Hymn Of A Thousand Voices

mc7 · February 06, 2016, 03:35:25 AM

Ok, this may not be the best song on the album but it certainly is one of my highlights making a bit of a dark horse, so I thought it should have its own post.
I particularly love the first half complete with the folky fiddle and tinkling mandolin in the background, providing a different mood from what has gone before. As a fan of folk music and a folk musician myself I really appreciated this moment.
On first listens, however, I didn't hear the mandolin as I was listening too intently to the excellent fiddle playing (thanks to this forum for pointing out where it appears). Does anyone know who is credited to be playing the violin or mandolin as I still haven't received my CD from Roadrunner to see the credits!

The second half changes the mood again but it is equally powerful and stirring. Extra points go the band for managing to conjure up another gorgeous new melody from all the recurring themes heard previously after 2 hours of music.
Discuss, debate and appreciate!!

BlackInk · February 06, 2016, 05:15:08 AM

Like I said in the album discussion thread, this song is not one of my favorites, and it's pretty cheesy, but it's still pretty emotionally effective and therefore works for me. Especially the first half.

MirrorMask · February 06, 2016, 05:19:04 AM

With time I'll probably come to appreciate it more than I do now, but I'm thinking that it was a wasted opportunity to not have a reprise of the chorus of When your Time has Come, given how the story directly calls back to that moment. As cheesy and uninspired as it may sound, I can imagine what the reprise lyrics could have been:

"You were faced with the path that divides
And now you're all with me, by my side
I found again the strength in my voice"...

Probably I'm just selfish in wanting to hear once again one of the best choruses of the album

KevShmev · February 06, 2016, 06:34:53 AM

Fun little song, which I enjoy a ton. This should be a fun live song, assuming the audiences have the good sense beforehand to know it enough to know when to clap.

mc7 · February 06, 2016, 08:42:52 AM

Quote from: KevShmev on February 06, 2016, 06:34:53 AM
Fun little song, which I enjoy a ton. This should be a fun live song, assuming the audiences have the good sense beforehand to know it enough to know when to clap.

This

I'm sure that JLB will be orchestrating the audience as he does so well to help them with the timing. Although, fans of a band who mess around with time signatures should already have good timing!

MirrorMask · February 06, 2016, 08:52:09 AM

Talking about leading the audience, if James does not bring the whole theatre in waving arms back and forth at the finale of Astonishing, I'll take it upon myself to do it.

jammindude · February 06, 2016, 08:53:22 AM

It stood out to me as an early favorite...but I've only heard the entire thing all the way through one time.

The main riff reminded me of the About To Crash Reprise, which is my favorite SDOIT moment.

ASacrificedSon · February 06, 2016, 08:54:02 AM

I loved this song very much!
The lyrics are pretty heartwarming.

pantsofeternity · February 06, 2016, 09:04:12 AM

Quote from: jammindude on February 06, 2016, 08:53:22 AM
The main riff reminded me of the About To Crash Reprise, which is my favorite SDOIT moment.

Sure you're not thinking of "Our New World"?

pantsofeternity · February 06, 2016, 09:04:32 AM

I've said it before, but the mandolin is the MVP of this album.

jammindude · February 06, 2016, 12:13:33 PM

Quote from: pantsofeternity on February 06, 2016, 09:04:12 AM
Quote from: jammindude on February 06, 2016, 08:53:22 AM
The main riff reminded me of the About To Crash Reprise, which is my favorite SDOIT moment.
Sure you're not thinking of "Our New World"?

You know what? Thank you. You are right. As I said, I've only heard it through one time...totally got my track numbers mixed up.

pcs90 · February 06, 2016, 01:28:01 PM

Love the violin in the first half and the second half is very powerful with the choir. Not one of my favorites on the album but since I don't dislike anything on the album at all that's not a bad thing.

SebastianPratesi · February 08, 2016, 10:47:14 AM

Quote from: mc7 on February 06, 2016, 03:35:25 AM
Does anyone know who is credited to be playing the violin or mandolin as I still haven't received my CD from Roadrunner to see the credits!

Well, I have the standard 2 CD argentinean version, and as far as guest musicians, it only states the names of the orchestras/choirs and their conductors. I know Eric Rigler plays the bagpipes in "The X Aspect", but that's because it was mentioned in an interview (I think...). His name is also absent from the credits.

So, maybe there are more extensive credits in other versions of the album? Have you received your copy?

cramx3 · February 08, 2016, 04:59:53 PM

Quote from: KevShmev on February 06, 2016, 06:34:53 AM
Fun little song, which I enjoy a ton. This should be a fun live song, assuming the audiences have the good sense beforehand to know it enough to know when to clap.

This is what I think every time this song starts playing. "Will the clapping on time work in a live setting?"

ASacrificedSon · February 08, 2016, 05:05:19 PM

TAC · February 08, 2016, 05:09:41 PM

I think this is going to be great live when it starts. It feels like it will be the point in the show where the band relaxes a bit and brings it home.

