Listen & Be Heard Weekly Archives

Few things in life are as pure and simple as a child singing. Nothing matters but the song and the joy of singing it. The child matures and begins to sing in school choruses, church choirs, or with family members. The purity and simplicity are multiplied by the gathering of fellow singers and shepherded by the music teacher, choir director, parent, or sibling. The group of voices becomes one, a collective that in its best moments is about the sum of its parts, not the individuals performing. Even the occasional passage where some of the chorus members sing sharp or flat only adds to its charm. This style of music is found on St. Vincent Ferrer School Sings, a recent CD from Vallejo?s St. Vincent Ferrer School.

Debbie Barlow leads the school?s children in this sixteen-minute, five-song set of secular and spiritual pieces. All five songs get the same basic arrangement: piano accompanying what appears to be dozens of voices, judging from the CD?s cover, all singing in unison. The format serves the songs and the singers well. Had there been another song, the sameness of the group sound would have become tedious; instead, it gave the recording a no-frills familiarity, a sense of ?less is more? in performance and CD length.

The CD begins with ?One Song? by Marvin Hamlisch. Hamlisch is best known for his Academy Award-winning soundtrack work. This song seems an odd choice at first, until one considers Neil Young?s ?it?s all one song? comment made occasionally during his concerts of the last ten years. ?One Song? is part of the ?one song.?

?One Song? is followed by ?Deo Dicamus Gratias,? ?Shout To The Lord,? ?He Never Failed Me Yet,? and ?Give Us Peace.? All of these songs give the listener a sense of being in an auditorium or church, gathered with friends and family to share and support the children making this joyful sound.

There is an obvious amateur level to the vocal performance on this CD. I do not mention this aspect as a negative factor; in fact, I think it has the opposite effect. I think the lack of affectation in the voices and the omission of formal voice training are what make this recording so enjoyable. Perhaps Ms. Barlow?s words from the CD cover best explain this music: ?I?d like to tell the students how proud I am of them, and that it was their singing that made me want to do this recording. I hope you always keep singing.? May we all keep singing.

For additional information regarding this CD, contact St. Vincent Ferrer School at (707) 642-4311.

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