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What A Wonderful World
$20.00 CDN/$20.00 US
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A beautiful CD of songs about love, nature and courage. Michael is
joined by one of Canada’s most respected musicians, pianist Jamie Syer.
Michael and Jamie present some deeply intimate and passionate
interpretations of Broadway’s best in this uplifting CD of songs
celebrating the beauty of the world around us.
TRACK LISTING
1. What A Wonderful World
2. Soon It’s Gonna Rain
3. And All That Jazz
4. It Might As Well Be Spring
5. The Sound Of Music
6. Edelweiss
7. Children Will Listen
8. Someone To Watch Over Me
9. I’m Beginning To See The Light
10. If I Loved You
11. Daisies (piano solo)
12. Beat Out That Rhythm On A Drum
13. Over The Rainbow
14. You Raise Me Up
Bonus Track
15. You’ll Never Walk Alone
Music arrangements and adaptations by Michael Hope & Jamie Syer
Engineered, Mixed And Mastered by Chris Daniels, The Audio Lab
Manufacturing: Canada Disc and Tape, Calgary, Alberta
Creative Photography: Trudie Lee Photography
Jacket Design: Tona W. Ohama
Produced by Michael Hope
Vocals, bassoon: Michael Hope,
Piano: Jamie Syer
Recorded October 2005 at Cantos Music Foundation, Calgary Alberta,
Canada
THANKS TO
Alice Hope, Pam King, Judy Wark Ying Hope,
Cantos Music Foundation
DEDICATION
To the memory of my dear Aunt Bessie Tang
THE PIANO
“Rhapsody in Blue”
On this recording Jamie Syer plays the beautiful “Rhapsody In Blue”
7-foot Steinway B piano, crafted in tribute to the 100th anniversary of
George Gershwin’s birth. #9 of only 24 in the entire world, this
extraordinary instrument was generously provided to this project by
Cantos Music Foundation.
MICHAEL’S THOUGHTS ON THIS CD:
This album is a cycle of songs about love and nature. With a few urban
interludes thrown in just for fun!
Things to listen for: references to windstorms, rainstorms, rainbows and
flowers are everywhere in the lyrics. It’s cool to hear where they turn
up! And interesting to think about how the beauty of the world around us
can make us smile when we need to. Speaking of flowers, especially
lovely is Jamie’s rendition of Rachmaninoff’s piano solo, Daisies
(opus 38, #3). It’s quite magical and charming.
One performance note: Being classical musicians at heart, Jamie and I
decided to take a slightly classical approach to the interpretations of
the text and the melodies. The result is that we discovered that these
20th century masterpieces of Rodgers and Hammerstein, Gershwin and
Sondheim seem to have all the loveliness and depth of the great art
songs of Schubert, Beethoven and Mozart. Fancy that! This is some of the
most wonderful music in the world. I hope you like it... - MH
DETAILED TRACK LISTING
1. What A Wonderful World (David Weiss & Robert Thiele)
Every time I feel sunshine on my face, I find myself closing my eyes and
thinking of this song. There’s something about the sweetness and
innocence of the melody that I find very soothing.
2. Soon It’s Gonna Rain (The Fantasticks – Jones & Schmidt)
I’ve been wanting to record this great classic from The Fantasticks for
a long time. From the moment I first heard it in fact. My friend Ian
Sadler first suggested it to me when I was putting together a medley of
songs about the rain. The pulsing and exotic harmonies evoke a coming
storm in an intimate yet foreboding way.. . The accompaniment is
virtuosic and playful at the same time. Jamie handles it with great
deftness, making it sound easy!
3. And All That Jazz (Chicago – Kander & Ebb)
This is one of those songs that one likes to sing just for fun. And we
included on the CD for that reason. Our approach to it was not so much
to try and replicate the large brassy opening to the Academy-Award
winning film Chicago, but more to enact a casual and playful situation.
One that simply says” Hey Honey, – let’s go out tonight”
4. It Might As Well Be Spring (State Fair – Rodgers &
Hammerstein)
This has to be my favourite Rodgers and Hammerstein song. I love the
earthly images of anxious longing. ( “a willow on a windstorm, a spiders
weaving daydreams, spring fever, ” etc.. ) It won the Academy Award for
Best Song In A Motion Picture in 1945 and I really think that I could
sing it all day…
5. The Sound Of Music (The Sound Of Music - Rodgers &
Hammerstein)
A Classic. And a great example of Oscar Hammerstein’s knack for putting
words to the beauty of nature.
