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Where Beauty Moves and Wit Delights
I like bass voices. Basso profundo is even better. Singers like Paul Robeson and Thurl Ravenscroft get my attention. I tend to listen to a passel of Russian choral music, because the men’s choirs tend to be heavy on the bass. For higher voices to catch my ear, they have to be pretty stunning.
Here in Michigan, not too far from Detroit, we have a Renaissance festival that runs for seven weeks in the fall. It may have been the first or second year I was here that I first went to the festival. There was a recorder group there, which I eventually joined. There was other music and plenty of entertainment. But what caught my ear was a wandering minstrel. He had a light tenor voice, but it was of celestial purity. He would ask young ladies what language they would like to hear a love song in and then pull one out of his repertoire. He was fascinating to watch, not just because of his musical skill and voice, but because of his banter. I came back several times that year and got to know him.
He was not trained as a musician. He was not the polyglot he seemed from the list of his songs. His degree was in art, and he had made his living with a day job as a designer. He and his family owned and ran a maze at the festival that had reproductions of all sorts of Renaissance portraits and paintings. More surprisingly, he lived nearby. A lot of the entertainers in these festivals would go from festival to festival all spring, summer, and fall. They were from Texas or Ohio or God knows where. He was from Berkley, Michigan.
His stage name was Owain Phyfe. His real name was not terribly far from that. I bought both CDs and tapes, since my car only had a tape player at that time. I listened to them over and over.
As I started courting my wife, I made sure she was introduced to his singing. My wife, girlfriend at the time, was co-producer of a Saturday radio show. It was music that had brought us together. Somehow, even though Owain’s Renaissance music was a bit far afield from the main focus of her show, he still managed to show up in various themes over the years to come.
When we married, we had my band play at our reception, but we asked Owain to come sing as a prelude to the wedding as guests were being seated. It is amazing how suddenly I realized that many of his love songs were of unrequited love in that setting.
Owain passed on several years ago now, but his songs and voice still echo through my mind and through the Internet.
Published in Group Writing
I know @grosseteste has been busy often lately, so I’ll go ahead and add a preliminary blurb about Group Writing.
This is an entry in our Group Writing Series, an easy way for new and shy members to get their feet wet in starting conversations. Each month, a theme is chosen, and this month’s theme is Beauty. There are still plenty of openings for August, including tomorrow, so wouldn’t you like to at least take a look at the sign-up sheet and see if any beauty can move you to volunteer and to start a conversation?
Lovely, thanks! No reverb, echo chambers or layers. Just a beautiful voice.
Also, I loved this line from his Wikpedia entry.
Who wouldn’t, if he had the chance?
Indeed. I spent many a weekend out there, especially after I joined the Renaissance consort, Les Flutes Douces, who played out there.
Oktavists. Their range can be from an octave below baritone range (thus the name) to notes only whales can hear. Or C1, which is pretty low.
Yes, good stuff.
What a glorious way to start the morning, Arahant! I attended the Renaissance Festivals in CA and CO. What a delight, especially when they first started. But I never heard a performer like your friend. Thank you!
That first song is a different version of the most beautiful song in the world (in my opinion). I was first introduced to it in concert band when we had a Gustav Holst themed concert. With or without words, it’s a truly beautiful melody.
Many classical and modern composers have plumbed the depths of old melodies, such as this. The Renaissance is usually seen as starting in 1485 in England and ending around 1650-ish. So, the song has probably been around for hundreds of years. Holst was born in 1874, so he obviously borrowed the old tune.
Yeah I think he composed based off a folk tune originally. Every time our whole band played it together, it just gave me goosebumps and it remains my most favorite classical song today.
That’s awesome. Thanks ‘Hant.
(Still, I’m sure there’s gotta be a recording of him singing “Danny Boy,” you could’ve thrown that up there, too.)
Appreciate it!
I especially like that live video. Really gives an idea of what you attracted you at the festivals.
Eh, we had a DJ, and had the same realization with our chosen playlists, more disco than Renaissance ballads (zero).
Yes, although that video was many years later, and the recording not as good as his studio records. He may already have been ill by that time, too. I wanted to include a live video, which would capture more of his personality and performance, but couldn’t find one that showed his virtuosity.
Very nice — thanks much. What a fine, fine voice. Nice to learn about him.
I should say it, I’m sure his family would still appreciate sales:
http://www.nightwatchrecording.com/
Oh, I see they found his first album and are releasing it. Here is one of my favorites:
That video has some of the older pictures, too.
I fell in love with this type of music many years ago when Joan Baez released her first album. The purity of voice accompanied by a single stringed instrument is incomparable, particularly when recorded properly. I found several of his albums on iTunes and will start with the one you highlighted in your original post. Thank you. I am always looking for music which is both simple and pure.
How about a play list in this category?
Oh thank you for posting this. Over 20 years ago, my mother mentioned how beautiful Owain Phyfe’s voice was. I purchased “Where Beauty Moves and Wit Delights” as a cassette tape and listened to it over and over again. Who knows where that cassette tape is. I only had to listen to “Maid in Bedlam” to go looking for Owain Phyfe on the Google Play Store. There he was and I purchased this album. Again, thank you. His voice is truly amazing.
I, too, was smitten by Joan Baez years ago.
Thurl Ravenscroft, Paul Robeson (Yes, he was a commie, but he could sing!), Midnight in Moscow is an album that had several, there was also an album called N.T.A. (No Tenors Allowed). Beyond that, I suggest you look up basses and see what they have done. For instance, Isaac Hayes is another American bass singer.
Oh, and Ezio Pinza, of course: