Years ago I was in a college honor choir with Dr. Armstrong conducting. He said something that has stuck to me to this day. We were working on a gospel piece and one of the altos said, "We are just too white to sing this." He stopped the rehearsal and looked directly at her and said, "Would you say I am too black to sing Bach?" It changed my life. It is all about understanding the style and composers intent. Not whether you are too "white."
Only in this forum would anyone dare challenge Dr. Armstrong's tempos. As a listener and singer I can tell you that the genius of his conducting is using these dangerously slow tempos that are still so full of motion and life when anyone else's choir would fall flat. Hearing St Olaf combines this anticipation for each chord while dreading the end of the last. I heard this anthem live and I will swear to my death that the mass of sound on that last chord literally pushed me back in my seat!!!
Why is it everytime I hear the St. Olaf choir sing, I am moved emotionally with tears, physically with chills, and spiritually with joy? They just have that ability. God bless them, and Dr. Armstrong.
Moses Hogan certainly heard the St Olaf Choir sing this arrangement. In fact, he probably rehearsed the choir during his visits to the college. God rest his soul!
For all of you who think this is too slow obviously don't know that Dr. Armstrong (the conductor) and Moses were good friends and that Moses (and Andre Thomas, another spiritual/gospel guru) compliment(ed) the way he conducts these songs.
Dr.Armstrong turns around at the end? He's such a legend. I sang this at NYSSMA All-State with Dr.Daniel Bara. We were pretty close to the tempo marking, but this is incredible in a different way. We used the piece to show off our power by being quick and loud, this shows power through control. Really a remarkable interpretation, not many choirs nor conductors can pull it off. St.Olaf and Dr.A are both certainly up for it.
The ending is inspired from watching Dr Armstrong to the way the choir goes to another gear and the wave of sound just covers him and that room is maybe one of the most powerful musical things I have heard and I am old!
I’ve gotten to meet Dr. Armstrong on a couple of occasions; my college roommates parents are classmates of his. There’s a higher quality copy of the concert on the Olaf website. I’ll DM it to you. The final “God Almighty” is what gives me chills every time. And Armstrong’s decision to take a slower tempo is inspired.
I about cried. There is a power and conviction with this interpretation. I love it. At first one might think, WOAH let's get this moving shall we, but then the words start to sink in. Well done.
The beauty of music is the fact that no one performance is like the next, and the freedom you have in making it your own. It's called musical interpretation, and I think Hogan would be VERY pleased in hearing this interpretation of his work. They are still singing with conviction and you can feel it!! I'm loving it! ...and I'm more than certain that if they wanted to take the tempo any faster, it would not be a problem...
There's nothing wrong with our tempo; as people have pointed out, this is a work song, not a square dance. The "life" of the piece comes from dynamic swells and a slow accelerando rather than blazing through the thing. (How do you enjoy a piece when you sing it as fast as possible?)
We sing this in my church choir. What I like about this version, as compared to other ones posted, is the strength of the bass section. (I sing second bass.)
Dr. Armstrong and Moses were good friends and Moses commended Dr. A on his interpretation of the song. Many people fail to understand is that just because a composer puts a certain tempo marking doesn't mean that is the ONLY way to perform it. If you REALLY listened to this song you would hear that there is a gradual accelerando which is how many spirituals are performed. I'm pretty sure that Dr. Armstrong knows what he's doing and Moses obviously didn't object.
I wish my choir would sing it with this amount of dedication and energy and my conductor's dynamics. They are so lazy, and hearing this makes me shudder at what we must sound like to everyone else if we suck from the inside. Goodness.
Amen...don't rush that spiritual! Milk it and sing it like you mean it. Get the "juice" out of every note! I love the unison "Hallelujah", then the tenors "will you praise Him" at about 3:40.
@dependalytical ... I see what you mean, slower tempos can usually leave the sound completely exposed,but since this choir is soo awesome, it dosent matter
@jakethewoz You may now have a new favorite "anchored." It is a different arrangement, it is fun, even though I respect the Hogan arrangement greatly. I also respect the Olaf choir, but think this choir is often overlooked. Give it a listen. It is the third song, but I think you will enjoy all 3 of them :-). .
