Comments on: A Boy and a Girl, Transcribed for String Orchestra (With Recording!)

By: Lane

Lane — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:31:13 +0000

To anyone who will help a fellow musician
I am in both orchestra and choir. “Lux” is one of my favorite song by Mr. Whitacre, (and while “A boy and a Girl” is amazing transcribed to orchestra), I hope to find a transcribed orchestra recording for “Lux”. I know Mr. Whitacre has transcribed it, but where I could find the recording would be absolutetly helpful!
Also, I enjoy “Sleep”. I was wondering if he was considering that for strings as well.
Is there anyway you can contact Mr. Whitacre? (Besides Facebook ) Such as Email?
Thank you all!
If you ever read this Mr. Whitacre, just wanted to say thanks for making such great music and continuing it

By: Michael

Michael — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 02:57:42 +0000

Love this piece so much. Thank you for the beautiful music Mr. Whitacre.

Your music is one of those rare things that are absolutely perfect.

Is there an mp3 file of this somewhere that I can buy and obtain?

By: Amanda

Amanda — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:04:45 +0000

Mr. Eric Whitacre, you have done it again. Lovely, and truly a song I would listen to while taking my final breaths.

Thank you for this beautiful work.

By: Zack

Zack — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 00:03:51 +0000

Beautiful, Mr. Whitacre. The dramatic pauses throughout the piece add great depth and opportunities for reflection. Thank you for creating such beautiful music.

By: Peter

Peter — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 19:05:07 +0000

Simply gorgeous. It’s an incredible piece that works incredibly with strings.

By: Benjamin

Benjamin — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 17:56:54 +0000

I have always wanted your pieces to be transcribed for string orchestra, and was really excited to see some of your works here.

Does anyone watch Inside the Actors Studio? This recording is very similar to the opening of that program… at least the older opening. Am I alone here?

And Eric, please keep on with the string orchestrations. You are on to something here!!

By: Justin

Justin — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 04:31:53 +0000

I love the string arrangements of these songs. They’re so amazing!
I find the score for October for strings online, but there isn’t any good recording of it available. I would absolutely love to hear October for strings.

By: Teddy

Teddy — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 16:32:27 +0000

If you’re still awaiting a recording of Lux Aurumque for strings, I’m sure that if we got the music, some stringers from St. Olaf would be more than happy to record it when you’re up in Minnesota working with the choir.

By: Elliott

Elliott — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 23:57:16 +0000

Hey Eric–

I am a 15-year-old aspiring composer and your music is what has really inspired me. (I now have this habit of adding those suspended 2 and 4 chords to everything…even Christmas carols, which doesn’t really work.)

Our school band played October and it was just… phenomenal. Being a violinist*, I played the flute part (transcribed an octave lower — those super high A-flats kill me!) and soon after, discovered your blog and choral music.

This arrangement is incredible. Even though there are no words in the orchestra version, the strings are able to communicate the underlying “feel” to the music. In this context, it kinda sounds like a hybrid between “Adagio for Strings” and “Haiku” from Finding Nemo (look it up on iTunes…it sounds so… Whitacre-esque )

*Yes, that’s right. I play violin in the band. I can’t wait for your Violin Concerto for Violin and Symphonic Band!

By: guido

guido — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 11:39:46 +0000

Hi Eric. I have just discovered your music and have to say that I am extremely enamoured with your style. All those parallels and added note chords are in some ways very reminscent of Vaughan Williams, Finzi and American composers like Barber, Harrison, Burger, and others, except with the bittersweet quality turned up to 11(!) such that it’s almost painful at times… I love that you walk this line between the very beautiful and pure and the completely overbearing and kitsch – it’s something that I am very interested in myself and it’s great that you are exploring this territory and don’t care about what the critics say… I never agree with them and the choirs and the public obviously love your stuff and with good reason – it’s just the most stunningly beautiful music. I’m sorry to say, that I really don’t think that this string arrangement works – without the words the harmony sounds too simplistic, and it falls on the wrong side of the beauty/mawkish line; that said, I’m sure many people would love to perform it. But I think the words really add to the sincerity of your music, and the clean simplicity of the harmonic progression, (however many added notes there are in a chord!) just sounds a bit stilted and clicheed in the string orchestra setting – remember strings are capable of many things that the voice isn’t and vice versa – though the expressive possibilities are similar, they are not the same. Anyway keep doing your thing, as you have said before (I’m paraphrasing) we learn by doing, and I also think the string orchestra is a fantastic medium to write for – this is an exciting development in your music I think! I am a cellist, so I eagerly await the date when you write your cello concerto for cello and strings!

Anyway, just thought I’d check in to say that this is great stuff you’re doing and I greatly look forward to your future projects.