By Pamela Pike and Rosanne Simunovic
Pamela Pike’s Recollections
Once again we find ourselves enmeshed in the Christmas
season, that very special time of year when we join our loved ones in sharing
old traditions. What better way to
celebrate the season than with David Archuleta’s “Ave Maria”.
It is a traditional Catholic prayer asking for the
intercession of the Virgin Mary. Ave
Maria was composed in about 1825 by Franz Schubert (1797-1828) when he was 28
years old and filled with devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Schubert actually wrote the music from an excerpt from the
poem, “The Lady of the Lake” by Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832). In a letter to his father and stepmother
Schubert refers to his music as “My new
song from Scott’s Lady of the Lake especially had much success. They also wondered greatly at my piety, which
I expressed in a hymn to the Holy Virgin and which, it appears, grips every
soul and turns it to devotion.”
David performs the most beautiful rendition of the Ave Maria
I’ve ever heard it expresses a reverence of prayer and brings tears to my eyes
every time. It’s truly magnificent. As
the lights dim and David begins to perform I am truly overpowered by the
feeling of this song, it has a tremendous emotional pull. Nothing stirs my heart more than David
singing Ave Maria.
You cannot but admire his music, the singing, the holiness
in the moments your ears listen to such a mixture of sounds. While David sings with technical proficiency
he appeals to his audience with emotional intensity.
Ave Maria is a song that illustrates a melody and dynamics
that make’s David’s voice shine with a musical euphoria that beyond
description.
David’s talent is a gift to the world nothing short of
heavenly, it almost brings one to their knees it’s so glorious. Very few singers can attain the pitch control
necessary to sing such a demanding song without musical accompaniment except
for David.
Music is an expression of thought and emotion and David has
the ability to speak to us deeply and uniquely by putting your feelings into
words or phrases that usually you wouldn’t be able to do just by speaking. His music has a way of stirring our innermost
feelings and all of our senses, tapping into parts of ourselves unlike anything
else.
David Archuleta’s voice is pure magic and his rendition of
the traditional carols is wonderful. His heart is a giving heart, a wide open
heart that thinks of others first. His
“Christmas from the Heart” album is a feel good Christmas experience that
reflects his giving heart and shouldn’t be missed.
http://youtu.be/GybMaV5NeEQ
Rosanne Simunovic
Rosanne Simunovic's Recollections
On
October 17th, 2009, I had the pleasure to review David's beautiful CD,
"Christmas From The Heart. It is an absolutely gorgeous CD and a "must
have" recording to have in your Christmas music library.
From
track to track, David's voice is absolutely beautiful and his spiritual
connection to the music is immediately transferred to the listener in a
way that only David can achieve.
His
recording of Gounod's Ave Maria was heartfelt and ethereal. This is
what I had to say about this gorgeous recording during my review of
"Christmas From The Heart" four years ago:
"The
exceptional voices of the Salt Lake Children’s Choir provided the a
cappella opening strains to this beloved prayer by Charles
Gounod/J.S.Bach. Their voices sounded angelic and true – nothing beats
the sound of an exceptionally well-rehearsed children’s choir. Their
addition perfectly established the reverent mood of this song.
And,
as David began to sing, I have to say I was thoroughly impressed with
his Latin diction. He is one of the handful of singers who correctly
pronounced “Gratia“. In the countless number of performances of this
song I have heard over the years, the singers always pronounce this word
with the Italian diction – “grazia” -and not the Latin. Drives me
crazy! But, I digress!
This
is a very difficult song, but David mastered the technical pitfalls
very well. The breathing spots in this song needed to be firmly
established or the phrasing could sound fragmented.
The
song moved along quite beautifully and he managed his breathing very
efficiently. Good for him! This is a very difficult song and, yet, he
performed this song exceptionally well.
At
the end of the first verse, the Salt Lake Children’s Choir added their
gorgeous harmonies, followed by David’s more soulful rendition of the
second verse of this song. And this time around, the choir provided
beautiful background to his solo voice and, as a result, the song truly
flowed to another dimension.
I
loved the melodic variation he incorporated into the original line –
just enough to say “wow” but not too much to detract from the original
beauty of the original composition.
I
always love listening to David weave his vocal magic and artistry
through well-known song material. He is an extremely innovative vocal
artist and sings with a maturity far beyond his years.
This was a stellar performance! Can you come and sing at my Church? (smile)"
Rosanne Simunovic
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