The voices are angelic. I'm trying to say something nice about the post through the middle of the choir. Couldn't you have stood next to that same post and gotten a video of the entire choir? What a concept!
ok, this is as slow as heck, but I really love the choir's tone and voice quality. It felt like they were waiting to bust loose. Much better than the Concordia choir's performance...but this songs begs to be done at speed.
@sp0590 That's a really harsh critique, especially for a group that has such unity and power. I don't hear hardly any forced sounds, let alone "spread vowels" that makes this group sound like a high school choir. It's strange that you start with "St. Olaf is so white." This performance is the most expressive and passionate I've ever seen of Anchored, and believe you me, I've seen a lot of Anchoreds, so I'm left wondering about the real source of your criticism.
Megan, I"m sorry but that arrangement of UH is not, in my opinion, even close to the quality of St. Olaf. It is animated and they appear to have fun singing in this manner but the soul of the song is lost with all this fragmentation of the music.... very high pitch, then low to silent segments then again loud ... too fast to enjoy the actual message of the song. BUT, to each his own as far as opinion. I respect yours too.
The notes are there, but the spirit is not! They have not convinced me that their souls have been anchored. The spirit is the largest part of the spiritual! It's very one dimensional.
I personally don't like this rendition, but people have no right to tell the conductor what to do or what not to do. If Dr. Armstrong thinks this tempo is right, then let him do it. And the acoustics at this venue would have destroyed this song if it was sung at the original tempo.
@sp0590 I do not agree concerning the first two sentences, but you have a point- it sounds like a dragging hymn, NOT a spiritual. I have sang spirituals for 22 years now, and it lacks passion. It sounds like they are holding back, being cautious. It is very precise, and practiced, but it is far too squeaky clean. I hear no passion (mind you, I am not confusing volume with passion) at all until "Do you love Him?" and even then it is feeble in comparison to Moses Hogan Chorale's CD recording.
Oh Thats Good!! But Sorry I"ve Beeen singing For 18 years now and I've song with the World Renoun Chicago Childrens Choir and I know My music VERY Well. So Let me Give u A lesson. Either You Sing the music the way it was composed or you dont sing it at all!!! And Also If U understood the Acoustics of that Church you would realize that Singing My Souls Been Anchored Composed by The GREAT Moses Hogan was a bad idea!!!
St. Olaf is so white. The vowels sound like spread high school sopranos. The d on anchored and Lord sounds forced.The passion of spiritual is completely lost. The tempo really isn't an issue for me. The expression isn't there. I don't believe them.
I know my music and clearly this isn't suppose to be sung THAT SLOW!!! read the music that Hogan has written and CLEARLY NO ONE IS SUPPOSE TO BE SINGING IT THAT SLOW ..THANKYOU!!! like i said it sounds fuckin horrible!!!
Years ago I was in a college honor choir with Dr. Armstrong conducting. He said something that has stuck to me to this day. We were working on a gospel piece and one of the altos said, "We are just too white to sing this." He stopped the rehearsal and looked directly at her and said, "Would you say I am too black to sing Bach?" It changed my life. It is all about understanding the style and composers intent. Not whether you are too "white."
Only in this forum would anyone dare challenge Dr. Armstrong's tempos. As a listener and singer I can tell you that the genius of his conducting is using these dangerously slow tempos that are still so full of motion and life when anyone else's choir would fall flat. Hearing St Olaf combines this anticipation for each chord while dreading the end of the last. I heard this anthem live and I will swear to my death that the mass of sound on that last chord literally pushed me back in my seat!!!
Why is it everytime I hear the St. Olaf choir sing, I am moved emotionally with tears, physically with chills, and spiritually with joy? They just have that ability. God bless them, and Dr. Armstrong.
Still one of my favs....2022
The way Dr. Armstrong handles this song is...damn near INCREDIBLE.
Moses Hogan certainly heard the St Olaf Choir sing this arrangement. In fact, he probably rehearsed the choir during his visits to the college. God rest his soul!
now it's 110 degrees out but that gave me chills.
For all of you who think this is too slow obviously don't know that Dr. Armstrong (the conductor) and Moses were good friends and that Moses (and Andre Thomas, another spiritual/gospel guru) compliment(ed) the way he conducts these songs.
When they go into the call and response part. Chills
Good women are much easier to find than good men for choral singing. St. Olaf has some of the best men I've ever heard. Love it!
