#unfortunately i did NOT pursue my music minor in college as intended so i'm just a layperson in the grand scheme of things

[mildmayfoxe]

please can i pick your musical brain 👀 i'm losing it over the cover of 'bridge over troubled water' by jake collier/yebba/tom legend/tori kelly rn and i wondered if you knew any songs/groups/artists that are similar? i was trying to figure out what it is and was like. secular choral a cappella??? but uhhh not having a lot of luck finding things in the same vein and you came to mind as someone with musical knowledge!

ok HELLO my friend i'm sorry to have kept you waiting so long!! for those interested this is the jacob collier troubled water arrangement which similarly truly blew me away; it's an absolutely stunning piece of vocal arrangement and show of vocal talent that without exaggeration brought me to tears the second and third time i listened to it. a really spectacular arranger and musician- he's won five grammies, one of which for his lionel richie all night long arrangement which is also a lot of fun but a different vibe.

unfortunately i don't have a lot of suggestions for you! the obvious place (to me) to head is just straight to gospel choir. that's where you're going to find the most similar sweeping vocal harmonies like this, especially if you find some big groups. when i was looking around for similar pieces i found the civilization iv theme baba yetu composed by christopher tin & featuring the soweto gospel choir (which is a group i am definitely going to be listening to more of later). christopher tin also composed waloyo yamoni which also just blew me away- i cried!! soweto gospel choir is also in an arrangement of that on spotify, but the youtube link is for a live performance with a different choir- although the male soloist was really spectacular.

otherwise i feel like you could almost just start listening to OPERA if you wanted! you can also find a lot of really fun harmonizations in bluegrass and country music, though nowhere on the scale of big choral arrangements. here's flowers on the wall by the statler brothers for a country example which i enjoy, and here's nobody knows by pastor tl barrett & the youth for christ choir for a gospel song i've enjoyed recently too. since i deviated into more instrumental-heavy stuff with the christopher tin compositions just for fun here's october by eric whitacre which is just an intermediate concert band piece but it's my personal favorite i've ever played because the beauty of it all layered together is unreal. pick out the trumpet lines in there and imagine me playing that. GREAT piece imo. real sweeping triumph and melancholic wistfulness.

LASTLY here's the wikipedia pages for grammies for best arrangement, instrument and vocals and best arrangement, instrumental and a cappella which probably have lots of other interesting things to check out, both in winners and nominees! jacob collier's on both lists.

if anybody has another other suggestions please let me know!! i'm not an expert by any means and honestly my musical knowledge is only mediocre, so would be happy to hear what other people have to suggest :)

#unfortunately i did NOT pursue my music minor in college as intended so i'm just a layperson in the grand scheme of things #asks #chatpost #b-blushes #HOPE THAT'S HELPFUL sorry i don't have more direct suggestions! #if anybody listens to any of these please let me know!