The online service YouTube has become ubiquitous, and many performing artists seeking a wider audience use it to post videos of their work. Our YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/spaciousvision) is drawing a growing number of viewers.
When we only have an audio track to share, it is uploaded to our SoundCloud archive (www.souncloud.com/spacious-vision). YouTube only accepts video files for upload, so if an audio track has no live video associated with it, another solution is needed to share the audio on that platform. Many people create a photo montage for video streaming with an accompanying “soundtrack.” Often these videos are amateurish or poorly done, but sometimes they illuminate the content of the music and are worthy of a look.
A few singers have used YouTube to introduce song and arias, especially those in other languages that might need a translation or subtitles. We have adopted this idea with a video for Britten’s First Canticle “My beloved is mine.”
This powerful work is based on a poem by the 17th century English “Metaphysical” poet Francis Quarles. Britten’s musical setting presents few obstacles for the listener, but the poem’s language and imagery are not immediately accessible. This video provides an introduction to the Canticle itself, as well as text and images to aid the listener in enjoying an extended vocal work that is both spiritual and ardent.
This live 2013 performance is by Gerald Seminatore and pianist Jaebon Hwang. Gerald the montage as a final project for a PowerPoint class.
Click here to view the video of Britten’s First Canticle, “My beloved is mine”
Spacious Vision 
Reblogged this on Lavender Turquois.