As far as the song itself, the first half is one of my favorite moments on the entire album. But it clunkily goes into a chorus that is just way too slow. By the end of the song I'm used to it, but the transition feels like it stops a great tune in its tracks.

jsbru · February 08, 2016, 06:30:10 PM

One of the better songs on the album. I find that when I want to listen to Our New World, I usually just dial in this track first, and let it lead in...

Ħ · February 18, 2016, 12:28:27 AM

I really think that an epic soaring guitar solo needed to follow "Hope came shining through"! The ending is OK, but yeah, like people said, it is pretty cheesy.

RoeDent · February 18, 2016, 12:52:24 AM

Great song. Not enough love is given to the violin solo that snakes its way through the first part of the song. Also, is this the only DT song with handclaps? Off the top of my head I can't think of another one.

Ħ · February 18, 2016, 02:04:36 PM

Quote from: RoeDent on February 18, 2016, 12:52:24 AM
Great song. Not enough love is given to the violin solo that snakes its way through the first part of the song. Also, is this the only DT song with handclaps? Off the top of my head I can't think of another one.

Intro to "When Your Time Has Come" has handclaps.

Podaar · February 18, 2016, 02:58:56 PM

The beginning of this song always makes me think of Firefly.

Voices · February 18, 2016, 06:00:43 PM

I love this song from the bottom of my heart.

Rickharris1011 · February 19, 2016, 04:23:00 AM

Quote from: Podaar on February 18, 2016, 02:58:56 PM
The beginning of this song always makes me think of Firefly.

Any song that makes someone think of Firefly is good in my book

hefdaddy42 · February 19, 2016, 07:34:23 AM

This song is fantastic. So different for DT.

mrichman · February 19, 2016, 07:56:51 AM

I was actually thinking the violin is not actually a violin, but a sample Jordan plays on the Seaboard.

wolven74 · February 23, 2016, 06:30:36 AM

The beginning of this song reminds me of a reel or a square dance... weird. Cool, but weird.

RoeDent · February 23, 2016, 06:32:56 AM

Quote from: Ħ on February 18, 2016, 02:04:36 PM
Quote from: RoeDent on February 18, 2016, 12:52:24 AM
Great song. Not enough love is given to the violin solo that snakes its way through the first part of the song. Also, is this the only DT song with handclaps? Off the top of my head I can't think of another one.
Intro to "When Your Time Has Come" has handclaps.

That's applause, not rhythmic handclaps. Two totally different things.

Quote from: mrichman on February 19, 2016, 07:56:51 AM
I was actually thinking the violin is not actually a violin, but a sample Jordan plays on the Seaboard.

They spend all this money employing a real orchestra (which includes violins) and they still decide to fake a solo violin? I really doubt that.

Mladen · February 23, 2016, 06:45:41 AM

I'm still trying to figure out this song. It's rather different, which is admirable, but I wish it was melodically prettier and a bit more original. Part of me wishes they had given this song to Neal Morse to give it a good look and take a crack at it.

pdurbin22 · February 23, 2016, 07:59:17 AM

Like many of you, my first listen through the album in its entirely was a big undertaking and I found myself "zoning out" a few times. However, this song sucked me back in. I really like it - especially the first half.

Luoto · February 23, 2016, 08:28:58 AM

Quote from: Mladen on February 23, 2016, 06:45:41 AM
I'm still trying to figure out this song. It's rather different, which is admirable, but I wish it was melodically prettier and a bit more original. Part of me wishes they had given this song to Neal Morse to give it a good look and take a crack at it.

Most of what you hear in this track has appeared earlier on the album. The "glorious sound" part is the verse of When Your Time Has Come in triple meter, for example. Neal Morse better stay the hell out of it, for this very reason

DarkLord_Lalinc · February 23, 2016, 08:40:17 AM

I didn't like this song when the album came out and now I love it. I recall saying someone hated it because it sounded like church music (was it Blob? lol) but that's exactly what I like the most about it. It sounds so gracious, like someone coming back to life (which, of course, is what happens).

thosava · February 23, 2016, 02:07:33 PM

The mandolin in this song is a highpoint from the album!

Adami · February 23, 2016, 09:39:12 PM

Really love the first half. Nice to see DT try, and succeed at something different. Second half is a bit more typical but wayyyyy too slow.

erwinrafael · February 23, 2016, 10:57:56 PM

Nice little detail of Mike using soft beaters on his drums in the first half of the song.

Adami · February 23, 2016, 10:59:49 PM

Quote from: erwinrafael on February 23, 2016, 10:57:56 PM
Nice little detail of Mike using soft beaters on his drums in the first half of the song.

I don't know about soft beats, but I do remember it being the only time that one of his extra kick drums really ended up having a use. Most of the time they generally sound the same, even if he claims he's using them for different things, they sound the same. In this song, it sounded like a very different kick drum, and that was a great choice.

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Hymn Of A Thousand Voices

SebastianPratesi