ALW up to his usual tricks?

If it sounds familiar, it's because THE HOLLY AND THE IVY is a traditional English Carol integrated into the wedding sequence of the story...

I guess Kurt Weill didn't have an original idea for "The Wedding Song."

Updated On: 7/12/05 at 02:30 PM

Good call, Monsieur Bennett.

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You do need to get it!!! It's a great cast recording, and its most, if not all, of opening night's performance. It's very complete, with dialogue so the story is easy to follow and the cd design is great and format is really nice.

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In addition to the cast recording of the musical, I have recently gotten a copy of the CD PHANTASIA ( available on Amazon.co.uk) released by the Really Useful Group. Of the 60-minute disc, there is a 25-minute portion allocated to the WOMAN IN WHITE ( the first 35 minutes is a full orchestral version of highlights from PHANTOM, with Julian Lloyd Webber on a cello and Sarah Chang on a violin).

The WOMAN IN WHITE is exquisite - it is a full orchestral version of some of the songs and melodic passages from the musical. This instrumental treatment accentuates the lushness, romanticism, and throbbing and haunting quality of the music from this show.

If there is a song which completely surprises in the musical, it must be LAMASTIDE!

Updated On: 7/12/05 at 11:14 PM

"Incidently, does anyone else really like 'If I could only dream this world away'? It's a beautiful song, but seems to get ignored by WIW lovers and haters alike.... "

I do. It is a beautiful song, especially as sung by Jill Paice. She has a lovely voice.

As far as "Holly and the Ivy," I think the version in the play is a reflection of Laura's feelings about the wedding -- she really didn't want to go through with it because of her feelings for Walter, and, I suspect, general unease, but her devotion to her father's dying wish gave her no choice.

actually there IS a carol called "the holly and the ivy", unfortunately is the title the only thing the alw song and this carol have in common. it goes melodically and in terms of lyrics in a totally different way.

I think that the Holly and the Ivy has always had loads of verses over the years and the 'official' one merely picks the nicest - I remember singing it at school, and though it shared some of the same verses (the WIW version starts the same) it also had a darker edge.

There are lots of different versions of "The Holly and the Ivy." It's a traditional folk song. But here is one version of it:

The holly and the ivy,
When they are both full grown
Of all the trees that are in the wood
The holly bears the crown
O the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing of the choir

The holly bears a blossom
As white as lily flower
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
To be our sweet Saviour
O the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing of the choir

The holly bears a berry
As red as any blood
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
To do poor sinners good
O the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing of the choir

The holly bears a prickle
As sharp as any thorn;
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
On Christmas Day in the morn.
O the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing of the choir

The holly bears a bark
As bitter as any gall;
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
For to redeem us all.
O the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing of the choir

The holly and the ivy
Now both are full well grown,
Of all the trees that are in the wood,
The holly bears the crown.
O the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the merry organ
Sweet singing of the choir

The only usual tricks that I am aware ALW pulls all the time is stealing music...from himself. Don't get wrong....I'm a big fan. I was listening to The Craic from Beautiful Game this morning on the way to work and it reminds me so much of the show Starlight Express...not sure why. Did anyone notice the musical phrase in Woman in White he pulled from Requiem?

ALW does that but so, to a degree, do all composers, even Stephen Sondheim. I was at a round table discussion where they displayed that "Look on the Bright Side" from Assassins and "Comedy Tonight" are basically the same chord progressions.

The version in the show uses the first, third, and fifth verses that Michael Bennett posted, minus the last three lines, "And the running of the deer," etc.(---looking at the booklet accompanying the double CDs)

As has been pointed out, the song doesn't sound much like its traditional version because it has been deliberately recast in a minor key and foreshadows the disaster that this marriage will be. Listening to that music as the wedding occurs, an audience would have to be deaf to think that anything good will come from the marriage of Laura and Glyde.

I like "Evermore Without You" and, really, all of the songs, including the dissonant sounding, rhythmically interesting "Lost Souls"? I don't know enough about music to know just what is going on in that song, but it certainly isn't little 4/4 ballad.

Anyone else like this song too?

I thought that LOST SOULS changed tempo---sure it is 7/8 all the way through? I don't have the music to look at.