The images below are from http://richard.dyer-bennet.net/, and consist of program notes from a NYC concert on April 4, 1944.
Monday, January 22, 2007
A Singing Animal
“Man, of course, is a singing animal…[and] used the voice for cooing and grunting before he used words. If the primary function of this instrument [the voice] is singing, then speech is a secondary function. In training the speaking voice, therefore, you should observe the rules governing the singing voice (Quoting Richard Dyer-Bennet, from Bonnie Dyer-Bennet’s “A Biographical Essay on Richard Dyer-Bennet,” Smithsonian Folkways (1997).”
The images below are from http://richard.dyer-bennet.net/, and consist of program notes from a NYC concert on April 4, 1944.
The images below are from http://richard.dyer-bennet.net/, and consist of program notes from a NYC concert on April 4, 1944.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
5 comments:
We listened to a sound recording of his "Down in the Valley" in class last Thursday. We commented on it's highly dynamic (and even effeminate) quality to our ears. Anthony B
While we were in class, as Anthony pointed out later in email, Megan mentioned that she thought this version of "Down in the Valley" lacked real emotion and feeling. Personally, his version knocked me out--i was stung, shocked, my body cringed with the sound of his voice--a good cringing, but intense at the same time. I couldn't believe that a man was able to sing like that. It immediately made me think of the castratos (sp?) from Mozarts time. Maybe some of you felt that way because he was singing so slow, but i was really convinced that he was feeling the words from down deep. For sure, it was more "produced" (like we discussed in class), and didn't carry the raw qualities of the other versions and our own. But i liked it a lot. Maybe i stand alone..? does anybody else feel me?
Joe S
Joe, thanks for your comments. Stay tuned for more to come from Richard Dyer-Bennet in the weeks ahead in "British Isles: SOURCE."
I agree with you, Joe! It really is a surreal experience to hear Richard Dyer-Bennet sing-- while he is very much classical in style, I feel that his voice is nonetheless refreshing in its honesty, and in his uncommon ability to not feel contrived, or hollow. I find his songs quite wonderful for their heartfeltedness (word?).
Also-- the DISlocatedness of his diction, the uncomfortable distance...
Birmingham jail, boys,
Birmingham jail,
Send it in care of
Birmingham jail.
Post a Comment