"The Heart Is Slow To Learn"

[David10086]

Posted: 2/10/18 at 1:14pm

One of my favorite songs by ALW is 'The Heart Is Slow to Learn'. I always thought he wrote this for 'Love Never Dies', but then I recently read (on another site)  it was originally written for 'Woman In White'. now I'm not sure? What is the history of this song? Is it included in any of his musicals? 

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 2/10/18 at 1:27pm

As far as I know it premiered as “The Heart is Slow to Learn” sung by Kiri Te Kanawa at the Albert Hall Concert. It was originally intended for the Phantom sequel before it had a title. Then when he seemed to abandon the project for a time the melody was recycled and became “Our Kind of Love” in The Beautiful Game, a far superior song with superior lyrics. Then when he picked up the Phantom sequel again “Our Kind of Love” was cut from The Beautiful Game, which was retitled The Boys in the Photograph for a time and now seems to be The Beautiful Game again. The melody then became the title song in Love Never Dies.

[David10086]

Posted: 2/10/18 at 1:32pm

Wow! Thanks for that. I have the recording from Kiri Te Kanawa on the CD compilation "DIVAS" and fell in love with the song. I guess that's when I was familiar with it being in the Phantom sequel. 

Did 'The Beautiful Game' ever make it to Broadway? I'm not familiar with that. 

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 2/10/18 at 1:46pm

The Beautiful Game played for nearly a year in the West End but was not considered a success and did not transfer to Broadway. There is a cast album with a handful of enjoyable songs. “Our Kind of Love” is worth a listen if you like the melody.

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 2/10/18 at 2:25pm

Minor note: the lyricist, Don Black, later recycled "The Heart is Slow to Learn" as the title of a song in Frank Wildhorn's Dracula.

[jo]

Posted: 2/10/18 at 2:42pm

David10086 said: "Wow! Thanks for that. I have the recording fromKiri Te Kanawa on the CD compilation "DIVAS" and fell in love with the song. I guess that's when I was familiar with it being in the Phantom sequel.

Did 'The Beautiful Game' ever make it to Broadway? I'm not familiar with that."

I did see The Beautiful Games in its London run.  The version I saw focused on the effect of sectarian violence in Northern Ireland on young men who played football ( once dubbed "the beautiful game" by football great Pele, if I am not mistaken) when they were in school. It was the saddest Lloyd Webber musical I have ever seen.  There were some beautiful songs, including Our Kind of Love ( aka The Heart is Slow to Learn, etc) but my favorite was God's Own Country . 

Here's a choral version of God's Own Country ( the song was sung in the play by one of the female leads) --

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hwghv69lBKc

EDIT: I think I found a version that might have come from the play itself --

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XKN_YKVMqo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKic0giL86I

Updated On: 2/10/18 at 02:42 PM

[David10086]

Posted: 2/11/18 at 9:38pm

g.d.e.l.g.i. said: "Minor note: the lyricist, Don Black, later recycled "The Heart is Slow to Learn" as the title of a song in Frank Wildhorn'sDracula."

That's rather interesting - DRACULA? Did ALW have any connection to this, as well? 

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 2/12/18 at 12:28am

Nope, just a song title in common. If Webber wasn't gonna use it, Don Black was.