Dr.Armstrong turns around at the end? He's such a legend. I sang this at NYSSMA All-State with Dr.Daniel Bara. We were pretty close to the tempo marking, but this is incredible in a different way. We used the piece to show off our power by being quick and loud, this shows power through control. Really a remarkable interpretation, not many choirs nor conductors can pull it off. St.Olaf and Dr.A are both certainly up for it.
This has been by far my favourite version for years...
Too bad the video and sound quality isn't better.
www.stolaf.edu/multimedia/play/?e=572 If you're interested in a higher quality video. Jump to 1 hour 52 minute timestamp for this piece!
@@SirFamousNX - it’s not the same performance. Is there a recording of similar quality to the one you posted from this very performance?
3:25 gives me chills every time I hear it! Magnificent!
The ending is inspired from watching Dr Armstrong to the way the choir goes to another gear and the wave of sound just covers him and that room is maybe one of the most powerful musical things I have heard and I am old!
I’ve gotten to meet Dr. Armstrong on a couple of occasions; my college roommates parents are classmates of his. There’s a higher quality copy of the concert on the Olaf website. I’ll DM it to you. The final “God Almighty” is what gives me chills every time. And Armstrong’s decision to take a slower tempo is inspired.
fabulous!!! I am 50 years old and sing high soprano and I would LOVE to be in this performance!!! The tempo is wonderful.
I about cried. There is a power and conviction with this interpretation. I love it. At first one might think, WOAH let's get this moving shall we, but then the words start to sink in. Well done.
I just witnessed this choir singing this song last night. It was incredible. Now I can't stop watching this video.
My choir will never be this fantastic. :(
Brilliant.
Still gives me chills.
The slow tempo for a piece like this actually makes it more withstanding and more appreciative then say a very fast one.
This is my favorite choral piece ever. I could listen to it over and over. So much power!
The beauty of music is the fact that no one performance is like the next, and the freedom you have in making it your own. It's called musical interpretation, and I think Hogan would be VERY pleased in hearing this interpretation of his work. They are still singing with conviction and you can feel it!! I'm loving it! ...and I'm more than certain that if they wanted to take the tempo any faster, it would not be a problem...
There's nothing wrong with our tempo; as people have pointed out, this is a work song, not a square dance. The "life" of the piece comes from dynamic swells and a slow accelerando rather than blazing through the thing. (How do you enjoy a piece when you sing it as fast as possible?)
Woa! That is the most exciting performance of this song I've ever heard! What a finish.
I LOVE the way they did this...I love the concept of the slow tempo and "anchored"....LOVE THIS CHOIR!!
St. Olaf.....pretty much rocks!
watch the acda national honor choir 09's version of this.
moses hogan is amazing.
RIP.
Who dares to question God's Choir and His director?!?
We sing this in my church choir. What I like about this version, as compared to other ones posted, is the strength of the bass section. (I sing second bass.)
This is the second best performance of this piece that I have ever heard, second to only that of Moses Hogan's
My goodness those Bass 2's!!!
Thank you so much for sharing this....memories of performing this are bringing me to tears
AND you can hear the DISTINCTION and CLARITY of how all the chords work...smh...this choir is a BEAST...and that conductor is also
This is delicious!
Dr. Armstrong and Moses were good friends and Moses commended Dr. A on his interpretation of the song. Many people fail to understand is that just because a composer puts a certain tempo marking doesn't mean that is the ONLY way to perform it. If you REALLY listened to this song you would hear that there is a gradual accelerando which is how many spirituals are performed. I'm pretty sure that Dr. Armstrong knows what he's doing and Moses obviously didn't object.
THIS VERSION IS DESENT it being this makes it mysterious when my school sang it was faster but its nice to see different interpretations of songs
I wish my choir would sing it with this amount of dedication and energy and my conductor's dynamics. They are so lazy, and hearing this makes me shudder at what we must sound like to everyone else if we suck from the inside. Goodness.
Amen...don't rush that spiritual! Milk it and sing it like you mean it. Get the "juice" out of every note! I love the unison "Hallelujah", then the tenors "will you praise Him" at about 3:40.
Bravissima soprani!