6. Edelweiss (The Sound Of Music - Rodgers & Hammerstein )
Who could ever forget the moment in “The Sound Of Music” where
Christopher Plummer sings this song in an act of quiet defiance against
an oppressive government regime? How a melody so lovely and simple as
this could create one of the most powerful moments in motion pictures is
a testament to the impact that Hammerstein’s lyrics have always had.
This is the last song on written together by Rodgers and Hammerstein
before Hammerstein died in 1960.
7. Children Will Listen (Into The Woods – Stephen Sondheim)
Apparently the average 4 year-old asks about 487 questions per day. And
– they remember all the answers. My favourite line of text from this
beautiful and important song is this: Careful before you say: “Listen to
me…”
8. Someone To Watch Over Me (George & Ira Gershwin)
This lovely arrangement takes a classical and pianistic approach to one
of the loveliest melodies of our time. The rhapsodic nature of the
accompaniment seems to bring fresh insights into the text.
9. I’m Beginning To See The Light (Don George, Johnny Hodges,
Duke Ellington & Harry James)
We really enjoyed working on this great Harry James Classic. I still
laugh at the thought of a classical musician like myself pretending to
know how to scat sing. (confession: I found a written-out version of the
middle scat section – it took me 3 weeks of practicing to learn it…)
10. If I Loved You (Carousel - Rodgers & Hammerstein)
This is one of those melodies that stays in your head long after you’ve
left the theatre. . I find myself humming it constantly. I was inspired
to include it on this CD after listening to the sweeping and incredible
sequence in Carousel that introduces this song to the play. It is one of
the most thrilling and romantic sections of music in all of the 20th
century and it always leaves me breathless. This is one of those love
ballads that has multiple layers of depth in the text. All placed within
a simple but gorgeous melody. What a song….
11. Daisies (piano solo) (Opus 38 #3 – Rachmaninoff)
Jamie suggested we include this Rachmaninoff piece in our program. A
strange idea on the outset, but when I heard it, I instantly knew what
he had in mind. It sounds like Gershwin, Ravel and Rachmaninoff all at
the same time, and puts the listener in a meditative state. (making it a
perfect fit for the album) There are few recordings of this lovely gem
out there, and Jamie’s interpretation is exquisite.
12. Beat Out Dhat Rhythm On A Drum (Carmen Jones – Bizet &
Hammerstein)
This wild and crazy song combines the handiwork of two geniuses: Oscar
Hammerstein and George Bizet. Bizet’s melody from the opera Carmen is
transformed into 3 minutes of primitive abandon with Hammerstein’s
lyrics. Not-so-subtly hidden in all the storminess of this song is a
nice little message of optimism and community.
13. Over The Rainbow (The Wizard Of Oz – Harburg & Arlen)
Back in the year 2001 The Recording Industry Association of America and
the National Endowment for the Arts conducted a poll asking respondents
what they thought was the best song of the 20th century. “Over The
Rainbow”, to no one’s surprise, came in at #1. I adore this song for the
way it combines longing and hope in one simple package.
14. You Raise Me Up (Brendan Graham –& Rolf Lovland )
While nothing could compare to Josh Groban’s Grammy-winning recording of
this modern classic, I wanted to include my interpretation of it on our
CD because it really makes me feel something when I sing it. The words
have a way of telling you that everything’s going to be all right, and
the melody, (with its echoes from “Danny Boy” and “My Way”) seems to get
you right in the heart.
By the way, that unusual instrument you hear at the beginning of the
track is my beautiful 5611 series Heckel bassoon…..
15. Bonus Track: You’ll Never Walk Alone (Carousel - Rodgers &
Hammerstein)
The little speech that precedes this song in the musical “Carousel”
summarizes a lot of the things that I like to live by:
The world belongs to you as much as the next person.
Don’t give it up…
And try not to worry about people not liking you
Just try liking them.
Keep your faith, keep your courage,
and you’ll come out all right….
I decided to include this song at the last moment because the words
embody to me what a wonderful world is all about.
Michael |