Sarah Brightman – A Winter Symphony
by Tysa Banks
Interestingly and probably shocking to most people, this is the first time I have sat down and purposely listened to Sarah Brightman (MySpace). I believe I may have heard a song or two on the radio on the past but this is the first time I’ve really paid any attention to her voice. I will admit that her style is not the style I prefer to listen to, and I usually don’t like high pitched voices. With that being said, I actually like her voice. I think her voice is just as spectacular as I have heard people say. Perhaps it’s because, compared to her usual style of singing, this album has quite the pop tone to it. I only know this because after listening to this album, I decided to check out some of her previous songs she has recorded in the past decade. A Winter Symphony is a lot more my style than any of her other albums.
The first two songs of her first Christmas album, “Arrival” and “Colder than Winter” are very dark and lonely and her soprano voice conveys the meanings of them perfectly. That type of voice, with its piercing vibrato, is a good one to illustrate the feelings and emotions of a lost love and the anticipation of a loved one coming home, which is what these two songs are about. Her duet with Fernando Lima, sharing together the always breathtaking song, “Ave Maria” is absolutely flawless. She sings a solo version towards the end of the album that takes on more of an operatic sound than the duet. She does such a superb job hitting the high notes in this song that she makes it look easy. Some artists have to work very hard to hit those notes and can’t hold them that long but Brightman holds the notes in a single breath, as if it’s second nature to her.
Next she captures “Silent Night” in its true essence. It is a magical rendition of the classic song. One song that seemed a bit out of place on this album was “I wish it Could be Christmas.” It’s a very upbeat song and correlated to all of the remaining somber tones of the songs on this album, it just seems odd to have it in this collection. However, it serves as a nice break from the dreary sound of the other songs so I suppose it works. I was pleased with the conclusion of the album while listening to “I Believe in Father Christmas.” It has a bright and cheery sound to it that left me more hopeful than the beginning of the album offered me. It’s quite fitting, considering that is usually how the holidays end up being a lot of times, starting out so bleak of any hope or goodness then concluding oftentimes happy and peaceful with a positive outlook on the upcoming year. If you would like to listen to a unique collection of Christmas songs sung by the world’s favorite female soprano artist of all time, then Sara Brightman’s A Winter Symphony is the perfect pick for you.
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