@dependalytical ... I see what you mean, slower tempos can usually leave the sound completely exposed,but since this choir is soo awesome, it dosent matter
@jakethewoz You may now have a new favorite "anchored." It is a different arrangement, it is fun, even though I respect the Hogan arrangement greatly. I also respect the Olaf choir, but think this choir is often overlooked. Give it a listen. It is the third song, but I think you will enjoy all 3 of them :-). .
@jakethewoz Sorry, the video I am referring to is Mixed Choirs- UH Concert Chorale....give it a listen :)
dopeeeeeee
We were watching this in my choir one day, and I'm in an all girl choir, and at 0:53 my choir director went "Dat bass!" xD
Like the way Salt Lake Vocal Artists did this.
The voices are angelic. I'm trying to say something nice about the post through the middle of the choir. Couldn't you have stood next to that same post and gotten a video of the entire choir? What a concept!
wow :O
ok, this is as slow as heck, but I really love the choir's tone and voice quality. It felt like they were waiting to bust loose. Much better than the Concordia choir's performance...but this songs begs to be done at speed.
Don't know why they took it a half step down.
@musicallynclined11 @colorguardprincess you guys are hilarious
@dependalytical - every conductor should be challenged. No one is infallible, including Dr. Armstrong.
Ignorance is bliss.
@sp0590 That's a really harsh critique, especially for a group that has such unity and power. I don't hear hardly any forced sounds, let alone "spread vowels" that makes this group sound like a high school choir.
It's strange that you start with "St. Olaf is so white." This performance is the most expressive and passionate I've ever seen of Anchored, and believe you me, I've seen a lot of Anchoreds, so I'm left wondering about the real source of your criticism.
lol. you OBVIOUSLY don't know that music is up for interpretation. and i think that they did this very well
The hall wouldn't have handled this song at a much quicker tempo, you wouldn't have understood a word!
Yeah. Once you sing with grownups, you can talk.
Megan, I"m sorry but that arrangement of UH is not, in my opinion, even close to the quality of St. Olaf. It is animated and they appear to have fun singing in this manner but the soul of the song is lost with all this fragmentation of the music.... very high pitch, then low to silent segments then again loud ... too fast to enjoy the actual message of the song. BUT, to each his own as far as opinion. I respect yours too.
@spintotenor83 i wouldn't so much say "white" as "midwestern" :)
The notes are there, but the spirit is not! They have not convinced me that their souls have been anchored. The spirit is the largest part of the spiritual! It's very one dimensional.
nice sound, but far to slow...
Too slow. But you sound good.
I personally don't like this rendition, but people have no right to tell the conductor what to do or what not to do. If Dr. Armstrong thinks this tempo is right, then let him do it.
And the acoustics at this venue would have destroyed this song if it was sung at the original tempo.
I do admire his style but for my personal taste and style, he took it too slow for me.
I respect Dr. A's interpretation and the St. Olaf Choir, but this is just TOO DAMN SLOW!!!
@sp0590 I do not agree concerning the first two sentences, but you have a point- it sounds like a dragging hymn, NOT a spiritual. I have sang spirituals for 22 years now, and it lacks passion. It sounds like they are holding back, being cautious. It is very precise, and practiced, but it is far too squeaky clean. I hear no passion (mind you, I am not confusing volume with passion) at all until "Do you love Him?" and even then it is feeble in comparison to Moses Hogan Chorale's CD recording.
Oh Thats Good!! But Sorry I"ve Beeen singing For 18 years now and I've song with the World Renoun Chicago Childrens Choir and I know My music VERY Well. So Let me Give u A lesson. Either You Sing the music the way it was composed or you dont sing it at all!!! And Also If U understood the Acoustics of that Church you would realize that Singing My Souls Been Anchored Composed by The GREAT Moses Hogan was a bad idea!!!
St. Olaf is so white. The vowels sound like spread high school sopranos. The d on anchored and Lord sounds forced.The passion of spiritual is completely lost. The tempo really isn't an issue for me. The expression isn't there. I don't believe them.
I know my music and clearly this isn't suppose to be sung THAT SLOW!!! read the music that Hogan has written and CLEARLY NO ONE IS SUPPOSE TO BE SINGING IT THAT SLOW ..THANKYOU!!! like i said it sounds fuckin horrible!!!
this sounds horrrible lol