jibberish (sorry!) but it's a song sung in New Zealand language, that's why!

i think Hayley Westenra is a good singer... and i love the song as well...beautiful...

i'm not trying to say hayley westenra's bad, but it's just that the song is in New Zealand language, so i can't understand what she's saying!

QUOTE

i think Hayley Westenra is a good singer... and i love the song as well...beautiful...

It is, isn't it? her whole album is fab!

apparently, it stayed for 8 weeks at the top spot in the classical charts. and it did do quite well in the pop charts too!

i like some of Hayley Westenras stuff but not keen on her cover version of Wuthering Heights (kate bush)

QUOTE

Bohemian Rhapsody may not be beautiful all the way through, but it is the best song ever written

LOL freda_bloogs! i agree

how about the Magnificat by J.S.Bach...

QUOTE (ping-lee @ Aug 12 2004, 03:25 PM)

i like some of Hayley Westenras stuff but not keen on her cover version of Wuthering Heights (kate bush)

it's funny how people have differnt thoughts about these things - I actually thought it was rather good....

QUOTE (liebe_klavier @ Aug 12 2004, 04:06 PM)

how about the Magnificat by J.S.Bach...

Wonderful.... uplifting.

QUOTE (violingirl @ Aug 11 2004, 10:31 AM)

QUOTE Softly as in a morning sunrise where's that from?

I have no idea. It was on a Lesley Garrett compilation album...

The trouble with Hayley Westenra, for me, is that I'm a massive Kate Bush fan and I can't help seeing that cover as a bit sacrilegious. There are some great covers out there, that add unexpected new dimensions to well-known songs, and then there's "Oh we must make her appeal to a pop audience, let's get her to cover Kate Bush". I'm sure her voice is good though. (Check out Lauren Waterworth for some really substandard singing.) I just am not keen on the cute, young, all made-up classical singers that rule the charts today, with their determination to show that "hey, wow, classical is cool!" Perhaps it's the only way forward, I don't know.

Having said that... the song *is* great.

Bohemian Rhapsody rules too

QUOTE (freda_bloogs @ Aug 11 2004, 12:20 AM)

On a side note: "Forever Autumn" Justin Hayword (Was in the musical War of the Worlds)

A Jefff Wayne fan?

QUOTE (MBC_Tiger @ Aug 9 2004, 09:50 PM)

Hayley Westenra's 'Pokarekare ana'

i loooove that!!

we did I Don't know how to love him last year in our school choir!

lovely....my school choir always do traditional things...pretty boring sometimes...

Ooooo I lurve 'I dont know how to love him', use it regularly as repertiore.
I've sung Pokarekare Ana in choir and i have to say i dont like Hayley Westenra's version as much.

'The Lamb' by John Tavener is gorgeous, and also 'Adiemus' by Karl Jenkins is beautiful. I also loove 'Totus Tuus', a choral piece by Henryk Mikolaj Gorecki (sp?) and also 'Nunc Dimittis' by..... O pants i cant remeber. It might hasve been Gustav Holst. I'm not sure!!!
Anyway, I've sund all of these pieces at various choirs, and they've sent shivers down my spine.

I agree that 'Tears in Heaven' and 'Stairway to heaven' are fabulous songs too. Call me cheesy, but I also really like 'She's the One' by Robbie Williams.

I think many people will have their own personal favourites, but for me it's not just the piece of music, it's often the different emotions and situations and memories associated with it that make it wonderful!!!

My favourits would have to be:

Bach/Gounod's "Ave Maria"
Andrew Lloyd Webber "Pie Jesu"
and probably "As long as he needs me" from OLIVER

i think all the "Ave Maria"s are good in general....

Brahms, "A German Requiem" (in particular the third movement).

"Adagio" and "Ave Maria" by Mario Frangoulis (I bought his album at random at my local cheap CD stall, and now it's one of my favourites... those two songs are brilliant, plus it has "Come What May" from Moulin Rouge on it)

It's true... I've never heard a bad "Ave Maria"...

xx

how about "The Lord Bless you and keep you"....it's a bit odd...it's an anthem....

I think I've heard that... rings a bell... is it by John Rutter?

xx

QUOTE (singingsiren @ Aug 22 2004, 06:55 PM)

I think I've heard that... rings a bell... is it by John Rutter? xx

It's not exactly the rarest name of a song ever

QUOTE (singingsiren @ Aug 22 2004, 06:55 PM)

I think I've heard that... rings a bell... is it by John Rutter? xx

think so...not sure about it.... i still can't remember the composer's name even though i have sung it so many times...

I Dreamed a Dream - Les Miserables
Songbird - Eva Cassidy
Tears in Heaven - Eric Clapton

They're my favourites anyway!

has anyone heard of the solemn songs by someone called Henri Goretski, i think? they're beautiful pieces of modern music, i think.

oooh...i dunno about modern music.... i love anything from Carmen...

"My Man's Gone Now" from Porgy and Bess is a really powerful and haunting ballad. Nina Simone's version is particularly good, and I also heard an amazing version with Spanish guitar somewhere...

xxx

QUOTE

A Jefff Wayne fan?

I don't know, I just love War Of The Worlds and I'm singing that song in a show.